The horse is an intelligent animal, with a great memory, sociable and curious.
The modern horse differs greatly from its prehistoric ancestor, not only in its anatomical component but also in its behavioral profile.
Over the years man has tried to change or rather improve some characteristics of the horse, so his behavior has also changed to go in favor of man's claims.
It is now very rare to find really herds of wild horses, but they are usually horses raised in the wild, not in the stable inside a box, but in large pastures without predators and with continuous controls.
However, the observation of the behavior of these horses allows us to understand attitudes that for us humans are not understandable at first glance, but which – if observed more carefully – highlight interesting communicative meanings and expression of the instinct of the noble animal.
In nature the horse is a prey, it is a large herbivore animal, its survival is therefore linked to two factors:
- find food
- defend yourself from predators.
Predators usually hunt in groups and attack prey isolated from the pack. If the herd realizes that it is about to be attacked, it runs away remaining compact, in this way the predator will not know who to attack.
If, on the other hand, the predators were able to isolate one, its fate would be sealed. From this we can understand why the horse is an animal that tries to stay close to its fellow humans, so when the horse tries to be in a herd it is because of the survival instinct.
It often happens that a riding horse in a quiet moment hears a noise and starts quickly at a gallop as do the horses next to it.
We ask ourselves the motivation for this behavior, in reality it is a defensive behavior because in nature the horse that hears the predator gives the alarm starting at a gallop, the rest of the herd must take off because even a moment of hesitation could be fatal.
Man does not always understand the horse's behavior and often the way to approach him is wrong. In fact, it is considered a predator by the horse and it is normal that this frightens the horse that is prey.
This must always be considered in order to understand and behave accordingly to the horse's actions in order to have a balanced and healthy relationship.
Often the behavior of horses as adults depends on how they were treated as foals, in fact they should be accustomed to the presence of humans right away.
Man is often the cause of bad behavior as adults and very often the horse does not understand our ways and we end up not developing a good relationship having only a regression.
His point of view must always be taken into consideration so as not to create misunderstandings.
The relationship with the horse must be based on trust, we must always try to understand what we want to communicate, even if it is not easy.
The horse being prey does not often communicate through vocal signals precisely in order not to attract predators: the most used means of communication is body language and facial expressions to which we must pay close attention.
Very important in communication are the ears which indicate the horse's intentions and emotions.
If the horse has its ears backwards it means it is ready to attack or in the case of a riding horse it is not fully taken up by the work it is doing. If the ears are backwards with the head raised and the lip stretched we must be careful not to approach it because the horse would be ready to bite or kick; if instead they are straight it means that he is looking at something specific or that he is fully taken up by the work he is doing, they indicate attention.
When the ears are forward and backward, they indicate uncertainty; if one ear is still and the other is moving it means if you hear a noise on that side of the ear.
The horse is a complex but fascinating animal, strong and powerful with its many facets that give a lot without expecting, difficult to understand if not with a lot of effort.
The relationship between horse and man must be based on respect without forcing or suffering, respecting his nature. Only through this will it be possible to achieve great results with great satisfaction without unnecessary suffering.
For more informations, you can visit https://horsecare24.com/en/
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