From the Dome—The Backyard Horse (continued)

Safety First

Picture yourself on a side street of a dark city. You hear a rustle behind you. You think ‘mugger’ and instinct kicks in. You run, stumbling over garbage lying on the sidewalk. By the time you are safe at home you have some bruises on your ankles and spend a sleepless night worrying whether ‘the mugger’ followed you home. The culprit, an alley cat rummaging for food, probably got more scared than you when you bolted away from imagined danger. This example gives you an idea of how my horse Shay and every horse ever born feels most of the time even in daylight on a pleasant country road.

Horses are prey, not pets. That simply means their instinct, like yours, is to run from danger. Every unfamiliar scene, every little noise frightens them. From a dirty green rag lying in the street to a car backfiring nearby, horses twist away from danger and run, full speed, from imagined predators bent on eating them. A horse’s only protection from wolves or dogs, for that matter, is to run, to kick, and to stay close to its herd. Prey animals do not hunt. They flee, and this desire to run cannot be prevented; it can only be controlled. If something frightens a horse, it will simply explode into flight. The horse’s fear, which enables full blown speed, makes it not only fun to ride, but can also make it dangerous. Watching a wild heard run is impressive, as long as the animals are at a distance. Up close, especially in your back yard, horses should instill a healthy respect.

Take my Shay, she likes to dance. When I first brought her home she danced all over my feet. The boots saved me (don’t ever wear flip flops!!!). Watching her, it occurred to me she was like a youngster scared to death of her new surroundings. I imagined I was a little kid suddenly wrenched away from mom and dad and thrust into a foster home. I could almost feel my new little mare cry like a baby, “Where’s momma? What happened to my home? Is this new handler a predator?” Her head high she stared with a wild eye across our property. She stomped and paced back and forth tossing her head wanting to go “home.” She even bunched her body a few times, sizing up the fence to see if she could jump it. Standing too close to her would have been extremely dangerous. I quickly learned to stand back waiting for her to relax. It didn’t take minutes or hours. It took days before she looked more comfortable.

This was my first experience with a horse newly transported to a strange environment. Seasoned older horses may not react so violently, but they also exhibit nervousness when there is a change in their life. Understanding this helps us be kinder to our horses and in not so much of a hurry to ride. It’s not wise to rush a horse. Horses need time to adjust to new surroundings.  I recall that it took months for my Shay to truly warm up to me. So, be cautious and take your time. “Bomb proof” horses don’t exist. Instinct will always supersede training. Too many stories circulate about totally safe animals that in an unforeseeable situation went dangerous. I recall the story of a friend who saw a usually gentle horse kick out against another during a trail ride. The victim horse crumpled under a broken leg. No one knows what made this normally quiet animal strike out. Perhaps a  horse fly annoyed it, or maybe the chemistry with the other horse was all wrong. Since it is impossible to avoid all mishaps, safety becomes the most important aspect of horsemanship. (Ten simple rules follow next week)