?A small herd, a blend of beautiful and rich colors, lifts their heads from the watering hole, droplets dribbling from their long whiskers. Although of different breeds and ages, each has fuzzy ears and is beginning to shed a long, wooly coat; their defense from the previous winter months." Is that a predator I hear? A copper colored mustang, who looks every bit as wild as his heritage suggests, decides to flee for survival. The herd, although barefoot, follows his cue and thunders over the uneven rocky ground, nimbly navigating the trees, shrubs, and fallen logs. Each one, even the draft paint colt
performs flying lead changes effortlessly, seeming to float over the land as they dodge the natural obstacles. |  | |
This band, horses of health, spirit, and life must surely be far from the human influence. Mother Nature in her infinite wisdom has given this ragtag herd all that they needed to be in such balance.
Suddenly, the ghostly gray lifts his head and stares intently over the hill. With a toss of his head and a loud whinny, off he blazes over the hill with the rest following closely. The object of their excitement is a small blonde woman who stands with her arms outstretched in joy. Each and every one in the herd gets a scratch on the withers and a carrot; each hopes it?s their time to play. This time, she holds the hand-tied rope halter toward the spirited gray, who enthusiastically sticks his head in while she gently ties the knot. The rest of the herd watches with knowing interest and approval.
This gray, full of spirit, seems to dance with this human as she communicates her wishes from the ground. There are no whips and chains to make him obedient. Instead, because of natural communication and respect, this mighty gray follows her cues and navigates obstacles of logs, jumps and hills, obviously loving this play time.?
Although this natural horse paradise seems far away from the normal horse and human experience, it?s closer than you think. By understanding what is natural for the horse and following these simple alternatives to designing a natural environment, you too can create paradise for your equine partner. All it takes is the desire to become truly involved with your horse and allow them to be what they are, HORSES.
Ideally, we would all have 100 acres for our horses to roam. But, in reality this is rarely ever true. But there is hope. Even if you have a small piece of property, you can offer your horse a
more natural environment. By understanding some basic concepts, like the importance of a herd, a natural living area and allowing them to adjust to their environment naturally, you
can make small changes that make a huge difference. Importance Of A Herd
?One minute he was grazing, walking at a snail's pace, nibbling on the succulent grass tops. The next minute, the exotic dark dapple gray realized the herd was gone. Where was his herd? A panic like no other shook his very insides and he realized he was ALONE. Screaming at the top of his lungs, he ran blindly to the top of the hill and saw his beloved herd. Whinnying loudly, he slipped into the middle of the group and again felt safe.?
As horses are naturally herd animals, being separated from other horses will cause them stress and anxiety. Safety, being the top priority in a horse's life, followed by play and food, is imparted by the nearness of the rest of the herd, even if it's only one other horse. Horses have evolved and survived due to this herd concept, which is a strong instinctual drive. A horse in the wild that became separated from his herd often perished. A life of solitary confinement goes against the very grain of what it means to be a horse. |
The Bay colt dropped to his knees and tried to bite the intruder's lower legs. Knowing this game, his opponent also went to his knees as each tried to knock the other off balance. In a
strange way, they resembled horse "Sumo Wrestlers". Now full of adrenaline, the two playmates turned their mock fight into a horse race. As both ran wildly around their area, the copper gelding directed the colt where he wanted him by fake bites directed at
his neck. They seemed to be dancing in a choreographed routine, flowing with each other as if attached by an invisible string.
All this excitement woke the others in the herd and soon there were a variety of colors and shapes dashing around playfully. Even the ghostly gray kicked his heels up in delight. Although the scene looked very disorganized and dangerous, each horse had a keen awareness of what was happening around him and was careful to maintain enough control to avoid any mishaps. Soon the entire herd was breathing heavily and again it was time for a peaceful nap. The paint and his copper friend stood next to each other, mutually grooming until each one's eyes slowly closed and they rolled into a peaceful sleep, feeling safe that they were together. ?
Horses need to be in the company of equals around the clock. Although being able to see other horses helps a bit, they must be able to play with and touch each other. Socializing, either physically or through communication, takes place within the herd constantly. Nuzzling, mutual scratching, lipping, and just standing close helps to establish long-lasting bonds among the herd members. Also, because horses love to play, a good round of rearing and biting will raise their spirits and allow their physical bodies to stretch and get stronger. |
By being turned out with a herd, a horse learns social skills. Learning to read other horses' body language, how to move out of the way when this reading is not correct or fast enough, and when and how to defend himself are all lessons he will learn. This is not something we can teach them. Many people believe that if horses are turned out with each other, they will hurt each other.
Granted they will play games of dominance with each other to determine the hierarchy of the herd, however actual contact is minimal, at least by horse standards. Often, when a horse is termed "unsociable", it is because of the human caretakers teaching or supporting this behavior. |  | |
