How to successfully listen to and communicate with a horse Working with horses presents novice and even expert handlers with some problems unlike those found with other animals. Most "misbehavior" of horses is the result of lack of comprehension on the part of the horse--and this is the result of a lack of communication skills on the part of the handler. What Your Horse Wants You to Know provides highly accessible advice by a renowned expert that helps handlers get out of trouble before it escalates. Organized by behaviors, it enables readers to find out immediately what a horse is trying to say and offers clear, concise, concrete directions for dealing with each particular problem. The book offers step-by-step advice in carrying trust and confidence over into riding, resulting in a safer, more secure horse/rider interaction and fewer long-term problems.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments.Preface.Introduction: What You Need to Know to Help Your Horse.Bathing: Afraid of the Hose.Biting People.Blankets: Fear of Blanketing.Bridling: Fusses About His Ears.Bridling: Raises or Throws Head When Removing.Bridling: Won't Open His Mouth.Clipping, Resistance To.Cold Weather Behavior.Doctoring: Applying Eye Ointments.Doctoring: Drenching.Doctoring: Fear of Shots.Doctoring: Soaking a Leg or a Foot.Doctoring: Treating Wounds.Ear-Shyness, Overcoming.Feeding Problems: Bolting His Grain.Feeding Problems: Making Noise While Waiting.Feeding Problems: Picky Eater.Feeding Problems: Throwing Grain Out of the Manger.Feet, Refusing to Hold Up.Feet, Refusing to Pick Up.Feet: Refusing to Stand for the Farrier.Gates, Problems With Arena.Grazing in Hand Problems.Grooming, Fussing or Fidgeting During.Haltering, Resistance To.Head-Shyness, Overcoming.Kicking at Other Horses.Kicking at People.Leading, Breaking Away While.Leading, Running Over Handler While.Leading, Rushing Ahead While.Leading, Spooking While.Leading: Won't Go When Asked.Leg Wraps, Fussing About.Longeing: Horse Won't Start.Longeing, Pulling Away While.Longeing: Turning to Face You.Mane Pulling, Resistance To.Mounting, Moving During.Nipping.Panicking Against Crossties.Panicking: Stepping on the Lead Rope or Reins.Panicking When Caught in Something.Panicking When Left Alone.Pawing: Dangerous Striking.Pawing for Treats.Pawing From Nervousness.Pawing: Mild Striking.Personal Space: Bumping, Stepping on or Walking Into You.Personal Space: Head Swinging.Personal Space: Mugging for Treats.Rearing as a Game.Rearing When Being Led.Saddling, Moving During.Saddling: Problems While Being Cinched or Girthed Up.Spooking at Familiar Objects.Stall Problems: Breaking Out.Stall Problems: Crowding.Stall Problems: Fear of Doorways.Stall Problems: Getting Cast.Stall Problems: Kicking the Stall.Stall Problems: Manure on the Wall, in the Manger or in the Water Bucket.Stall Problems: Playing With the Water.Stall Problems: Souring Ears or Charging the Bars.Stall Problems: Turning the Tail to the Door.Stall Problems: Walking and Weaving.Stall Problems: Windsucking or Cribbing.Trailering: Loading.Trailering: Loading When You Can't Do It Right.Trailering: Pawing or Kicking While Underway.Trailering: Scrambling.Turnout, Breaking Away During.Turnout: Bullying Other Horses.Turnout: Charging.Turnout: Chewing Wood.Turnout: Refusing to Be Caught.Tying: Chewing on the Rope.Tying: Won't Tie.Afterword.Appendix A: Resources.Appendix B: Illustrated Glossary.Index.

About the Author

Gincy Self Bucklin has 60+ years of riding and training experience, 50+ years of teaching experience and 30+ years managing stables large and small. She is certified as an Expert Instructor by the American Riding Instructor's Association, which voted her Instructor of the Year in 1989. Bucklin has written for national horse magazines such as EQUUS and HORSE ILLUSTRATED. She is the daughter of well-known horsewoman and equestrian author Margaret Cabell Self (who wrote, among other titles, Horses: Their Selection, Care and Handling; Horsemastership; Fun on Horseback). She lives in Narragansett, RI.