Janie Forbes wrote: "So, why does this comfortable affection disappear when I put on a halter to ask the horses to do things for me?"
Response by Leslie Desmond: That is not an uncommon experience, or thing to witness. It is perhaps related to aspects of confinement early lessons that were unclear (we often stack pressure on horses to perform and 'get it right' when we ourselves are unsure how or if we really want something to be done a certain way, and this confounds their sensitive minds, such events are associated later with the halter and lead, or other gear) systematic dulling of the emotional, mental and physical senses may develop a horse into the (relative term) "safe" pet or riding horse we hoped for, but there is a price for this. When the joy of working for a person is gone, the partnership was probably never there at the start, At the outset, most probably, were messages to the horse about dominance, "submit, or else", "my way or the highway", he likely associates that conditioning with the equipment . Where there is smoke there is usually fire, we learn that, animals learn that. It is hard, if not impossible to break those old associations. Added to this, many horses miss other horse friends that were taken away, or died: They form strong attachments, too, and we are not always able to choose a good friend for them. Arranged marriages are one thing, but not all horses appreciate the qualities of other horses, those whose natural qualities, instinctive aspects (curiosity, playfulness, exuberance, etc) are often so suppressed that they many have taken on more human attributes than we are aware, of, and this is obvious (and intuitively unfamiliar, strange, and unattractive) to other horses who either ignore or shun them for their apparent lack of recognizable "horse qualities" and instincts. Lack of space and crowded feeding situations contribute mightily to this unfortunate social dysfunction: conversely, life cannot be truly "lived" in box stalls with short pens out the back, or brief period of turnout in which they may stand alone for a few hours in the corner of a paddock. No, this apartment dwellers complex is at the root of general malaise, and depression we find nowadays in the majority of horses who do not live in herds or small groups on large tracts of land. Their value (purchase price, replacement cost, and the expectation of inevitable vet bills if they are turned out with others) are frequently cited justifications for isolating horses like this. But these reasons, we must remember, are precisely why people insure them. Unfortunately, the logic of many horse owners works exactly in the reverse, and because they are so valuable and heavily insured, isolation and other sorts of unnecessary confinement occur at the expense of a horse's mental acuity. I will go so far as to say it is at the root of a horse's own awareness of a skewed identity. Horses are not people, and they know it. They are not MEANT to be treated like dogs or babies bunnies or other cuddly pets ...... and they know it. who get treated this way become cranky at feeding time, aggressive around other horses, pushy towards people and other horses, (read that as: unsafe in tight spaces or when 100 percent of the activities in the area are not 100 percent under control).. Horses do not decide how they are treated; they do not choose to be someone's pet or replacement love object. Good for so many that they are this adaptable, but do I think that you can "make " one happy, after the essence of the horse has been removed and replaced with other preferred qualities for the convenience of the owners, rider, custodian? No, I do not believe so . . . not once the equine's innate joir de vive has been displaced. What people can do, however, is make themselves feel better about what has happened, what mistakes have been made, what egregious sins have been committed, and all this runs the gamut, of course, depending on so many things between people and horses. Yes, we can make ourselves feel better by doing certain things and not doing other things anymore.... but actually repairing the horse's mind, or recovering a lost or badly damaged spirit to its original state is not possible. No more than it is in a dog or a person. A clean slate is just that. We can gesso over the canvas and make it look better, we can make do with time off, new ideas, inspiration from other sources and re-visit the "project" (but like any other relationship that has become a "project" there is always going to be a percentage of futility in that, becuase experience of the MOMENT is often overlooked because it has been overshadowed, if not totally eclipsed, by the initiating participant's investment in a pre-conceived outcome. Some fortunate people already know this doe not work out.) But gesso or not, the lucky ones learn what not to do in the future, with other horses, other people, and themselves. Life takes on a new meaning for all beings ... when living is an experience of the moment, neither past, nor future. There is no small value in that! Janie, I want to think that the horse you refer to has better opportunties (that daily confinement and a set, restricive regimen that is designed to curtail the expression of his individual nature and limit his actual sense of freedom, room and reason to run!) than this, but for most suburban horses what I have described here is more common than not. If this describes your situaiton.... any one of you... all is not lost. Far from it! A change in the routine, the introduction of new things to do after that halter goes on, can make a big difference. Gallop for a while, pony another horse in the woods for a few days take 4-5-6-7 hour rides in new territory, take them swimming, teach them how to ford the rivers and streams, go palces horses would go if they were roaming around "out there" , take them camping with a few others, have some peaceful experiences in new country. IF they are regularly exercised and fit enough, offer yourselves a high altitude experience . . . in most any weather they can manage it. Ive never seen a horse who climbed up a mountain and failed toake in and really appreciate the view./ Most will want to stop and have a long look out at the expanse and watch for any sign of movement in the forests or open lands below. Ive watched a horse keenly focus on hawks making lazy circles for ten -15 minutes at a time.... following with the eyes . . . if you have that sort of time and patience, you will know an aspect of horses, and horse-time that many people have not yet discovered. He might feel better about the halter if wearing it lead to experiences that reconnect him with nature on his terms. This just scratches the surface, but those are thoughts for the moment. Im Enjoying these exchanges... thank you. Leslie Desmond http://lesliedesmond.com
