Horses Don't Cry Attitude CHECK
SILENT SUFFERS by Cynthia Anderson B
efore you jump to a conclusion about this, take the time to contemplate the issue. There are occasions moisture will drain from the eye of a horse and give the appear-
ance of tears. To date, there is no scientific proof that the moisture is emotion or pain related but rather a re- sult of the physical environment. As horse people we all have opinions and experiences disproving that science, but here we speak about the vulnerability of our equine friends. Horses are truly silent athletes and long suffering com- panions. They dutifully go along with just about any- thing we chose for them and they have absolutely no say in the pro- cess. Unless they are foaled in the wild, foals have human contact from the minute they are born and their entire life is controlled by the people who own them. When they eat, where they sleep, where they go, what bit is in their mouth, who rides them and what “sport” they are introduced into is completely decided for them. We “tame” our horses, but the reality is they are still not “domesticated”; they are lunch in the overall scheme of things and their wild inner being is still very much intact. Their prevalent nature is that of being the low man on the food chain and all the years of human contact has had very little impact on the core of their instincts and who they are in the animal world. Their natural instinct it to take flight and run when scared or hurt.
Those very facts carry a lot of responsibility, and lucky
the horse when the humans involved with them take that to heart. For these lucky horses, the athlete controlling their lives is “part horse” as the saying goes. The rider understands that the simple quick jerk of the bit carries intense pain for the horses, and the rider meters that with kindness. A rider knows that the spur can by excruciating- ly painful but if carefully used, never leaves a spur mark that breaks the skin or causes bleeding and bruising. While there are dozens of ways to get a message across
to a horse, a true horseman knows that the best way to get results is through repetition and not through pain. They know that rep- etition takes time and patience but the end result is a win-win for all.
Horseman under-
stand the heart and mind of the horse!! He knows that a horse never really knows, or has any way to know, that they are about to receive blasting pain from a spur used harshly. The horse has no idea that a hard severe jerk of the bit is about to happen. They are at the mercy of those in charge. Walking through
the show grounds it is
gratifying to see riders of all ages enjoying their horses, but it is more gratifying to see the horses respond. If you just sit quietly and “look” at the horse’s eyes and what is happening, you will “see” the mind of the horse at work. Their response to even the slightest touch tells volumes about their lives. Our horses are lucky, they are fortunate to have a life full of people who love them and care for them always keeping in mind that the horse is silent but sensitive beyond belief.
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