Learning From the Wild Horses To Save the Domestic Ones
Image credit reb
There is a lot of talk lately about how to save the wild horse. And yet, our own domestic horses die every day of colic, laminitis, and other domestically-induced diseases. Many live, but stand languishing in their stalls, cribbing on their mangers.
Changing Our Mindset
Perhaps we need a paradigm shift in how we care for these domestic horses. Unfortunately, natural and alternative horse care is still mostly on the fringe of generally accepted ideas or standards of care, and most people turn to it only out of desperation once they have exhausted all other avenues. Often when mainstream medicine and horsekeeping practices have left their horses no better, or even worse off.
Image credit Mary Hodder
There is a lot of mystery and intrigue surrounding terms like “natural” and “holistic”, and “alternative”, and they are occasionally thrown around like javelins by both proponents and opponents of natural horse care. The result is that sometimes the horse itself becomes an innocent bystander and collateral damage.
Whether you just got into horses, or have been around them for years, how can you ferret out the truth of things you hear and read about natural horse care? How can you cut through all the jargon and politics and best take care of your horse?
Thinking For Yourself
One thing I have learned is that you really must take it upon yourself, be the compass for the direction that your horse and its health takes. Most of what I know was learned through trial and error over a period of several years. Learning the hard way sometimes, from a horse who is a great teacher with her very sensitive nature, both in mind and physiology.
Image credit Sage By Nature
But mostly I read. A lot. The books and articles that were and are especially helpful and made the most sense are those that referenced the wild horse as a model.
Some people will argue that you can’t do that, the domesticated horse is too different from the wild horse. But I think you would be hard pressed to find a wild horse’s DNA that was different in any significant way from any horse in your barn, or a wild horse with much difference in internal organs and physiology.
Instinctive By Nature
Try to think of your horse as domesticated and vastly different from its wild relatives the next time you are on their back and they spook at a rock or a wood pile and that cougar that they just know is behind it.
You can get certain colors, sizes, and even temperaments by playing around with genetics and breeding, but you will never take the horse out of the horse.
Walk A Mile in Their Shoes
Image credit Ian visits
You don’t need a degree or to take a bunch of classes to figure out how to provide the best environment and care for your horse.
You just need a degree of willingness to consider things from the horse’s perspective, and the ability to view your horse(s) for what they are – domesticated animals that evolved over millions of years and who have only been domesticated for a few thousand of that.
Dinohippus is believed to be closest in evolutionary line to Equus and lived 13-5 million years ago; species of genus Equus lived from about 5 million years ago and the horse was only domesticated about 3000 years ago.
Keep Reading – Learning From Wild Horses Pt. 2 & Pt. 3.
About Eleanor
Eleanor Van Natta is a wife, a mother of two little girls, and a caretaker to one dog, one cat, and one horse. She has a Zoology degree from the University of CA, Davis, and prior to becoming a stay at home mom she had a career in environmental and pharmaceutical sales. Her website is Sage By Nature and more information can be found at Florida Museum of Natural History & Equiworld.
More to Come
Be sure to check back next Thursday for the second part of Eleanor’s series. Plus, if you enjoyed this post you might want to have a read of my first guest post, Horse Shoeing & Lameness – Why Your Horse is At Risk by John “TheFootDoctor” Silveira.
Great article Eleanor, you remind us to always remember you may take the horse out of the WILD, but never totally take the WILD out of the horse. Respecting both aspects is important.
This is a thoughtful article, and it definitely got me to thinking.
Who knows your horse better than you? It is every horse owners responsibility to ensure their animal is getting adequate care. Thinking outside the box doesn’t make you strange, it makes you resourceful and well-rounded.
I think many times people are willing to just believe what their vet or farrier tells them, often going against their own instincts. Even well-schooled professionals can be wrong, can have off days, can have personal issues clouding their judgement. It is important for owners to have done their research and to stick to their guns when it comes to the health of their animal.
Read, read and read, and like Eleanor says above, always take a minute to consider things from your animal’s perspective.
Hi and thanks Coryelle – well said. I actually became convinced of this aspect with horses -the wild in them – after watching a lot of the Dog Whisperer (Cesar Millan) and raising up my puppy with his methods. Its the same with dogs. These animals may be friends with humans now, but they were of the wild for a lot longer and its in their very bones. So when my dog is slinking around looking for scraps as we finish our meal (he eats last), I send him to his bed and remind him that if he was out in the wild he might have had to go help the pack go catch something for dinner!
[...] now have a three part guest post over at The Equinest that you may be interested in following. Part I was published last Thursday. The article is [...]