Horses are not four-legged people. They are not people wearing thick fur coats! Therefore, horses don't behave like people. They behave like horses!

Knowing how horses behave, and why they do the things they do, will help you in your daily interaction with them. People who know how horses behave can act in a manner that horses understand. We bring horses into our world, and we ask them to adapt. While it would be great to get them to speak our "language," that's not going to happen. Being the smarter species, it is up to us to learn to speak their "language." Spending just a little time learning about horse behavior pays big dividends in just about all areas, whether you are training your horse, riding your horse, or just hanging out! Here are a few things you should know:

• Horses are social. Horses enjoy hanging out with other horses. Horses who spend too much time with each other without human interaction become what is called "herd-bound." This means the horse becomes extremely anxious when asked to leave his herd. Or, sometimes the herd becomes nervous when one horse is removed! Well, since horses are naturally herd animals, how do you prevent this? You must interact with your horses frequently. Handle him often, sometimes putting him in his own pen or paddock. The goal is for the horse to consider you one of his herd mates. When this happens, he'll be more than happy to spend time with you!

• Horses establish a pecking order. Take some time to observe your horses in the pasture. If you watch long enough, you'll see that there is a very distinct pecking order. Horses will sometimes get into fights to determine who is dominant, and the winner will get such perks as eating first. Since horses think in terms of pecking order, it is very important that your horse sees you as the dominant one in your relationship. Otherwise, you could have serious problems!

• Horses like to move around. Watch your horse  as he grazes out in the pasture. Does he stand in one place? No! Instead he moves about while eating. Horses actually need to roam in order to be happy. If you keep your horse stalled, make sure he gets some time for exercise so this basic need is fulfilled. A horse who is confined for too long will be restless, and may be hard to handle.

• Horses take flight rather than fight. When faced with the fight or flight instinct, horses would rather turn tail and run. This is how horses have managed to survive all these years—by outrunning their predators. So what happens if your horse runs from you? Understand that he feels like he is some kind of danger. Always approach new horses calmly and cautiously.

• Horses are great learners. When we present things properly, horses have a wonderful ability to learn what we ask them to. Horses have great memories. Once something is embedded in their brains, they will remember it for a long, long time. As important as it is that they learn good habits, it's also important that don't learn any bad habits. Because they remember these as well!

• A horse communicates with his body. Here are some common examples of horse body language and what they mean:

            Ears pinned back, head toward you—"Keep your distance or I'll bite."

            Ears forward, head high—"I'm curious."

            Pawing with front feet—"Let's get out of here."

            Swishing tail—"I'm annoyed."

            Standing with rear toward you—"Leave me alone"

            Swinging his rear toward you—"I'm getting ready to kick."

            Lifting or stomping one hind leg—"I'm getting ready to kick"

            Ears forward, head toward you—"Hello, friend!"

            Ears back during riding—"I'm listening to you."