ABSTRACT
Protection from injury is based on knowledge and experience—confidence and safety, may or may not result. An experienced horseman is one who has come to know the hazards and threats around horses, and knows how to cope with them. Efficient, safe horsemanship also requires the rider to look under the hood—into the mind of the horse. Understanding the mind of the horse brings one to the realization that the horse actually prefers the leadership and decision-making of man. Quick to react to threats or stimuli, the horse may consider some of the actions of the novice rider a threat to his survival. Applied behavioral analysis departs from the traditional concept of horse psychology by rejecting the needs, impulses, and desires of the animal. More emphasis is being placed on the situational, external environmental, and social stimuli that influence equine behavior. Behavior of animals and humans is generally improved through calm, reassuring instruction.
