I have stated somewhere that horses have a language of their own. Some say that dogs have language and some say that every animal has some sort of language. My dog talks to me about basic things like going outside at the proper times and getting food and the like. I say certain words to [...]
I have stated somewhere that horses have a language of their own. Some say that dogs have language and some say that every animal has some sort of language. My dog talks to me about basic things like going outside at the proper times and getting food and the like. I say certain words to my dog and she has a pretty good idea of what I’m talking about. She always responds with emotion though. Not necessarily thinking or deduction.
Some horse owners want no more from a horse than they want from a dog. Unfortunately, they don’t realize that there is more that can be expected and received from their relationship with the horse in their life. The same is true with people to people relationships.
The misnomer that dog is “man’s best friend” brings great misunderstanding in life. The person who first spoke of his best friend being a dog was obviously very lonely and definitely feeling rejected. Now it has become a widely accepted philosophy. I think it might even produce loneliness in folks with relation to their animals. That starts happening whether they ever know it or not.
Anyway, I believe we shoot ourselves in the foot every time we use the word “best” and “friend” in the same sentence. The word best produces the idea of the top, epic or position where no one else exists. A kind of one and one only. (Mono y mono!) Thus it produces social loneliness because as soon as you have a “best” – no one else can ever be in that position. The tendency for people to turn and sort of give up even trying to be a friend is always there. There tends to be a kind of, “there is already a best friend so “what’s the use” attitude without even thinking it through.
So, if we have a “best friend” that we speak of, whether we actually mean that or not, we start making our way into the same kind of loneliness that says that the dog is “man’s best friend.” Best to not say best and friend, together – ever.
More people will like you and even your dog will probably like you better.
Horses are herding animals and they like social involvement. They often make the mistake of thinking that people like herding too. So they start treating people as if they are part of their herd and speak in the same social language that they are used to. Problem is people don’t understand herd talk. Many of them are too lonely trying to achieve a “best” friend with their dogs. So, horses keep the people at bay and don’t want to socialize with them because the people keep acting like predators.
If we were to develop a better approach to horses, dogs and people, we might have more friends in life. We might even find out that we are happy. I often wonder since horses can see us as predators if people can sense that as well? The most obvious is the over aggressive sales person. Too much pizzazz for any real human interface. Makes you feel like you just got cornered and your claws come out or you hunker down in preparation for the strike. We’ve been in that bait and switch thing way too many times.
That should be considered if you want to relate to horses or people. The way we approach a horse can mean a lot when considering your future relationship with that horse. If you act like a predator you will cause mistrust and the horse will act funny to you. It will probably be either aggressive or reserved. Both are fear reactions and they produce emotional decisions on the part of the horse.
Fear is one of the largest enemies that you must face. Horses, because they are prey animals and they are predator to nothing, are natural fear-a-holics. Fear keeps them alive. Fear also keeps them alone or stuck to their own herd. However, if you can relate to their fears and show them that it is better living without it, they will begin to think instead of act. At that point you can demand respect from the horse and deserve it because respect can only come without fear. This respect is then necessary for them to relate to you as a horse ought to relate to a human who cares for them. So, keep the fear at bay and you will have the respect of the horse.
Fear produces emotional actions in the horse. Fear is instantaneous and emotions are explosive when that fear is made real to the horse. (The same is true with people.) Just picture some big burly guy who states with his words and body language that he isn’t afraid of anyone. Truth is, the reason for his anger is fear. He gets threatened and he goes berserk. Why is that, anyway? He is afraid. Afraid of losing something.
An angry woman is the same. She may or may not have a history of being stolen from or cheated of life. She still has fears that throw her into a rampage. Male or female – doesn’t matter. Just like the horse, people want to bolt in either retreat or in a charge once that fear factor is enacted.
So, how you approach a horse or a man can mean the difference in whether they retreat or attack. Think about giving your reassurances for safety and protection before you get to far in your conversational approach to either. Do all to make sure that nothing or little is at risk of loss and you will be much happier with the reactions.
You might want to know what I’m getting at here. I’ve found that if you are going to have a lasting relationship with a horse you are going to have to deal with its fear factor. You change your behavior so that the horse has proof that you mean protection instead of danger. I have a horse that is very athletic and loves to run and do anything that is asked of her. Yet, she has come to totally rely upon me for her protection and her needs. How does that happen? I had to take the time to prove it to her. Slowly but surely, she got the point. She thinks I’m easy. Ready to serve her needs. It’s way more comfortable for her to work in the ways I ask her to than bite the hand that feeds her and makes her safe. So, now she relaxes and gives me emotions and tells me with her own language what she wants or needs.
I can then share my wants and needs and she responds in a “share-and-share-alike” mode instead of being afraid to cross me. Horse life is sweeter that way…
I’ve been learning “horsemanship” the natural way. I guess this style of horse handling started with the “horse whisperer” guy in Montana. (Can’t remember his name.) Anyway, the way I get the story is he watched wild horses for a lot of years and realized that they have their own language. He began to watch [...]
I’ve been learning “horsemanship” the natural way. I guess this style of horse handling started with the “horse whisperer” guy in Montana. (Can’t remember his name.) Anyway, the way I get the story is he watched wild horses for a lot of years and realized that they have their own language. He began to watch the results of certain repetitive actions and started interpreting that “language.†He then began to apply the new information through his interaction with horses and found amazing results. It appears that horses communicate with each other in a “herding†sort of way. It also appears that people can talk to horses and understand them in their kind of “language.”
Now a horse is a “prey” animal. It is a predator to nothing, except grass and the bugs that accidentally get in the way of the hay. Predators are the horses’ enemies. It has to be that way. God said it was good.
Man is a “predator” and acts like it to the hilt. Befriending a horse may very well depend on whether you are acting like a predator or not. If you can find ways of not acting like a predator you are apt to start a good relationship with a horse. I sort of think this works with people too.
Here are some tips that I’ve learned from the experts:
1. Approach a horse in an arch and don’t walk straight at them. Predators walk straight up to a horse so you don’t want to seem like that. Some say that the horses eyes exaggerate the “arch†movement, so if you walk in a small arch or curve up to them, they may see it as a bigger arch than is real.
2. Don’t pat a horse like you do a dog. Predators pat. Ladies don’t like it and neither do horses. Dogs like it though. They are predators. Football players like it too. They are also predators. That is not the way a horse wants to be loved, I guess. When a horse is first born the mommy horsey first licks the foal. So, if you make your hand motion like that of a tongue- lickedy lick – then you could very well be patterning the love that a mommy gives and the horse should respond lovingly in return.
3. Chew gum like baseball players do. Chewing keeps the nerves at rest, they say. If the nerves are at rest you don’t give off the human fear smell that animals sense but is too faint for people. I’ve found that our horses kind of like the fruity smelling gum better than the mint flavors. I’m not too sure about that yet though. Anyway, if the horse does not smell fear then it has less reason to accept any fear and react badly. “Never let the devil see you sweat” and never let a horse smell fear on you.
4. Read some books by natural horsemen about horse respect and ground manners. It becomes much easier to understand how to handle horses before you ever even think of getting on one.
So, “never let the devil see you sweat” and never think a horse is totally safe. A horse averages around a thousand pounds and it has a brain that it doesn’t always think with.
Like people, a horse uses both the left and right portions of the brain. When the horse has fear it gets stuck in the right brain and does not think logically at all – just like people. The key to good horsemanship here is to do things with the horse to get it locked into the left side of the brain where the deduction type thinking goes on. Making decisions and following instructions is what you want the horse to do. Once its attention is focused on following instructions it will sort of stay there, unless there is some input to bring about fear again.
Remember that horses are prey animals. That makes them “fear-a-holics.” They will bolt forward if at all possible. The same is true with people. Even though our species is predator in nature, we are fear-a-holics too. If you’d like to get along with people, try a different language than you’ve been using in the past. Try understanding what causes fear responses and change your approach.
Now, I have lots of other thoughts on this matter of comparison. I’ll probably let them fly in other writings that contain some horse sense. Suffice it to say, I love our horses; I love my wife; I love my sons and daughters of the faith and I never want to be feared: Respected, yes, but not terrorizing. I don’t think that my heavenly Father wants anything different. He is only a terror to His enemies. “To fear the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.” This fear is not terror or horror. It is strong love though. You might want to think about these things when you are hanging out with people or horses.
