Ridecamp posting

[terre <tobytrot@bigfoot.com>]

Leigh, you wrote:


Date: Tue, 12 Jan 1999 20:27:08 EST
From: Leigh331@aol.com
To: ridecamp@endurance.net
Subject: Re: Riding W/ herd communication
	
	
In an effort to change the subject.....I wish new horse folks could/would
learn this.  I have a herd of 9 horses that stay together, outside all the
time.  It has helped me alot just watching these guys communicate with each
other.  I may be over simplifing here but it appears to me that horses don't
love as we wish them too, not like a dog or another person.  Horses
respect....or not.  The bossiest horse in a herd is the one the others follow
and learn from.  They respect him/her.  The boss should be fair and
consistant, but not cuddly and lovey.  We also need to learn from this and use
their techniques to communicate with them.  We are supposed to be the smarter
of the two species, we need to learn their language rather than they learn
ours.  Just a thought
Leigh


I just wanted, rather belatedly, to 'congratulate' and thank you for this
posting.  I think too often we lose sight of the essentially 'horsiness' of
our partners' natures, and try to fit them into some idealized vision we
have of them--and it does neither them nor us a service.  Recognizing (and
appreciating) them for what they are, as opposed to what we 'dream' they
are, are is where true respect begins.  Excellent reality check--thank you!

Terre