For all you future horse owners – WARNING…horses are expensive, addictive, require dedication and need proper care!
A friend sent me a link to an interesting blog the other day - Fugly Horse of the Day. Read it with caution because it will make your blood boil. It’s a reminder that there are terrible things being done to horses out there by ignorant, selfish and uncaring individuals.
There are many views expressed by the author that I agree with. After a quick perusal of some of the articles I have to agree that NO HORSE IS BOMBPROFF! We need to be smart around our horses. They are 1000+ pound animals with a lot of strength, big teeth and fast, hard hooves. And they are animals, driven by instinct from a prey animal’s point of view. No matter how docile and sweet, or even well-broke a horse might be, given the right circumstances he will react out of instinct (put in place to keep him alive) and that reaction can hurt or kill you if you happen to be in the wrong place or doing the wrong thing. So common sense must prevail around horses. Don’t lay down by your horse’s feet; don’t hang off his tail; don’t put your children on a horse without proper equipment and some knowledge about riding; don’t work around your horse in flip flops, and so on… There are many “don’ts” but we can avoid doing the wrong things around horses by keeping in mind their size, their strength, and the fact they are instinctual prey animals who will react to escape “scary, confusing or unknown” situations.
There are also things we need to be aware of when dealing with our horses that take into consideration his mental capabilities, physical development and physical needs. Don’t be cruel. This can be defined as doing anything that draws blood or breaks bones, can ultimately lead to death (uh…like not feeding enough), induces extreme mental duress (think…psychological torture) or compromises normal, healthy growth and development (i.e. don’t ride a baby horse). Don’t overstress your horse by asking him to do more than he is capable of or knows how without a thorough knowledge of proper training practices. Don’t use elaborate and cruel gadgets to take short cuts in training your horse – quality training can be done with a saddle, snaffle bridle, a simple spur or crop, knowledge and patience…and you can reach high-level dressage training with just this!
There are also basic requirements all horses should have. These are food such as good quality hay and grain, fresh water and shelter. Our shelters should be clean and dry even if our pastures aren’t. Fencing should be safe and junk in the pasture should always be picked up. Keep your horses hooves cared for! No hoof, no horse and that is the TRUTH! Regular foot care, teeth care, worming and shots should be a part of your horse-care regime. Companionship is important – don’t isolate your horse unless you’re planning on spending a lot of time with him. Good grooming and care, kindness, help from knowledgeable trainers and horse people go a long way in giving you a happy and healthy horse you build a strong bond with over time. And the list goes on…be smart and arm yourself with practical knowledge before venturing into horse ownership – it’s not for everybody.
As an aside, don’t drive yourself nuts with all the details. Use common sense. With an open mind and willingness to ask for help and advice you will get better and better as a smart horse owner. But remember also, we make mistakes. Try to learn from them. I know better than working around horses in my flip-flops but the one day I’m lazy and wear my flip-flops out…yeah, you guessed it – hoof on foot. And it HURT! But I still have all five toes and I won’t be wearing flip-flops around my horses again. It’s the luck of the draw a lot of the times. I’ve done things I shouldn’t have and I managed not to get hurt. However, as my mortality becomes more apparent to me the older I get I will often reflect on what I just did (and YOU KNOW when you’re doing something UNsafe….come on…) and think “Wow, I could have just been killed…I don’t think I’ll do that again.” This is called self-reflection and it’s a good exercise to create awareness in what we do and subsequent learning from those experiences.
Yes…horses are wonderful. But they require a lot from us for sound bodies and minds. They can also send us to the hospital in a heartbeat so we need to “use with caution”. Learning about horse care, horse mentality and safe riding practices will go a long way in keeping us safe and our horses healthy and happy. The resources are out there…just add motivation.