| For those of us who grew up years ago without | | | | were sold for whatever they could get for them. |
| but desperately wanting a horse, a lot of fantasy | | | | All because the owner though of the colt as a big |
| and dreams colored our idea of what having a | | | | dog and treated it that way. |
| horse would be like. Many of us grew up on the | | | | Oftentimes people act as if horses think the |
| standard fiction fare of books like The Black | | | | same way people do. That's a big mistake. Horses |
| Stallion, television shows like My Friend Flicka or | | | | are prey animals--in nature prey animals are |
| Mr. Ed, and the once-popular weekly westerns like | | | | hunted for food by predators, and their survival |
| Roy Rogers. In those scenarios, the horses were | | | | may very well depend on running away or |
| always very well behaved, kind, attached to their | | | | fighting. People are predators. Predators are the |
| humans, and ever so willing to comply with every | | | | hunters. It makes no difference that we have |
| request as well as sometimes even protect their | | | | taken the horse out of its natural environment |
| human. They would come running when called, and | | | | and put it in ours where there aren't that many |
| were more interested in their human than grass. | | | | predators that will actually hunt and hurt the |
| Those fictional horses certainly didn't step on their | | | | horse. In their minds, they still know they are |
| humans' toes, bite, bump, or kick them. They | | | | prey animals and vulnerable to predators. We |
| didn't move off before their humans could get | | | | have to understand that and prove to them that |
| mounted, didn't buck or run away, and you never | | | | we are friendly predators who can be trusted to |
| saw or read about them grabbing a bite to eat as | | | | keep them safe. They aren't going to understand |
| they moved down the trail. It seemed like they | | | | that with words, so we have to demonstrate it |
| could run all day and never even get sweaty, | | | | with our confidence and actions. |
| much less tired. | | | | Prey animals and predators do not see the world |
| Needless to say, the dream was certainly fiction! | | | | the same way and do not think the same way. |
| Many new horse owners have their bubble burst | | | | For example, an upturned tree may look like a |
| when they finally do get a horse because they | | | | horse-eating monster to a horse or at least a |
| think all horses will be like the fiction version. That | | | | perch from which a mountain lion might leap, |
| is probably why a lot of new horse owners don't | | | | whereas the rider sees it as a harmless upturned |
| do their research and they may end up with a | | | | tree to which the horse should not react. Often |
| horse that is not at all suited to their needs and | | | | the human gets frustrated with a horse that is |
| abilities. | | | | afraid because the human knows that the scary |
| Misconceptions about horses can turn the dream | | | | object isn't anything to worry about and doesn't |
| into a nightmare or at the very least wake the | | | | understand the horse's perspective on the matter. |
| new owner up with a start. Many people | | | | Or they might get the matter worked out with |
| misunderstand the nature of horses. Horses are | | | | the horse finally accepting the scary upturned |
| not overgrown puppies and should not be treated | | | | tree going in one direction, and then on the return |
| like dogs are. They are not children and do not | | | | trip, the same thing happens again. The rider may |
| have human thought patterns or the same | | | | think it's ridiculous for this to happen since they |
| emotions. Horses are simply horses, a unique and | | | | worked the issue out going the other way. What |
| fascinating species in their own right. They | | | | isn't taken into consideration is that the horse |
| deserve and need to be understood for what | | | | sees things differently than people do. Passing |
| they are instead of fantasized. They are | | | | something on the left is not the same view as |
| wonderful creatures as they are, and we shouldn't | | | | passing it on the right. Horses have to learn |
| try to make believe that they are something | | | | something from both the left eye and also from |
| different. | | | | the right eye. The knowledge does not |
| I heard of a man recently whose family | | | | automatically transfer just because the object is |
| purchased a bred mare because they wanted to | | | | the same. |
| have a baby horse for their daughter to "grow | | | | The best way we can overcome our |
| up" with. When the colt was born, the man liked | | | | misconceptions is to study horse psychology |
| to go out and play with it. He would pick up the | | | | through lessons (particularly Natural |
| colt's front feet and put them on his shoulders, | | | | Horsemanship), reading, clinics, dvds, and |
| and they would "dance". Picture that same scene | | | | observation of horses together in a field. There is |
| when the colt grew to be a yearling of around | | | | a wealth of information out there, it's just a |
| 700 pounds. All the sudden, it wasn't nearly so | | | | matter of wading through it and sorting it out. |
| much fun for the man when he got knocked | | | | Just be careful not to ascribe human or dog |
| down and had a gash in his head from a hoof. | | | | explanations to what you see horses do. Think |
| Suddenly the horses were no fun any more and | | | | about things from the horse's perspective. |