In your efforts to become a good horseman, you need to know
certain
horse facts that will hasten your progress. Horses have the same
senses we do, hearing, smell, taste, sight and touch. But, they operate
differently than our own. Because the information they get from their
senses dictate how horses interact with their environment, it is
important to take the time to understand how they work and what to
expect from our horses. Let us explore their senses and how they may
differ from our own.
A horse can hear keener than we do and since
he can move his ears about 180 degrees around, he can better isolate
where a sound is coming from. That way, he will know which direction to
run in, escaping from whatever he perceives endangers him! For us
riders, horses can hear us speak quite well. This horse fact is
important. We know we can speak quietly and they will hear us just fine.
Horses are conducive to learning voice commands and they are always
best received when delivered in a calm, soothing way.
Their sense
of smell is also more acute than ours, but not as good as dogs. They can
detect smells that we are oblivious to. This is an important horse
fact. If you are out riding and your horse stops and acts alarmed even
though you cannot see anything, he may be smelling another animal
lurking nearby that you are unaware of. Pay attention to his behavior
and trust him! Almost always, if you stop, watch and listen, you will
eventually see what your horse has been smelling all along.
Like
us, horses enjoy a variety of tastes including sweet and salty foods.
Molasses and a good salt block will satisfy a horse! But, that is not
enough to keep him healthy. It is up to us to provide healthy feed and
roughage, all of which will be covered in another article. They can
develop a distinct preference for sweets which is not good for them!
Giving them sweet treats can create a bad habit of nipping, looking for
that treat in your hand or in your pocket. We are all guilty of spoiling
those we love, including our equine friends. But, I would encourage you
not to do too much of this.
Horses have very sensitive skin and
can feel a single fly light on their hair anywhere on their body! That
makes it easier for us to train them because they are receptive to the
side of our legs on their bellies and the feel of our hands through the
reins attached to the bit in his mouth. In fact, sometimes, we must
de-sensitize the horse so he does not over react to us as riders. That
is why slight pressure from a rider is all that is usually needed to
signal a command to a horse, whether that be legs or hands.
Probably
the most important
horse facts to understand regarding senses is about
their sight. They have monocular vision, meaning they see different
things out of each eye and only occasionally use binocular vision like
we do, seeing the same thing out of both eyes. Their eyes are set out on
the sides of their heads which allows them terrific peripheral vision.
They have two blind spots, however: directly in front of their forehead
and directly behind them. You will often see horses moving their head
from side to side to increase their field of vision. They are going from
monocular to binocular use of their eyes. Their color detection is poor
and they do not have good depth perception. That is why a mud puddle in
a tire track could appear to be a bottomless pit to them! They can also
visually detect motion better than us. You will notice that on a windy
day, horses seem to shy and jump around more. Part of it may be the wind
on their skin but also, they see things moving that we do not notice.
They are looking for scary things to run from and seem to be ready at
any second to do just that! So, recognize that for what it is next time
you are riding on a windy day and your horse is acting flighty!
In
conclusion, once you understand these
horse facts, how horses perceive
the world through sight, hearing, touch, smell and taste, you will be
better able to predict their behavior. You will also better understand
your horse and develop a true compassion for him as your friend and
companion.
For more information on horse facts, go to [http://www.HorseFactsGuide.com] or
http://www.HorsesEquestrian.com
Lisa
B. Blackstone has been involved in the Arabian horse business all of
her life. She operated a family owned Arabian horse breeding and
training stable called Onyx Arabians for many years. She went back to
law school in the early-90s and is now a practicing attorney in the
Atlanta, Georgia area. She is an original founder of the Equine Section
of the Georgia Bar.
Recently, Lisa launched two websites designed to teach the novice rider about horses and horsemanship. You can visit them at
http://www.HorseAndRiderClub.com and
http://www.AmericanHorseAssociation.com She continues to ride and to judge Arabian horse shows in the United States and abroad.
