To Raise Emotionaly Healthy Horses

It is easy to understand that a horse does not have he same nutritional needs as a person. It is equally important to understand that a horse does not have the same emotional needs as a person. As a prey animal a horse's emotional needs are all focused on one goal--a strong sense of security.

To have that sense of security a herd animal requires several things that are not obvious to humans. For example, they evolved to need movement. Safety and security only exists for a horse who knows that he can escape potential danger. That is why being shut up in a stable creates, at best, constant low level stress and, at worst, the development of stereotypical behaviors that are often labeled as "vices"--e.g. weaving, pacing, cribbing, etc.

They evolved to be able to closely read and interpret the behaviors and emotions other herd members. They are always on the look out for signals, no matter how subtle, from other herd members, that tell them if they are safe or in a potentially dangerous spot.

A horse's ability to detect sound and scent dwarf those of humans. A horse's ability to detect stress in those around them also dwarf those of humans.

One of the worst things that some otherwise well meaning horse owners do to their horses is to project their own hypochondria onto the horse. The obsession with the belief that the horse is constantly in need of medical attention and, therefore, is in a state of constant suffering can fill an emotional void for the person. It can fill in their need to be needed. For some owners it papers over their fear of riding by giving them an excuse to avoid mounting up. They can always cite some health problem that the horse has as being the reason that he needs to be rested. Just as alcoholics often find themselves sitting around drinking with other alcoholics and readily agreeing with each other that neither has a problem, these horse owners can find support from other such horse owners who also feel that they alone are the only ones giving proper care for their horses. Instead of recognizing the problem they reinforce it in others.

But the horse does not receive the care that it needs. It does not get the feeling of security that it feels in the presence of a confident,secure leader. Instead, it finds itself constantly exposed to a nervous, fretting human who exudes insecurity and stress. The horse reads and internalizes those signals.

The horrible irony is that there are few relationships that can create more feelings of peace, security, and confidence for a person than to have an emotionally healthy relationship with a horse. That relationship does not develop when one views one's relationship with a horse as a constant effort to heal nonexistent health problems and to keep it safe from nonexistent threats.

The good news is that the horse can serve as a great diagnostician. If your relationship with an otherwise healthy horse is as set out above, you need healing.

Work hard to build a relationship with our horse that is based on the horse's actual needs, instead of the hypochondria that you project on to the horse and you will quickly see how much healthier you and your horse have become.