30/ DECEMBER 2022 THE RIDER


The Science of how Horses Think & Learn Horses and the homing instinct. Longing for home.


No doubt about it - horses have


a “homing” instinct. No wonder - a horse is de-


By Lindsay Grice. Equestrian Canada coach, horse show judge, specialist in equine behaviour.


A trustworthy horse navigates


the way home through a blinding snowstorm. Or he transports home the injured (or drunk) cowboy, slumped across his saddle.


Do horses have a homing instinct? A few plausible explanations:


horses as prey animals are acutely aware of their surroundings, recall- ing visual landmarks and scents. Some research has explored the pos- sibility of horses, like some other animals, tapping into the earth’s magnetic field as a compass. But the average horse-person


experiences the equine homing in- stinct in everyday ways.


You’ve been there:


• prodded and zig-zagged your horse to ride away from the barn, only to beeline back on the return trip • ridden more egg-shaped circles than you can count, your horse bulging as though magnetized to- ward the arena entrance • earned another break-of-gait penalty loping, then trotting, past the show ring in-gate


signed to be drawn to an environ- ment where things are safe and predictable for their very survival. A happy place where meals and turnout come on schedule. Where he knows where he stands in the pas- ture hierarchy. A horse feels “at home” – safe, when the cues and signals of his rider are clear and pre- dictable. Horse show grounds, in contrast, are NOT predictable; NOT familiar; NOT like home. The gate represents the exit from the alien sounds, lighting and movement of the show ring. The gate is the exit from physical exertion, mental focus and…aloneness (Where are my herd mates?) Yep, horses have a homing instinct. So do we.


“We don’t know what it is at


first. But we know this much. From the moment we are born, we are on a quest. It starts with toys. We think if


only we had a certain toy, then we would be happy. Then we get older. We think a certain position or rela- tionship or thing will make us happy…We have a homesickness for a place we’ve never been be- fore. God wired us that way.” Greg Laurie


As the dust settles after hunting


and gathering Black Friday deals, the excitement of the quest lulls and the Visa bills arrive. As does the sober realization that, in truth, I did- n’t reeeally need that, seafoam- blue, matching set of mono- grammed horse show sheets (quarter sheet,


flysheet and contoured


cooler). The lull returns to longing…for


something else to make me happy. Longing for a place we’ve never visited.


“If I find in myself a desire


which no experience in this world can satisfy, the most probable ex- planation is that I was made for an- other world.”


C.S. Lewis Hmmm…I wonder if there


were any Black Friday deals on Ad- vent calendars –you know, the ones with the little cardboard doors to open in the countdown to Christ- mas?


Advent, the 4 weeks before


Christmas, is all about longing and waiting. The ancient Advent hymn “O Come, O Come Emmanuel” speaks of the yearning of Jewish


people living under the harsh thumb of the Roman empire for the prom- ised Messiah. They were longing for justice; for a Saviour. Emmanuel – Hebrew, meaning the presence of God with us. In the 1st century AD, it hap-


pened. Jesus’ disciple John recorded the events he’d actually seen and heard, how the promise had been strangely fulfilled:


“So the Word [of God] became


human and made his home among us”.


John 1:14, the Bible. For those who celebrate Christ-


mas, its message is of a Saviour who made His home among us. He knows the unfulfilled longings we share navigating an unpredictable world. He spoke of a home beyond this life - a place where every unmet longing would be satisfied. When I’m driving at dusk or


dawn past farmhouses with their golden-lit windows, Christmas wreaths and front porch urns, I feel that tug of homesickness. For a place of belonging. A place of peace.


We are wired to be homesick.


We, like horses, have a homing in- stinct.


Illustration: Sorenson


About Lindsay Grice. A horse show judge and certified riding coach with a special interest in


equine behaviour. After 25 years as a competitor and horse trainer, Lindsay enjoys teaching clinics and travelling to Ontario farms as a freelance instructor. She’s taught the science of equine behaviour and learning for horse associa- tions, courses for University of Guelph and therapeutic riding facilities. Lindsay judges many disciplines and breeds and serves on an EC judging


committee


Why do horses do what they do? “In the horse world, our traditions and evidence sometimes collide – I love to help riders solve their horse puzzles with logic, patience and equitation sci- ence.”


www/lindsaygriceridingcoach.com Safe Travelling with Equine Guelph’s New Resources “A very near-accident with my horse trailer


was a wake-up call for me,” says Gayle Ecker, Di- rector of Equine Guelph. “It showed me clearly that I didn’t know what I didn’t know about safety while trailering a horse! Hearing similar stories from others prompted me to propose this course to my team and all agreed we could do something to help.” Equine Guelph, with funding from the gov- ernments of Canada and Ontario through the Cana- dian Agricultural Partnership (The Partnership), has developed resource information sheets and a video to help would-be transporters and experi- enced haulers alike navigate different hitch sys- tems, understand what the different ratings mean, and perform a thorough pre-trip inspection. “By adding important safety resources to its


current programming, Equine Guelph is setting an example for high standards in safe animal handling and transportation practices,” says Marie-Claude Bibeau, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food. “Our investment in this project is helping Canada’s competitive equine industry.” “Preparing to haul animals is something that


everyone should take seriously,” said Lisa Thomp- son, Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Af- fairs. “Whether you are travelling with horses, or other livestock, proper safety measures and taking care of your equipment can help ensure you get to your destination safely. By investing in resources


Equine Guelph develops resources on safe trailering for the horse community.


that promote safe shipping methods, we will be able to help horse owners, and farmers alike be as prepared as they can for whatever they might face on their journey.” A common horse trailering mistake is at-


tempting to tow too much weight with a vehicle that is not up to the task. In the first information sheet, Trailering Safely: Decoding the Letters and Numbers; the “alphabet soup” of letters and num-


bers used to rate components of the truck, trailer and hitch system (Canada as of 2022) are looked at in detail. By the end of this information sheet, deciphering Vehicle Information Decals will be a far less daunting endeavour. The next information sheet, Horse Trailering


Safety: Part 2—Hitch Systems, explains trailer hitch systems, safety chains, the breakaway sys- tems and trailer brake controllers. Your hitch sys- tem will only be as strong as its weakest link, so it is of paramount importance that all the components are functioning properly and are the correct weight rating. The function of draw bars will be explained as well as choosing the correct ball and coupler for your set up. Then the correct way to hook up safety chains and how to set the output and sensi- tivity on the trailer brake controller will be covered to avoid trailer wheels locking up and skidding. No one wants tire damage or a rough ride for their precious cargo. Finally, a superb video covers all the bases


for a pre-trip inspection from checking tire pres- sure to making certain the trailer is towing nice and level. In ten minutes, this informative video covers what to check in terms of tires, lug nuts, hitch, lights and brakes. You will marvel at the rarely seen perspective of a set of trailer tires travelling down the road. It’s going to send you to the store wanting to pick up a lug nut wrench if you don’t


already have one! No safety component will go unchecked, from safety chains to break away ca- bles, and you will have all the tools needed to set yourself up for a smooth ride. OMAFRA is providing funding to Workplace


Safety & Prevention Services to deliver resources and consulting services to help farmers and other agri-food businesses provide safe workplaces. The Canadian Agricultural Partnership is a


five-year, $3-billion commitment by Canada’s fed- eral, provincial and territorial governments that supports Canada’s agri-food and agri-products sec- tors. This includes a $2-billion commitment that is cost-shared 60 per cent federally and 40 per cent provincially/territorially for programs that are de- signed and delivered by provinces and territories. Equine Guelph thanks Beverly Sheremeto


and Robert Nagle, Firefighters and horse owners, B & R’s Northern Horse Journey (YouTube), for their contributions to the development of these re- sources. Sign up for the upcoming online course on


TheHorsePortal.ca – Horse Trailer Safety (Part One).


Thanks to Equine Guelph’s generous safety


education supporter, Workplace Safety & Preven- tion Services, this online resource in safe trailering has been made possible.


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