So, now that you have read about the 3 Reasons Your Horse Might "Misbehave", I think it would be a good time to explain the 5 F's of instinctive equine behavior. What are the 5 F's? Well, I am glad you asked. They are the instinctive behaviors that a horse will exhibit during his moments of fear and insecurity. These behaviors have been professionally researched by universities and professionals. In fact, Texas A & M University has recently recognized the 5th F on the list. So, let's get started.


Flight:

As I have already stated, the horse is first and foremost a flight animal. He would much rather run away from the problem than face it.

Most of you probably recognize the signs of a horse about to flee. Their head goes up, their back goes down, their heart starts beating hard in their chest and they are standing as still as a statue - staring unwaveringly at whatever the problem is.

Quite often these horses will spook and bolt the second anything moves. Some horses will actually be more upset because it won't move. Either way, the problem is that your horse is experiencing fear, stress, or insecurity. This fear is part of their instinct. It is an inborn part of a horse to want to run away from danger.

Horses - What are you gonna do?



Fight:

This is not the horse's first choice. He would rather flee than fight. But if he is prevented from being able to run away, he may be "forced" to bite, kick, rear, or exhibit some other unwanted behavior.

Another reason a horse may "fight" is if he is forced to do something that is painful. This takes us back to the poorly fitting saddle and bucking, as one example. Or possibly just being extremely resistant to do whatever is being asked in an attempt to avoid the pain.

Sometimes it is an emotional or mental anxiety that the horse is trying to flee from. Maybe he had a bad experience the last time some one tried to load him in a trailer. Or something scary happened the last time he went by a certain place on a trail ride. He may simply be afraid of a scary object or situation because he has never experienced it before.

And, honestly, would you want to do something that is causing you pain or anxiety with a smile on your face, or would you complain? Being "naughty" is your horse's way of complaining. Please think about that next time he is doing something you consider bad behavior. Give him the benefit of the doubt.



Freeze:

Freeze is what can come if the flight or fight does not work for the horse. Or, some horses may just go directly to freeze. This is what happens when the horse does not know what to do about the situation he finds himself in. He just shuts down. They may stand completely still and may even hold their breath.

It is sad to say, but I once saw an extremely well known trainer at a horse expo working with a mare. (if I said his name, I think you would all know who he is)

She was (from my perspective) obviously short stepping on the hind leg. He watched the owner ride her first and didn't even acknowledge - or see it.



He then mounted the horse to work with her. She was trying to figure out what he wanted, but he kept pushing her harder and harder. She eventually stopped in the middle of the arena and stood completely still as if defeated. She seemed to be begging him to leave her alone.

She was behaving very well and never once refused to do anything he asked. But, there came the point when she just froze. As if to say, "I am trying, but I don't know what you want."

He didn't even recognize this as the "freeze" response. He actually started kicking her - repeatedly - as hard as he could. He told the crowd that she needed to be "obedient" and do whatever he asked.

I was embarrassed for him. I actually came to the expo thinking he was a good trainer, but I left feeling like he really didn't understand anything about a horse's instinctive behavior. The poor girl was overwhelmed, in pain, and confused.

After he was done and the horse was taken back to her stall, I asked the owner if she minded if I examined her horse - who was dripping sweat from every inch of her body. She looked exhausted and quite honestly, sad.

After checking her over, I found she did have a problem in her back right where I suspected. I asked the owner if she knew her horse had a problem in her back. She answered that she had suspected it, but didn't know what to do about it. I gave her some advice and then continued to look around the expo.

My opinion of this trainer has totally changed since that day. And, if that had been my horse he was working with, I would have told him to get off!!! The ride would be over. I don't care who he is. Horses don't easily forget traumatic experiences and that poor horse could actually have acquired some new issues after him working with her.

I know these stories can be long. But I am hoping that by giving examples of what I am teaching, it will help you to better understand and to apply the information to your own situation easier.



Faint:

Faint is not as common as the other F's in horses, but it is an instinctive behavior. It happens in extreme cases. A horse under extreme pressure will just collapse. It is the nervous system's reaction that can happen after they freeze. It can happen when a horse is being forced or beaten, when using training devices to force a behavior, or even from girthing a horse too quickly.

I have not seen a horse faint. I am just passing this information along. But, I have seen it on Animal Planet on the shows where animals are being hunted by other animals. They just fall over, like they are playing dead. Unfortunately, it happens when the animal has given up and realizes it can't get away from the predator. Makes you think, doesn't it?



Fidgeting and Fooling Around:

This is the behavior that has been recently recognized by Texas A & M University. They have found that this behavior is also stress related and not just your horse being "naughty". The horse may just fidget, lip or nip at something, etc. It is a more subtle reaction a horse may have, but it may also be a sign that your horse is getting stressed about something that could need to be investigated.

I believe that some horses are just naturally "lippy" or oral. My horse, Traveller, seems to like to put things in his mouth and nibble at us to play. But, I have noticed that when he gets stressed or is unsure about something - the lips come out. I take this as a sign that he needs to be reassured about something. Maybe I need to work with him to get him used to a scary object, or slow down the training of whatever I am asking him to do. I think that because nibbling on things is something he is already predisposed to, that he also uses this as his communication to let me know he is getting worried.



In the next section, I will discuss How understanding equine behavior can help you correct bad habits in horses.