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Horses are wonderful generous creatures that work so willingly for us if we give them a chance to understand what we want from them, and we are fair in our demands. There are some things we do to them that they dislike, or have a hard time understanding. Here are five things most horses probably dislike, and how we can help them cope with these situations.
Being Patted on the Face
It seems almost instinctual that when a person who doesn’t know anything about horses approaches one, they want to pat it on the face. A lot of horses don’t see this as a sign of affection or greeting. When someone reaches towards a horse’s face, there is a point where the horse may not be able to see the person’s hand. And, there’s no similar acts in horse language. Horses sniff noses, and they might like to smell your hand.
But, some horses can be quite head shy, and touching their faces or ears can make the horse pull its head away suddenly. A horse may also mistake fingers coming towards it as carrots or other treats. This is a good way to get nipped accidentally.
When you’re approaching a horse, first ask the owner if it’s okay to pat the horse and then pat or stroke on the horse on the neck or shoulder.
Being Kept Alone
Horses are herd animals and they feel safest surrounded by their own kind. Keeping horses separated, and out of view of their herd mates can be quite stressful for them. Sometimes it’s necessary to keep a horse alone, and they can get used to it, but it’s against their nature. If you must keep your horse alone, provide it with a companion, or keep it in a place where it can at least see other horses, even if it can not be among them.
Being Kept Indoors
Horses like wide open places. In the wild, this allowed them to see approaching predators, and where their herd mates were wandering. Domestic horses haven’t lost this inclination to keep an eye on things and move around freely. A lot of horses get used to being kept indoors, especially if they’re stabled with other horses around them. But others fret, or develop vices like cribbing and weaving.
Some will clamor at the stable door to get in, especially when the weather is bad, or they know dinner will be served in their stall.
Horses that have been kept in a lot, may actually feel insecure when they are outdoors, but this is the exception to the rule. Most horses would prefer to be outdoors rather than cooped up in a stall. Keeping your horse outdoors as much is possible is also beneficial to it’s physical as well as mental health.
Martingales, tie downs, side reins and other training aids can be helpful if used carefully. But improperly used, and they can make your horse’s life a misery. Not only can poorly adjusted and overused training aids cause muscle imbalances, they can stress your horse mentally. Not being able to move freely may cause your horse to become resistant or panicky. It’s important to introduce training aids gradually, make sure they are properly adjusted and used only as long as necessary and for you to understand exactly what can and can not be achieved in using these devices.
Keep sessions using lunging training aids short.
Many horses lay their ears back or even snap at the rider when being saddled. Doing up the girth or cinch too quickly can hurt your horse. Some horses anticipate the discomfort and bloat their bellies. When they let go, the girth is much looser than the rider thought. Be careful to do the girth up slowly and gradually. And don’t do it up so tight that it pinches and makes your horse feel like a link sausage.
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