The Biology of Natural Horsemanship Articles

Before Jean and I bought Watershed Farm, I kept Moment and Gabriel in commercial boarding facilities. Over the years, I watched many people struggle with their horses and many horses struggle with their people. I thought if people knew just a small number of fundamental principles, natural laws of communication and learning, and how to apply them tactfully their problems would disappear. So, I wrote Ten Golden Rules Of Horse Training in hopes of improving horse-human relations.

But, as important as it is, being a good communicator and trainer doesn’t solve all of the problems, at least not for horses. There are still plenty of other ways that we can unintentionally undermine the quality of their lives. Much as for Ten Golden Rules, it has dawned on me that it is important for people to also know something about what I now think of as The Biology Of Natural Horsemanship—about how things we do to and with horses affects their physiology and, in turn, their physical and emotional health. I believe such information can take us beyond competent training to reasonable decisions about what to train and what methods to use to train it. It can help us to choose between different riding styles and boarding models. In short, an understanding of The Biology Of Natural Horsemanship picks up where Ten Golden Rules left off. It defines, based on sound biomedical/scientific knowledge, the limits of humane horsemanship—what we should and shouldn’t do with our horses. It can show us how to optimize the emotional and physical well-being of horses and guide us toward a closer more rewarding partnership with them.

I believe my background in both biomedical research and advanced horsemanship qualifies me to write on this subject. I’ve been a biomedical scientist since 1973, 34 years. Hard to believe! During that time, I’ve published original research on all sorts of topics ranging from the neuroendocrinology of behavior to stress physiology to molecular drug design and so on. It might surprise you but much of what I have learned as a scientist has very practical applicability to horsemanship and horse keeping.

I also have been a student of behavior and horsemanship for many years. I received a Ph.D. from the world renowned Institute of Animal Behavior, Rutgers University in 1980. Sadly, shortages in federal funding availability later led to the demise of the Institute. Learning about animal behavior just doesn’t make it when it is competing for funds with cancer research, molecular biology and so forth. But while it existed the Institute was the Mecca for learning about animal behavior and its neuroendocrinological basis.

In addition to writing Ten Golden Rules, I have also been teaching advanced horsemanship and riding for quite some time. I’m really not sure when I officially started. I know I did it for many years unofficially—helping people with their problems for no more than a smile and a thank you. I still do it “just for the fun of it” more than you might guess. But, I also give “official” private lessons and clinics as my schedule allows. One of the subjects I plan to write about in the future is Natural Riding. I talk extensively about it in my Lifeway And The Natural Hoof Clinic—what the phrase “natural riding” means to me and how it affects horse/hoof health when done properly and when done improperly. You are likely to be surprised by some of what I have to say on this subject.

Here’s the rub: I’m now 60 years old. I don’t have the time or patience to sit down and bang out another book. I worked on Ten Golden Rules whenever I could; it still took nearly four years to write and publish it. I’m a scientist by trade and at heart. I check, double check and triple check the accuracy of everything I write … and that takes time. I just can’t wait that long to publish The Biology Of Natural Horsemanship; I think the information is too important for the welfare of horses.

Jean suggested I consider publishing the information as articles in popular horse magazines. I admit that may be a reasonable solution. It might help to increase my “name recognition” and maybe even put some extra money in the coffers—some magazines pay pretty well for free lance articles. Also, the information would get out to a lot of people pretty quickly. The problem is, I don’t intend to pull any punches in The Biology Of Natural Horsemanship. I’m going to tell it like it is. Serious information for people authentically interested in the welfare of horses. In-depth information based on sound scientific data. Let the chips fall where they may. Some of it will strike right at the heart of practices that are common in today’s horse world and at things that are considered acceptable horsemanship and even exemplary horsemanship. Not the kind of stuff that popular magazines understandably want to deal with. And, I’m not willing to water down the information just to get it published. I have a vision of planting a seed of revolution, of truth as my friend Jaime Jackson would say, that will spark a change in the way we think about and treat horses.

So, I decided to publish The Biology Of Natural Horsemanship here on my website. This has great advantages from my point of view. Most importantly, I can publish it as a series of articles, making them available as soon as they’re finished—no delays or deadlines, no frustration because the process takes so long. And, I can update the information in a timely fashion. It works for me.

I have now finished the first three articles which focus on stress—its nature, the damage it can do to a horse, how to minimize it, and so forth. Stress, as you will see, is a key concept in The Biology Of Natural Horsemanship. —Bruce

Here are the titles of the three articles that are currently available:

Article 1: THE NATURE AND CAUSES OF STRESS, 17 Pages/4,787 Words.
Article 2: STRESS AND THE PROBLEMS IT CAN CAUSE, 17 Pages/4,542 Words.
Article 3: REDUCING STRESS NATURALLY, 12 Pages/3,237 Words.

You can purchase these three articles only as a unit (46 Pages/12,500⁺ Words; $19.95) by using the secure PayPay button below. The articles will be sent to you in PDF form as email attachments generally within 24 – 48 hours.