A visit to the Rescue Centre

Last weekend we were fortunate enough to have a guided tour, with a brief biography, of the long term residents at a local horse rescue centre. We were shown horses and ponies with a range of difficulties that would make them impossible to sell or even fostered as field ornaments. It was very sad because the only difference between them and a much loved horse of perfect disposition is the sum of their experience with a number of different owners, although there was a grey gelding that had only one of those, but he had just as many problems due to being humanised from a foal.  

We met horses who had been so physically abused their trust in humans was permanently broken. We weren’t surprised to hear a couple of those were born in Ireland where they had received a quick and violent introduction to human relationships. The resulting trauma is so deep, they can only be managed by someone with a wide understanding of what they have been through, and who is able to show them guided leadership without a hint of domination. Even the smallest indication of dominance brings up instant feelings of fear so great, horses like these are totally fixated on escape which makes them dangerous to be near.

We watched two mares, self exercising in a covered school, who hadn’t been hit and were not frightened of people but their difficulties were none the less severe. These girls had serious problems when ridden. The details of what they do under saddle are not important, what we need to know is why they react like that. The reason is simple: horses really don’t understand what they are supposed to do for us unless they are lucky enough to be shown the way through good horsemanship which allows the person responsible for their education to understand the situation from the horse’s perspective.

Horses are herd animals; they are mentally designed to think of themselves as part of a team rather than as an individual. How the horse perceives reality is so different from ours, they may as well be from another planet which is why what we want from them can get completely lost in translation.  Ours is a throw away culture where we are can be less interested in investing in relationships than seeking recognition from our peers. We may not even be aware of our desire to achieve predetermined expectations which is in direct contrast to a horse who is hard wired to seek comfort above everything.

As 21^st Century horse owners, we often lead time starved lives full of deadlines and hectic schedules which prevent us from realising we are human be-ings rather than human do-ings. This had a direct impact not only on the way horses perceive us but also on the feedback they will show us in the future. They are not concerned about the number of jobs on the to do list or duties we’ve signed up for, what matters to them is how we respond “in the moment.”

These moments are priceless jewels on the timeline of reality where horse and human can merge, if only briefly, allowing important information to be downloaded. Unfortunately what often happens is the horse is locked in a stable before having a bit thrust in his mouth, a headpiece jammed over his ears and a saddle dumped on his back, after which he is spun round on the end of a lunge for an hour or so, followed by a person swinging onto his back. Before the horse has had a change to mentally digest what’s happening, a rider kicks his sides while making clucking noises.  

It never ceases to amaze me that more people aren’t aware that horses are not born knowing what leg aids mean. If he fails to respond, which mostly happens, a sort of frozen on the spot reaction, a stick is used until he gets the idea to lurch forward. While he is trying his best to balance with an unfamiliar weight on his back, he is clucked at and kicked at again to go faster until he makes it into trot. Without warning he feels a pulling sensation in his mouth but he has no idea what that means either. Another amazing thing is that people don’t know that horses don’t know they are supposed to stop when the bit is used against their mouth, most of them lean into the pressure, go deeper on the forehand and keep going in order to remove themselves from discomfort.

If they make it all the way back to the yard without bolting, bucking or using some other means to unseat the rider due to panic, fear and lack of understanding, they may be lucky enough to receive a slap-pat while the tack is ripped off them. After two or three weeks of the same treatment, plus a few turns left and right, the horse is considered broken and riding. If the horse isn’t sold directly to a private owner, he is likely to be entered in a sale or find himself in a dealer’s yard where if he is lucky, he may get a couple of weeks’ further education.

A horse’s nature is such that he will always try to be in agreement with what is being asked, at least until communication becomes impossible. When it does, he will use every means available to him to avoid doing whatever it is that he feels he can no longer cope with; the problem horse is born. Before he gets to that point, he may well have submitted temporarily to the demands of a skilled or forceful rider sufficiently enough to be described as a quiet ride, and often, as an all rounder. My description of the breaking process is by no means rare; in fact it’s the usual route horses are made to go down on the horse selling trail.

When an inexperienced owner innocently expects a degree of performance in line with his or her expectation of what was described, things can spiral downhill rapidly if the horse hasn’t sufficient tools to do the job. Such horses are often passed on or resold, collecting baggage rather than the help they need. Whether a horse has reached the point of no return with one or multiple owners, the result is the same. He is an unwanted animal without a future except as a rescue case. It is never the horse’s fault to be in this position, neither is it necessarily the owners, who, no doubt bought in good faith. Is anyone to blame? We are all responsible for the animals in our care, including the source from which they came. Until we really accept that horses need sufficient time, patience and understanding to prepare them for a life of riding and safe human interaction, rescue centres will continue to be busy.