Post by drifter6 on Aug 12, 2009 21:56:21 GMT
The love we have for our horses is undeniable and is quite evident in the level of care our equine partners receive and the amount of money we spend on their well being; however, I have often pondered the question, "Does my horse really love me?" I have, in turn, posed this same question to several of my enthusiastic horse friends.
Often times, I believe we try to assimilate human emotion and feeling upon our horse and what we equate as receiving "love" from our horse is actually "trust and respect" from which a bond develops. This is, in my opinion, the equivalent of "love" in horse sociology. The emotional interpretation of the benevolent gestures of love we bestow upon our horses (food, treats, blankets, shoes, etc.) is foreign to them. At times, these caring gestures may even undermine the ability of our horse to care for himself (i.e., blanketing when we should perhaps let his winter coat provide warmth).
Horses will bond and interact with us the same as they do within the societal realm of their herd, which exists within a code of dominance (trusted leader) and subordination (faithful follower). There is no better way to glean a better understanding of this than by learning and understanding the sociological behaviors of horses in the herd. A foal will bond with his dam at birth and will begin his socialization education from lessons provided from her and others within the herd. Herd behavior is quite intriguing to watch and so much can be learned from observing the daily interactions of your horses amongst themselves.
The dominant horse in the herd is the horse that all others trust to keep danger away, wherever it may be lurking. Just as your horse will look for the leadership of that alpha horse, he will also look to you for it if you have established a leadership position in your "herd of two". Understanding herd dynamics and horse body language are your first steps in becoming that leader. Once you have acquired the ability to understand horse psychology, you can then put it to use in communication with your horse. You have to meet him on his level of understanding (i.e., become horse-like in your actions) every time you interact with him. You will lose your leadership title if you don't maintain the role at the levels your horse expects from a leader. Just as in any herd, hierarchical positions of all within the herd remains in flux, with lower subordinate horses challenging leaders for the alpha position. Your horse may challenge you for leadership or become fearful if he feels you are not looking out for the herd.
Assuming the leadership role with your horse will deepen the bond he has with you, which in turn, evolves into a meaningful and wonderful partnership for both of you.
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