30/ JUNE 2023 THE RIDER
The Science of how Horses Think & Learn Red ribbon personalities –in humans and horses.
1. Spend time creating and re- peating positive experiences beside another horse. Riding beside another horse, just inside your horse’s comfort bubble and no closer. Relax your body, soften your aids, then ride away BEFORE your horse has a chance to Repeat until the com- fort bubble is closer to his neighbor.
By Lindsay Grice. Equestrian Canada coach, horse show judge and specialist in equine behav- iour.
It’s not uncommon at open
horse shows and fairs to see a red ribbon fastened on the tail of a horse. The message? Stay away. I kick. If your horse’s personal
space guarding has become as- sertive enough to warrant a red tail ribbon, it's time to go back and do some homework before going off property. Instead of donning a red tail ribbon, train towards expanding his social bubble (remember that pandemic term?).
Whether the source of your
horse’s grumpiness is fear or ag- gression, here are 3 tips:
2. Well-established aids, transi- tions and lateral skills will override the distraction of the warm up ring or tension of ap- proaching equine traffic.
3. Set the boundaries. When your horse snarks at another horse, re-establish the boundary through which he snarked . For instance, if he kicks out, move his haunches sideways from your leg on the side he kicked. If he lunges his head toward his neigh- bor, back him up. Don’t respond to emotion with emotion. Doing so is adding kindling to your horse’s
smoldering fear.
Promptly, but calmly, ask him to yield to pressure, deferring his own space for every threat to an- other horse’s space.
Do you know any people with red-ribbon personalities?
The red ribbon PRICKLY per- sonality. The one you‘ve learned
to avoid. Easily offended. Overly sensitive. • The gossip. (Will I be next on their gossip list?) • Bitter. Still rehearsing hurts, vowing never to be hurt again. • Negative-lots of complaints but not many solutions. Yet, there’s another kind of red- ribbon personality that can be spotted at horse shows…
The red ribbon WINNING personality. • Grateful. Earning a few of life’s “pink ribbons” makes one savour the red ones! • Gracious. They assume the best about people until proven other-
wise. • Curious. Interested in people and interested in the world. They ask questions. They re- member names. • Volunteers! What would we do without horse show volunteers? Sometimes, it takes the
loss of something we take for granted before we realize what a blessing it really is. We learned this when the pandemic restrictions cancelled horse shows. I had a fresh appreciation
of the privilege it is to be a horse show judge. The restoration of horse shows and fairs brought fresh meaning to the Codes of Ethics signed by judges for AQHA and Equestrian Canada: “Designation as an AQHA-ap- proved Judge (EC licensed offi-
cial) is a PRIVILEGE, not a right, bestowed by the Judges Committee to individuals whose
equine expertise and personal character merit the honor.” Grumpiness (complaining
about everyday irks) turns to gratefulness with each little loss restored. Delays in a long horse
show schedule? Waiting for a tardy entry to arrive in the class? Food booth runs out of coffee?
Porta potty? No problem –it’s a PRIVILEGE to be judging a horse show! “Love is patient and kind.
Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not de- mand its own way. It is not irri- table, and it keeps no record of being wronged.” From the letter to the Corinthians, The Bible
About Lindsay Grice. A horse show judge and certified riding coach with a special interest in equine behaviour.
After 25 years as a competitor and horse trainer, Lindsay enjoys teaching clinics and travelling to Ontario farms as a freelance instructor. She’s taught the science of equine behaviour and learning for horse associations, courses for University of Guelph and therapeutic riding facilities. Lindsay judges many disciplines and breeds and serves on an EC judging committee
Why do horses do what they do? “In the horse world, our traditions and evidence sometimes collide – I love to help riders solve their horse puzzles with logic, patience and equitation science.”
www.lindsaygriceridingcoach.com
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