Biting and Boundaries

BITING AND BOUNDARIES Something I have been talking about for a long time is the miraculous changes I see in horses by engaging with their muzzles when they want that need met. Because of the dogma in traditional equine circles that "the horse should never be allowed to touch you with their mouth", their need for connection is really never met, and then one needs to have a whole arsenal of training techniques to combat the effects of that lack of connection. BUT... You also have to be able to enforce boundaries if they get a little pushy (side note - I never engage with a horses muzzle when they are pushy, you need to be able to distinguish between wanting to engage, and pushing on you). Over the years of working with horses in a relational way, and my own journey of healing and personal growth, I have found that many of the books I read cross over to my horse interactions. For many years at clinics I have shared excerpts from books such as "the Talent Code" by Daniel Coyle, or "Mastery" by George Leonard. These are about how to build skill, and the process to it. But for a number of years now it has been books about nervous system regulation such as "Waking The Tiger" by Peter Levine that have influenced my training. Lately I have been fascinated by 2 books in particular, both of them about communication, and both seem to explain on a deeper level why what I have been doing with the horses works so well. One is "Non Violent Communication" by Marshall Rosenberg, and the other "Fierce Intimacy"by Terry Real, an internationally recognized family therapist, speaker, author. and founder of the Relational Life Institute. Both are about avoiding confrontation by meeting the others needs, but they are also about boundaries. My good friend and transformational coach Christine Dickson shared some amazing insight about boundaries on The Journey On Podcast recently, when she told me "Boundaries are not something you tell other people about". You don't say "You crossed my boundary", but instead you do something about the boundary crossing. In this video I talk about muzzle engaging and boundary crossing while interacting with our 3 year old stallion Bodhi. As a foal he had an almost insatiable need to use his muzzle to engage with my hand, but as that need has been met over and over, he no longer needs it. No corrections. No smacking. No loss of trust. Horses that have not had boundaries enforced by punishment seem to have a lack of mistrust that causes them to be a completely different animal to interact with. The horses that we have personally raised in this way just amaze me every day in how easy they are to do things with. Bodhi is 3 and his brother Rupert is 4, and neither of them have really had much "training" but they are so easy to do things with. Enjoying this video? Take your learning to the next level with Warwick’s full-length training library! Inside Warwick Schiller’s online video library, you’ll find hundreds of unedited, ad-free training sessions—filmed in real time with real horses, real people, and real problems. Each video follows a clear, step-by-step process that works for any breed, discipline, age, or experience level. This is the best way to dive deeper into Warwick’s proven method and build the partnership you’ve always wanted with your horse. 🎥 Start your FREE 7-day trial today → https://videos.warwickschiller.com/ 📱 Follow along for more insights and updates: Facebook: Warwick Schiller Fan Page Instagram: @warwickschiller 🎙️ Listen to The Journey On Podcast – where Warwick dives into horse training, personal growth, and the deeper journey we’re all on: https://www.warwickschiller.com/podcast/