Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
2 Behavior
T o make wise decisions when designing facilities and devising a management plan, first
learn all you can about how and why horses behave the way they do. You can't significantly
change intrinsic behaviors that have been part of the horse for more than sixty million years,
so it's best to design facilities specifically suited to horses and their habits.
Horses are not humans, nor are they puppy dogs or glass ponies. Horses are horses and
should be treated as such. Even though horses can elicit emotions similar to those we feel
for our family or friends, dealing with horses as if they are humans is a dangerous anthropo-
morphic trap, and is unfair to them.
Horses are not pets. They can be partners, but we humans need to be the leader of the
team. Horses are quite content to know this, and if they are treated consistently and fairly,
they bond closely to humans, just as they would to a dominant horse in a herd.
Although horses can do some very cute and charming things, they are large and poten-
tially dangerous animals. Horses are works of art, whether peacefully grazing or in breath-
taking motion, but they aren't collectibles like porcelain statues or framed oil paintings.
They are living, breathing creatures with deeply ingrained reflexes, routines, and needs.
The horse is a gregarious nomad with keen senses and instincts, highly developed re-
flexes, a good memory, and a strong biological clock. In the animal world, the horse is a prey
animal, one that is hunted for food by predators such as wild felines, canines, and humans.
That's why a horse is inherently wary. The more you understand the nature and characterist-
ics of the horse, the more likely it is you'll be able to help your horses adapt to domestica-
tion, confinement, and training.
Characteristics
It is common for horse owners to say a horse is misbehaving when the horse is merely be-
having according to his inherited instincts. While a horse's natural behavior patterns need to
be altered somewhat to make him safer and more useful, it's best to work with, not against,
existing instincts and reflexes to minimize stress and ensure long-lasting results. Take time
to observe horses in herds and in various styles of domestic confinement so you can develop
insights that will help you make good handling and management decisions.
Whether or not there is action, a horse can be exhibiting behavior. A sullen horse, rigid
and unyielding, is exhibiting a behavior; a wildly bucking horse is exhibiting a behavior.
Search WWH ::




Custom Search