Horse Speak 101: How to Understand the Body Language of Horses
In this one-time class, students will learn the basics of how horses use body language to communicate.
Kali Kiger and The Pony Professionals
Average rating:
4.9
Number of reviews:(394)
What's included
1 live meeting
45 mins in-class hoursClass Experience
In this one time class, students will learn about horse body language from a professional trainer. As a trainer, I teach kids to put the first ride on horses that have never been ridden, so I have a lot of experience teaching kids about equine body language in a situation where comprehension really matters! I will share my screen and use photos, videos, and sound clips to show students horse behavior and psychology. One of my favorite parts of class is showing students an animation that compares a horse face and a human face side by side. The eye brows, eye lids, lips, and head tilt are all animated to help better understand the articulation of horse facial features. We will see photos of horses that are... Content Peaceful Anxious Stressed Angry In Pain Sleepy Curious In order to better understand horse body language so that we might use these skills with our horses, we will look in detail at the following: Facial Expressions: - Eyes wide - Wide nostrils - Pinched nostrils - Ears back - Ears forward - Ears split - Blinking eyes - Head low - Head high - Drooping lip - Half closed eyes Noises: - Chuffing - Sighing - Squealing - Trumpet/Bugel - Neigh - Nicker (guttural) - Nicker (starting high and ending low) - Blowing out Awkward Horse Body Language: - Rolling the lip up - Yawning - Sneezing - Full body shake - Itchy horses - Horses rolling Unhappy Horses and Horses in Pain: - Squinting - Grimacing - Braced neck - Bolting As a part of the “living history” exhibit at the High Desert Museum, I gave many demonstrations on the behavior and training for wild Mustangs. I’m very passionate about this subject! I was also Head Trainer at one of the largest horse rescues on the West Coast, managing 125 horses of all ages and breeds, as well as 60 volunteers each volunteering twice a week. The class photo is me with my daughter and a Mustang I trained. She was 5 when I rescued her and she is 17 now.
Other Details
Parental Guidance
I'm very passionate about horse training and about giving students a great opportunity to learn. For that reason, here is what I need from students to be able to run a successful class:
1) Keep your device still while in class (in other words, set it on a table, don't hold it in your hand where your video is all over the place).
2) Choose a quiet room. Whenever you un-mute to ask a question, it is hard for the rest of us to hear if there is even a small amount of background noise. That's just the nature of computer microphones unfortunately.
3) Please share the spotlight - let's give everyone a chance to talk.
4) Annotation tools should be used only when directed by the teacher. Please do not draw or write on the screen.
5) The chat box is for real questions. Let's stay focused.
6) Parents, I know how much you also love horses, but Outschool has a requirement that parents stay off camera. It's ok to help students make adjustments to their equipment, but otherwise give students space to take their class, even if they're getting the answers to the questions “wrong” ;)
7) I share a LOT of videos in class. Please make sure that your device is not bogged down for class (close extra programs and extra tabs, make sure not too many people are using the internet at once at your house).
8) I will often go 5 minutes over in time to accommodate students with tech difficulties or to make up for "get to know you time" at the beginning of class.
9) All students must start each class with their video on in agreement with Outschool's safety policy. Students will anxiety can turn their video off after introductions.
10) If students are being too much of a distraction, they will be removed from class without a refund.
External Resources
Learners will not need to use any apps or websites beyond the standard Outschool tools.
Kali Kiger and The Pony Professionals
4.9
394reviews
Teacher expertise and credentials
I am an author, speaker, and YouTuber. I own internationally recognized horseback riding academy for kids and kids at heart. You can find me presenting at places like the Northwest Horse Expo and the High Desert Museum. I have been an equine professional since 2003. I'm a homeschool mom with 3 girls ages 2, 8, and 10.Reviews
Live One-Time Class
$18
per classMeets once
45 min
Completed by 197 learners
Live video meetings
Ages: 9-14
5-12 learners per class
