Hiring An Equine Behaviourist

If you’re dealing with a difficult horse, it can be easy to feel a bit in over your head. Thankfully, you have the option of hiring an equine behaviorist to assist with behavioral training for your horse. Continue reading to learn more.

What Is An Equine Behaviorist?

If a horse exhibits behavior that may be troublesome or dangerous to both humans and horses, it may be best to elicit the assistance of an equine behaviorist.

He or she will work to discover the root of the problem, then work to eliminate the behavior with the horse. 

Once the horse has been rehabilitated, the behaviorist will bring the owner into the equation and assist them in achieving understanding with the horse.

They will help the owner understand how to continue to enforce what the horse has learned.

When Should I Hire An Equine Behaviorist?

Below are some examples of horse behavior problems that usually require the assistance of a professional:

• Aggression
• Biting
• Eating disorders
• Cribbing
• Kicking
• Stall pacing
• Weaving
• Fears and phobias

Each horse is different, with different experiences and life factors. If your horse struggles with any of the above behavior issues, you may find that hiring an equine behaviorist can help immensely with rehabilitating them. 

What To Expect

In most cases, equine behaviorists request that the horse be trailered to their property in order to ensure that they can dedicate their full time and attention to their rehabilitation and training. 

If this is something that you are not able to do, or if the issue at hand is that your horse refuses to trailer, it’s very likely that your equine behaviorist will come to you. 

It’s common for the trainer to ask the owner to take a step back from contact with the horse until the root of the problem has been discovered and training is able to take place.

Some owners may feel a bit nervous about leaving their horse in the complete care of someone else, but no worries; this allows the behaviorist to work one-on-one with the horse without the distraction of the owner’s presence or impact on the horse. 

Sometimes, the bond that the horse shares with its owner may cause it to become distracted.

Also, if the issue at hand is that the horse is a bit spoiled, he or she may feel that they can continue to carry out the behavior in the presence of their owner; who has always allowed it to continue before.

Once the trainer feels that the horse has been trained and rehabilitated, the owner will then be updated on what has been achieved, and how to continue to train the horse.

Moving forward with the information you’ve learned here, you’ll have a better understanding of what to expect with the use of an equine behaviorist.

Remember that every horse is different, and while you may feel that your situation is hopeless, equine behaviorists are extremely talented professionals who can often help even the most dire situations.

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