Atlantea Society
For the full article go to: Herd dynamics at Marv Walker.com
Atlantea Society blending the principals of various natural training styles, with body language, games, whispering and bonding. We welcome participants of all kinds of training such as Berry Training method, Monty Roberts, Chris Cox, Frank Bell, Buck, Branaman, Parelli, Dennis Reis, Marv Walker, Clinton Anderson, John Lyons and the dozens of excellent training styles.
Herd Dynamics by Marv Walker
Observation is basically how I learned horse herd dynamics. I figured horses seem to have everything figured out when left to their own devices in a herd. Every herd member seems to know and accept its place. Every herd member seemed to be secure. Every action of every herd member seemed to have a beginning, end and a purpose - every matter was always resolved to the acceptance of all involved. There appeared to me to be cohesiveness and harmony in the herd even though there were clearly was a constantly changing "pecking order" in the herd.
Put a human in the middle of all this and the next thing you know, you have chaos, and disharmony. The unity connection is lost and much time is spent striking a happy medium trying to get the horse to conform to human herd dynamics.
Now I have read many articles and theories about horse interactions. I'm sorry to say that I have not kept any because, just as you said when talking about your favorite method, there seemed to be something missing. Now, years later, that something missing appears to be many of the extremely important nuances were not fully observed by the advocates of the concept.
In observing horses free of human influence I have noticed that nature has set up a rule that says "You have the individual rights you are capable of taking and enforcing and you honor the rights of those who are more able to do that than you are." This rule is accepted by all horses. The horse who the most able to take rights becomes the leader. Ranked behind that horse according to their ability to take rights are all the other herd members in what has come to be called the "pecking order"..
The factor that has the greatest amount of influence in this dynamic is the DETERMINATION of the horse taking the right. If one horse is eating and a higher ranked horse comes up and says, "I'm taking this," the lower horse has ONLY two choices - it either must honor the superior horse's right or it must challenge and take the right for itself.
Horses understand and accept and are 100% comfortable with that dynamic. They know exactly what is expected of them when presented with an action - honor it or challenge it. As I have said, the absence of fear is confidence. Confidence is the assurance you can handle what is expected of you. In a herd, you are expected to challenge or accept. That's it. ALL horses can do that.
The more determined a horse is to take rights, the more lesser determined horses honor those rights. This is evidenced by the fact that some horses expend very little energy to take rights, pinned ears are often enough effort.