A small herd of wooly-coated horses looks up alertly from their watering
hole. A moment later, a ghostly gray lifts his head and stares intently over
the hill. With a toss of his head and a loud whinny, he blazes over the
hill with the rest following. They thunder over the uneven rocky ground,
nimbly navigating trees, shrubs and fallen logs.
The object of their excitement is a woman who stands with arms
outstretched in joy. Each horse gets a carrot and a scratch on the withers;
each hopes it’s his or her time to play. Today, the woman holds the rope
halter toward the gray, who enthusiastically sticks his head in while she
gently ties the knot. The rest of the herd watches with knowing interest
and approval.
The gray seems to dance with the woman as she communicates her
wishes from the ground. There are no whips to make him obedient.
Instead, through communication and respect, the gray follows her cues
and navigates logs, jumps and hills, obviously enjoying every moment.
 This horse paradise seems a far cry from
the usual equine/human relationship,
but it’s easier to achieve than you might
think. By designing an environment for
your horse that’s as close as possible
to what his wild counterpart would
experience, you too can create a natural
paradise for your equine partner. All it
takes is the desire to allow him to be
what he is – a horse – and to understand
some basic concepts about equine nature
and behavior.
At home in a herd
Horses are herd animals, so being
separated from others of their kind will
cause them stress and anxiety. Being
part of a herd, even if it’s only one other
horse, imparts a sense of safety and is
a strong instinctual drive. Horses have
evolved and survived because of this herd concept; a wild horse that became
separated from his herd often perished,
so a life of solitary confinement goes
against the grain of equine nature.
Many people believe that if horses
are turned out together, they will hurt
each other, but this isn’t the case.
Horses need to be together, to touch
and play with one another. Although
they will play games of dominance to
determine the hierarchy of the herd,
actual contact is minimal, at least by
horse standards. Often, when a horse is
termed “unsociable”, it is due to lack
of socialization skills with other equines.
If horses were truly antisocial creatures,
why would their feral cousins choose to
establish herds? It’s because they have
an instinctual need for preservation,
comfort and companionship.
Socializing, either physically or through
communication, takes place constantly
within the herd. Nuzzling, scratching,
lipping, or just standing close helps
establish strong bonds. Also, because
horses love to play, a good round
of rearing and biting will raise their
spirits and strengthen their bodies.
Horses can only learn proper equine
behavior by being with other horses and
watching their body language. It isn’t
something humans can teach them.
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Published in the May/June 2007 issue of Equine Wellness Magazine
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