Horses!!!?? SO why would a dog person want to know anything about working with horses?
For me, horses are proof that it isn’ t necessary to be cruel or strong-arm an animal to elicit a behavior or change a behavior. After all, do you really think a 100-200 pound 2-legged being (human) could MAKE a 1000 pound animal do something out of pure force…no. Learning how a horse learns something is an experience every dog owner or trainer should have. It reveals the importance of fair, clear and consistent communication. A horse would have no part of anything less.
Most horses live their lives in some sort of confinement. Some are lucky enough to live in herds in large pastures. This is the normal environment for a horse. Others, are kept in smaller areas of confinement such as a “run” a corral, or even a stall. Their only contact with other horses may be through stall walls or a fence. For horses in any type of confinement outside of that huge pasture in a herd, stress or boredom is often the result. There are ways for their human care-takers to enhance these horses’ lives and this lecture emphasizes these. Just as dogs who are confined without physical, emotional or mental stimulation develop unwanted behaviors, so too do horses. Learning through cross-species studies will help the dog owner, enthusiast, trainer, behaviorist or other professional learn more about the canine.
Yes, this presentation is relevant for any species who spends time confined. With dozens of photos and video demonstrations, Barbara Handelman, author of the top-selling book, CANINE BEHAVIOR – A PHOTO ILLUSTRATED HANDBOOK, will show the student how to identify the behaviors a stressed horse exhibits. She also will present a range of training challenges that can occupy horses and their trainers during a period of confinement along with introducing a variety of food-dispensing toys that provide mental stimulation and simulate foraging for food.
Presented through the Ethology and Behavior Lecture Series, this 90 minute Live lecture will be recorded for OnDemand viewing as well. The date of the Live lecture is Thursday, August 9, 2012 at 8:00 PM EDT.
Cost: $25
To register for this lecture either Live (online) or OnDemand go here:
https://e-trainingfordogs.com/2011/03/ethology-and-canine-behaviour-series/