~ 447 ~ Journal of Entomology and Zoology Studies 2019; 7(3): 447-452 E-ISSN: 2320-7078 P-ISSN: 2349-6800 JEZS 2019; 7(3): 447-452 © 2019 JEZS Received: 14-03-2019 Accepted: 18-04-2019 Jyotimala Sahu Ph.D. Scholar, Department of Livestock Production and Management, ICAR-National Dairy Research Institute, Karnal, Haryana, India Aayush Yadav Ph.D. Scholar, Department of Livestock Production and Management, College of Veterinary Science & A.H, CGKV, Anjora, Durg Chhattisgarh, India Suresh Kumar Ph.D. Scholar, Department of Livestock Production and Management, ICAR-National Dairy Research Institute, Karnal, Haryana, India Sanjay Chaudhary Ph.D. Scholar, Department of Livestock Production and Management, ICAR-National Dairy Research Institute, Karnal, Haryana, India Rohit Kumar Ph.D. Scholar, Department of Livestock Production and Management, ICAR-National Dairy Research Institute, Karnal, Haryana, India Prasanna Pal Ph.D. Scholar, Department of Animal Physiology, ICAR- National Dairy Research Institute, Karnal, Haryana, India Correspondence Aayush Yadav Ph.D. Scholar, Department of Livestock Production and Management, College of Veterinary Science & A.H, CGKV, Anjora, Durg Chhattisgarh, India An overview on basic horsemanship Jyotimala Sahu, Aayush Yadav, Suresh Kumar, Sanjay Chaudhary, Rohit Kumar and Prasanna Pal Abstract Basic horsemanship includes the art of riding, handling, and training horses which relies on subtle interactions between horses and humans. It consists of major steps of haltering, leading, longeing, saddling, bridling, mounting and dismounting. Good horsemanship requires a rider to control the animal’s direction, gait, and speed with maximum effectiveness and minimum efforts which occurs through the correct application of reinforcement. Behavioural approaches to training mark the value of horsemanship while several unwelcome problems develop because of the inappropriate application of training techniques resulting in a decline in the utility value of horses. However, the problems can be successfully managed by a modification of the behaviour by allowing the horse to socialize, providing enough exercise and adequate diets along with grazing and good training practices. Keywords: Horse, horsemanship, behaviour, training, management 1. Introduction Horsemanship is a knowledge of skills necessary for the riding and care of horses. Horsemanship involves paying a strong focus on the horse ethology, the way horse learns and accept the tendency of its favorable behaviour [1] . Basic horsemanship begins with knowledge of the procedures for breaking and training an untrained horse [2] . It requires attention, patience, dedication and hard work. Horsemanship is also called as ‘Equitation”, the word originated in the mid-16 th century from Latin word ‘equitare’ meaning ‘ride a horse’. Horse riding brings both social and environmental challenges and is a useful example of the way we overcome horses’ innate responses and thus ignore their preferences [1] . For proper riding appropriate training of the horse is needed in which the human handler introduces the horse to new situations and associations [3] . Effective and humane training of horses requires an understanding of the processes underlying behaviour. It employs social interaction between horse and human [4] . Learning and training ability of the horse depends upon two factors; intelligence [5] and motivation [6] . Horsemanship accounts knowledge of the behaviour of the horse under natural conditions, learning processes, the influence of early experience and motivational forces [3] . 2. Why is behaviour important in horsemanship? A basic understanding of equine behaviour is important for effective communication between the personal and the horse which makes training procedure easy [7] . Behavioural knowledge ensures effective management of the horse. Horses are highly reactive and it instinctively runs at the first sign of danger. Understanding the behaviour along with good training can overcome this behaviour so that the safety of the horse and personal can be maintained. By understanding the behaviour of the horse a person can be able to differentiate between normal and abnormal behaviour which helps in understanding the horse in a deeper way. 3. Behavioural principles of training Behavioural principles of training are primarily based on two principles; hereditary and environmental influences [8] . It depends on two people; breeder and trainer. Breeder governs the hereditary principles whereas trainer is solely responsible for increasing the performance of horses which largely depends on the environment. The performance of the horse is likely to be heritable in some degree and it varies from breed to breed, for instance, Thoroughbreds have high heritability of racing ability [9] . Training or any sort of learning whether it is human or animal deals with the modification of behaviour [10] .