On 9/21/07, Nancy Sturm <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > ..."horse doesn't make an intellectual decison..." Bless the woman. I am > so sick of reading (not on this list, ladies) that "my horse tried to do > (fill in the blank) to me." We have plans. Horses really don't. > > Nancy >
what does it meant then, if its instinctual... Tivar wants always to be first in line on a ride. When he's not first he always looks for the first opening to pass and make his way back to first. We ride frequently in an area that is a narrow trail. On one ride, out of the blue, he started whacking my right knee into a tree now and then. I thought that was a heads up of something wrong. that maybe he was veering right. I got off, adjusted things, all seemed fine. We started on. whack. I started watching for in BEFORE it happened. I started realizing it ALWAYS happened within seconds after me reining him in when he wanted to pass/be first. As an experiment I allowed him to pass and be first. No more whacks. In fact, at one point we were trotting really fast and he did a hairpin between two saplings. no whack. a horse passed us and he flattened his ears. I scolded. we went on. He tried to pass. I scolded. whack. So what instinct is that? I'm sorry, I just have seen it too much... horses do act bratty, and sneaky, with each other, and with us. Its almost comical. it is comical. to me :) Like Jaspar snatching bites of weeds on the trail. If I unwind the crop from the saddle and put it on my hand, he stops. If I put it away, he starts. what instinct is that, the trail munchie instinct :) or the "I am gonna work around mamas rules" instinct. to me that is intellectual. But its not just bratty behavior, I have seen many many cases of intellectual behavior both with each other and with people. Or maybe I am misunderstanding "intellectual"? I saw stonewall do something intellectual recently, and also ethical, a demonstration of being a good "person" morally I thought. traveller had been mean to him and they were doing their usual mock-war-fighting and Traveller cow kicked at him as he went by then went to graze. Stonewall sneaked up on him. Backed up, kept looking over his shoulder, lining himself up, stepping his back feet for just the right position to let him have it, and he waited. he waited til Traveller lifted his head from grazing and saw it coming and wham, he let him have it. He did not sucker punch him. He did not sneak attack him altho they do that too. He was following some policy rule I think :) But isnt that intellectual?? or is it? Janice -- yipie tie yie yo
