Sorry Catherine to take so long in answering my question. I am now also out of sync with the discussion. However, since I asked my question, I have been researching to find an answer and had a great time doing it

In brief, my answer lies in the subject of perception and how perception is determined by context.
Thanks to a quote from Marc Bekoff's book called Minding Animals (Awareness, Emotion and Heart) I conclude......"The words we use to talk about animals influence our attitudes about them-how we think about them, how we view them and how we treat them"

NB: This is a great book. In my experience some of us who have looked to ‘science’ for a greater understanding of the ‘world of behaviour’ have been accused of theory gathering as opposed to having a ‘feel’ an ability to ‘know’ an animal. In my opinion, Mark Bekoff encapsulates the BALANCE between science, it’s practical application and the all-important Essence of Being. I don’t tend to recommend books I am only half way through but for me it is the first book written by a scientist I have not been able to put down.
ISBN 0-19-515077-5 Oxford University Press

Sorry, the above thread should have added to the Dominance thread and not been on it's own. I have put the question I am realting to below. Sorry for any confusion!

If we look at two sets of behaviour one labelled dominant and one labelled submissive but consider both sets of behaviour as effective as each other i.e. information offered and received that is mutually beneficial. Is it then possible it is just our choice of words that cause us to consider one type of behaviour more ‘demonstrative’ than the other?

Just chatting away to my self here

Re Paul Belasik thread, where he has been quoted as saying "He simply thinks behaviourism is crude" (I have never met PB so this is not personal!) but this is what I was referring to when those of us who want to learn/study/research more get discarded. Let alone the animals in question! I do not understand trainers (teachers) who do not encourage the exploration of learning and experience. How else are we supposed to form opinions?

In my opinion leaders are not supposed to create followers they are supposed to create more leaders......open doors not close them.

The following is a quote which I think all those who guide anyone looking for education etc should take note of (sorry don't know the author) "A good teacher protects his students from his own personal influence"

Stepping down of soap box now......

Seriously, thanks for your thoughts on that. Definitely agree. I can feel an Amazon shopping spree coming on in the near future.

Actually it's Marc Bekoff's yahoo group (ethologicalethics) where I get a lot of the articles I put on here. It's very interesting

Emma,

I studied a little about what you are refering to when I did my degree. It was basically to do with labelling and how if you label a person with a mental illness or stereotype (sp!) they will be treated and expected to act in a certain way by society and this can actually mould the way a person acts. I guess it is the same with horses.

I see it a lot at my yard - people say 'my horse is really naughty, timid, stubourn etc..' but when you look closer it is almost as though the owner is creating the situation and the horse is just acting accordingly....I really think this could explain why when a stranger starts to work with a horse, with no pre-conceived ideas of what that horse is like the horse will act completely different with that person.

I bet you will find quite a few references about this sort of thing with human psychology

Mx