Pet Care
An introduction to Horses
By Fiona Warstat Dip.CABT(COAPE)NOCN PGDip.Couns.,Dip.Couns(NEFC)
‘There is something about the outside of a horse that affects the inside of a man’ Winston Churchill once said………and I have to say I agree with him, as do thousands of horse or pony owners! So what is it about horses that can stir a primeval and spiritual place within the human soul? Horses have been written about as far back as records began, and, according to Darwin began life as a very different form. Classical mythology accredits Poseidon as creator of the horse; Christian art depicts the horse as representing generosity and courage, St George is represented on horse back as are famous knights, kings and gentlemen. Children have hobbyhorses, and in playgrounds ‘horses’ is a favourite game amongst, particularly, horse-mad girls! Girls in particular swoon over horses, as much as, if not more, than their favourite pop or sports idol – but why? Horses and ponies are friends amongst society, they are cared for and loved as many other pets, and can be great friends to those who understand them. Despite the cost of food and hay, rent and the maintenance, the vet’s, insurance and furrier outlay financially, horses and ponies still hold a huge place within the pet favourites today. Owning a horse automatically unlocks a different world. The learning, the care, the behaviours, the equipment, the people, the competitions, the schooling, the hacking, the fun rides, sponsored rides, endurance rides and the non-riding are totally absorbing, in time and person if carried out with care and knowledge! So what do you get back from a horse? What is it that drives people in winter to begin their day at 5.30am in order to clean, feed, perhaps exercise and prepare their horse for the day - everyday? Having a good relationship with a horse, is like no other relationship and is hard to describe, other than it is spiritual. Being at one with a horse is therapeutic, it can reach places in a person’s psyche that few other animals can, hence the powerful healing work EAP (Equine Assisted Psychotherapy) achieves with traumatised people such as the London bombings survivors, anxious people and disturbed people. Horses are used as therapy for disabled riders, allowing them to access new potentials too. What do horses need from us? Understanding, mainly, as to their physical and psychological needs. Horses are herd animals and isolation can be stressful. Horses are ‘flight’ animals, which means that running from a threat is preferably their first option. Horses are passive creatures and avoid confrontation if they can, negotiating and compromising rather than fighting. Horses love to play, love wide-open spaces and enjoy stimulation. Horses love to forage, and will eat up to 16 hours a day if they lead a natural existence.