10 Things That Make Horse & Human Relationships So Unique

October 31, 2023

Horses are special creatures. They are majestic, strong and can display a broad range of emotions. Whether they’re around humans or other horses, they are amazingly communicative and thrive in social settings. These qualities are part of the reason why horses can develop such a strong bond with humans.


The relationship between humans and horses has a long history. As they have evolved and become domesticated, horses became a valuable source of transportation, labor and companionship. With qualities unique to their species, horses have become one of the few mammals that can form a lifelong, mutually beneficial and deep emotional connection with humans.


Here are the top 10 reasons why horse and human relationships are so unique:


10 Things That Make Horse & Human Relationships So Unique


1. Horses Are Family Oriented


Even in the wild, horses are pack animals. They thrive in groups and suffer from loneliness, just as humans do. Herds of horses have a family structure and tend to stick close together. In the wild, horse family groups consist of one or two stallions, several mares and all of their foals. While stallions take possession over their herd, they are typically lead by an older, dominant mare. She isn’t necessarily the strongest, but is the most experienced, and maintains dominance through her attitude rather than physical intimidation.


As the foals get older, they break off into other herds. Colts form bachelor herds until they assert their dominance and begin a harem. Fillies either stay with their original herd, join another established herd or create a new herd with one of the bachelor stallions. Stallions can remain the leaders of their harem for a long time, and while the average is two years, some may last as long as over 10 years.


Because they are such social animals, horses need relationships to feel happy. A lack of socialization can have a negative psychological impact on a horse, especially young horses. They learn behavior by observing mares in a pack, and without a reference, they won’t gain the manners and skills that social horses develop naturally. People can satisfy some of a horse’s need for companionship through grooming and spending time playing with them.


2. Horses Can Read Human Emotions


Beyond having a natural bond, horses can pick up on and understand human emotions.


Psychologists demonstrated that horses could recognize a human’s mood from their facial expressions and differentiate between anger and happiness. Without training the horses, the psychologists showed 28 horses several pictures of unfamiliar faces either angry or smiling. Then, they had the people from the images meet the horses, wearing neutral expressions.


In each case, the horses responded negatively to the people presented as angry and positively to those shown as happy. The findings show that not only do horses recognize and react to emotions, but they have a memory for them. They can remember how people presented themselves emotionally and respond accordingly. Horses are particularly socially intelligent. They are the first non-human mammal known to have the ability to recognize, analyze, respond to and remember human emotions.


3. Horses Can Show Emotion


Not only can horses understand the various moods and facial expressions of humans, but they can also communicate their own emotions. While they often talk with their ears and eyes, they show feelings through snorts and whinnies.


In general, snorts mean horses are happy or feel at peace. The more frequently they snort, the more comfortable they are. In a study in France, scientists put three groups of horses in different scenarios. Two groups were held in individual stalls, while the third was allowed to roam free in a pasture. The horses allowed to roam snorted often, as they were in a social and positive environment. When the horses in stalls were allowed in the pasture, they snorted twice as frequently.


As for whinnies, horses can convey positive and negative emotions in different intensities. Each whinny has two frequencies — one that describes the emotion, the other, the strength of the feeling. Paired with observations of heart rate, skin temperature and breathing pattern, scientists identified the kinds of whinnies horses make in different environments. Horses typically expressed positive emotions with shorter, lower frequencies and negative emotions with more extended, higher frequencies.


This kind of vocal communication may be a learned behavior or effect of domestication. Horses may have adopted these snorts and whinnies as a result of years of interaction with humans. By being able to display their emotions understandably, horses can create a deeper bond with humans.


4. Horses Can Literally Impact the Human Heart


Many riders agree that spending time with horses has a calming effect, but some scientific research suggests that it can physically change your heart rate.


One study measured the heart rates of humans and horses when horses were petted for 90 seconds. The small study featured three groups: One of six males with positive attitudes about animal companions, one with six males who had negative attitudes about pets and a group of six men who were in a horse riding club.


At the start of each petting sessions, the humans’ heart rates were higher than afterward. As the petting went on, the heart rate of the horses at first increased, but then decreased as the people continued to pet them. The authors of the study continued that petting horses can help to decrease tension and that an emotional interaction can exist between people and horses.


5. Humans Have a Natural Respect for Horses


Horses command respect in many ways, especially with their stature. They are massive beings, with enough brain and brawn to intimidate people. However, they can trust and will allow people to approach them if they don’t appear to be a threat. Humans typically understand this dynamic and respect horses’ space and needs.


Humans also naturally respect horses because they can relate to them. Horses share a similar family structure, can communicate emotions and feel empathy, learn to trust, show stress, thrive in open spaces, require social relationships to be healthy and learn by observation. Not only do people have all of these traits, but they can also recognize them in horses, just as horses can read the same in humans.


Attitude has a lot to do with respect. Humans know horses will retaliate against poor treatment or resist people they don’t trust. Riders, groomers and owners all understand they have to earn a horse’s respect, as people have to earn each other’s respect.


6. Horses Can Help Humans Improve Physically


Horseback riding is a beneficial form of physical exercise for people. It’s unlike most other types of physical movement for humans, which means it targets different areas of the body than many other sports or exercises. A person can burn up to 200 calories when riding a horse for 45 minutes.


Horseback riding can help strengthen individuals in several ways, including:

  • Core and trunk strength: To stay balanced while riding, a person’s muscles need to remain in specific positions to keep them centered and upright. Riding targets mostly muscles in the core and torso, including those in the pelvis, back and abdominal areas. It also helps train postural strength.
  • Coordination and balance: As riders become more comfortable with their horse and transition from slow trots to gallops, they have to improve their balance. The faster a horse moves, the more challenging it becomes to stay balanced while riding. It takes a lot of strength and time. Coordination also helps the horse stay balanced, as the rider keeps their weight centered while the horse turns and shifts.
  • Muscle flexibility and tone: The core muscles see most of the action in riding, but they aren’t the only ones to feel the burn. The pelvic and inner thigh muscles get the best workout, as the rider uses them for positioning and balance. Not only do they get toned, but the seated position also increases their range of flexibility. Riders can even see more tone in their arms and shoulders from directing the horse’s reigns. In terms of strength, the physical benefits are relatively similar to weight-bearing exercises.
  • Cardiovascular health: As riders improve their technique and build muscle over time, they’re able to pick up the pace and allow their horse to run. Some even venture into speed and agility courses, where balance and directives become essential and need to come naturally. Faster speeds and different styles of riding require even more effort from the rider, meaning they expend more energy and start to see cardiovascular benefits. While they may be minimal starting out, they increase with riding intensity,
  • Stable strength: For those who own and care for their horse personally, riding isn’t their only form of training and exercise. Stable work involves many weight-intensive and repetitive jobs, such as hauling hay, shoveling, lifting feed bags and leading horses. Considering these tasks are regular parts of daily care, they help build muscle strength and provide cardiovascular exercise.


With so many opportunities for physical benefit, horse riding and care are excellent forms of exercise. The horse and rider train together, growing a close relationship and providing one another with positive experiences. People don’t just benefit physically, either. The advantages of riding go deeper.


7. Horses Can Help Humans Develop Emotionally


Riding horses can encourage several kinds of emotional development. From the initial stages of forming a human relationship with horses to learning how to train them, riders will gain a wealth of mental and emotional benefits from the process. It can help people open up and feel more secure in themselves or even overcome the adverse effects of trauma.


Some of the most significant emotional benefits humans can gain from horses are:

  • Confidence: As individuals learn how to ride a horse, confidence is a crucial factor. Not only do they need to be assertive with directions, but they also have to get past the tendency to hesitate or doubt decisions. The feeling of being in control of such a large animal can make riders feel confident in themselves.
  • Trust: Developing the ability to trust is essential to emotional development. Without it, people can feel isolated or like they have to keep to themselves. By learning how to cooperate with an animal, riders can learn how to trust their horse. As their relationship gets stronger, riders put more trust in their horse and can relax and enjoy their experiences.
  • Non-verbal communication: Humans can talk to horses, but they can’t talk back. However, horses do use a lot of non-verbal signals and noises to communicate. They’ll also pay attention to body language, facial expressions and movements to understand people. Over time, humans and horses can develop a powerful way of communicating, without needing to resort to verbal cues.
  • Bonding: Horses can help humans feel more comfortable socially by providing them with a bonding experience. Creating a strong relationship with an animal can help people feel more secure or confident about opening up to other people. They’ll learn the fundamentals of empathy and affection in a low-stress environment.


Humans are naturally social, and emotional development is vital to forming and maintaining strong relationships with others. Creating a bond with a horse is a perfect way to learn how to open up emotionally and understand the importance of patience, trust and communication.


8. Horses Can Help Humans Recover From Trauma or Disability


Humans can feel better just by being around horses, but they’re capable of much more than lifting spirits. Spending time with horses can be mentally and physically therapeutic. Equine-assisted therapy and hippotherapy are valuable forms of treatment for individuals with many kinds of disorders and diseases.


Hippotherapy can help with various forms of trauma and disabilities, such as:

  • Cerebral palsy
  • Down syndrome
  • Austim spectrum disorder
  • Multiple sclerosis
  • Cerebrovascular disease
  • Muscular dystrophy
  • Traumatic brain damage
  • Amputations


For individuals with disabilities that affect their muscles, horseback riding is a great way to tone, train and build underused muscles. It can also help with improving balance and fine motor skills. Horses walk and move with a similar gait to humans, so horseback riding can provide the benefits of walking to those who are unable to do so on their own. It also trains hand-eye coordination and builds other connections between mental and physical faculties.


Therapeutic horseback riding can also help with behavioral issues and emotional trauma in children and young adults. For young people who have been through abuse, forming a relationship with a horse can teach them trust. Children who have trouble connecting with others can learn valuable lessons about navigating social scenarios by bonding with a horse.


Riding horses has different benefits depending on what the rider wants to get out of the experience. Whether they’re looking for gentle physical therapy or a way to learn emotional skills, spending time building a relationship with horses can help people through recovery.


9. Humans and Horses Have Been Friends for Thousands of Years


The domestication of wild horses goes back thousands and thousands of years, dating to as early as 10,200 B.C. As humans began to tame and learn to ride horses, they became more and more domestic, meaning they remained close to humans of their own free will. Humans trained horses to transport goods and respond to riders. Over time, horses learned to pull wagons and buggies.


In addition to daily labor, horses were also vital during war times. They fought bravely alongside soldiers and helped transport crucial supplies. Horses do bond with humans and their relationship with soldiers was likely stronger than those developed prior, considering the highly emotional environment.


Currently, most horses are companion and therapy animals, meaning humans greatly value their relationships. Many individuals treat them as pets or keep a stable of horses to teach others how to ride.


10. Humans Naturally Identify With Horses


Horses have many similarities with which humans naturally identify. For one, a hierarchical system. In both human dynamics and horse herds, there is a hierarchy structure. Whether it’s in families, employment or government, people are consistently operating within a hierarchy. Horses also have a similar family structure as humans, where male and female horses stick together and their offspring leave the nest once they’re mature.


Horses are also communicative and expressive, much like people. They can display different attitudes and emotions, which makes them relatable to humans. In the company of people, horses can display happiness, stress, trust, worry and many other moods. They’re even able to make complex facial expressions. With the ability to convey and read emotions, humans can understand horses’ sentiments and horses can understand humans.



Source: https://agapepetservices.com/make-horse-human-relationships-unique

Mindful Grooming

July 8, 2024
Now that we’re deep into spring, it’s time to “zhuzh” up your horse. Why not make it an enriching mindfulness experience for you both? Enter mindful grooming. It’s not uncommon for horse owners to become complacent about grooming amidst the many other tasks involved with having horses, especially when combined with finding the time to ride. But a dedicated, mindful equine grooming session can be quite relaxing and yet another way to share space.I’m an advocate of letting horses be horses, but to be honest, sometimes mine look downright feral as I slack on their grooming. I often find myself doing a quick “cowboy groom,” focusing on just the areas that need direct attention, paying little attention to anything else. The reality as horse owners is sometimes that’s all we have time for. Often, equestrians can become task-oriented or fixated on the ride, skimming over the true joy of simply being around horses. Mindful grooming is a nice way to connect beyond riding. Your horse will thank you, because after all, who doesn’t love a good spa day and quality time with a friend? As part of my Body, Mind, Equine retreats , I include a mindful equine grooming segment. This session often includes some of the sweetest and most memorable aspects of the program. When I take the time to do this with my horses, I’m reminded of how rich the experience is. What are the Benefits of Mindful Grooming for You and Your Horse? ◆ Slowing down and an opportunity to practice present-moment awareness. ◆ Spending quality, quiet time with your horse. ◆ Relaxing and soothing both horse and human, lowering stress levels. ◆ Getting hands on your horse to inspect anything that might be missed at a glance, such as tenderness, weight loss/gain, and hoof issues . ◆ An opportunity to observe energy and to be aware of what energy we are bringing to our horsemanship, such as calm, rushed, scattered or centered. ◆ An occasion to bond, build trust and connect. Benefits for Senior Horses and Non-Riders Since my horses are now seniors , I find we spend more time doing tranquil, simple activities, such as unhurried grooming sessions, compared to how we spent time during our many years of long, challenging trail rides. As we move through the various seasons of our lives, we find new pathways to partnership. Maybe you no longer have interest in riding, or you or your horse has an injury, preventing saddle time. Or perhaps your friends are going riding, but you’re having an off day and you’re just not feeling it. In either case, there’s nothing wrong with staying behind and spending time with your horse in another way. Sometimes, it’s nice to just be with your horse. How to Practice Mindful Grooming Mindful grooming can be approached in several ways, depending on personal preference and your setup. ◆ Make the session feel special, much like you would when setting up for any special occasion. Your horse will sense the difference. Maybe it’s playing relaxing music in your barn, or thoughtfully setting out your grooming tools. I like to start and end my session by giving my horse a peppermint. ◆ Sessions can be done in complete silence, which can be a nice break and a counterbalance from all the noise in our lives. Horses live in a nonverbal world; sometimes it’s nice to join them there! ◆ Soft music can also be pleasant. Choose something soothing. I like to play Native American flute music; I find the sounds peaceful and ethereal. ◆ Before greeting your horse, take a few moments to become centered: be still, close your eyes, and breathe deeply, collecting and gathering yourself. Your horse will detect the difference when your energy is centered versus fragmented. ◆ Before grooming, take a moment to breathe with your horse. Stand next to him with grounded feet and place a hand on his chest, side, or near the nostrils, and breathe deeply—see if you can sync up your breathing. Not only does this calm and connect horse and human, but helps us become keenly aware that the same life-force energy flowing through us also flows through our horse (and all living things), interconnecting us on a deeper level. ◆ Begin your grooming regimen in whatever way you like, while staying attentive to what you’re doing. When your mind wanders from your task, notice that you’ve come out of the moment and bring your attention back. Use two tools to stay harnessed in the present: breath and bodily sensations. When you catch yourself mentally drifting, come back to those two things—they’re always there. Often, we operate on auto pilot, but learning to stay in the present moment is a gift—that’s why it’s called the present. ◆ Pay attention to your horse’s response/body language . Is he showing signs of relaxing and enjoying the experience? Detect if there are specific areas where your horse likes or dislikes grooming, and adjust accordingly. ◆ See how much you can notice. When grooming, pay attention to the subtleties, smells, sounds, sensations and breath. Use this time as a meditative experience—a waking meditation. ◆ If you groom with others in a shared barn or with a riding group, perhaps suggest this as a group activity. Group energy can sometimes enhance the experience for all. ◆ The session can be as long or short as you’d like. It’s not about the quantity of time, but rather the quality of presence. ◆ In closing, thank and appreciate your horse for being part of your life and for being a “creature teacher.” We can learn so much from them by simply being in their company. I hope you’ll give mindful grooming a try and continue to seek new ways to connect with your horse and the world around you in a deeper way.  Happy grooming! Your horse thanks you. Source: https://www.horseillustrated.com/mindful-grooming

What is the Cost of Horse Ownership?

July 8, 2024
How much does horse ownership cost? That depends on several factors, from where you live to how you plan to keep your horse. Calculating costs can be complicated. Here’s how to budget and learn about the cost of owning a horse. Horse board or housing costs are typically the biggest expense associated with horse ownership. Hay and feed bills are also among the highest costs and can fluctuate based on weather and other factors. Shortly after bringing her horse home to her Florida farm from a nearby boarding barn, Helen Yakin-Palmer looked up from her desk to find her mare, Cera, peering at her through the office window.“It was a wonderful surprise,” Yakin-Palmer recalls. “It’s the upside of keeping a horse at home.” In fact, it’s what some horse owners—especially prospective ones—dream about. But keeping a horse at home is not as simple as it seems. And keeping one anywhere—whether a farm or a boarding barn—is not an inexpensive proposition. Either way, providing for its needs makes all the difference between a horse that is thriving and one in danger of becoming a welfare statistic, whether he is a performance horse , a trail horse or a companion equine. Your Costs May Vary Annual horsekeeping expenses vary widely. Here’s a rough look at the major expenses and what they’ll cost per year on the low end and high end for the cost of owning a horse. (Please see the attached link.) Overall Horse Ownership Cost “The No. 1 reason why horses go into rescue or are sold is because people realize that they can’t afford them,” says Nicole Maubert-Walukewicz, founder of the Palmetto Equine Awareness and Rescue League (PEARL) in Anderson, S.C. As most horse owners know, the cost of keeping the horse is usually greater than the cost of purchasing it. “The cost of the horse is going to be the least expenditure an owner is going to make,” says Amy McLean, Ph.D., equine lecturer (PSOE) in the Department of Animal Sciences at the University of California. “You are going to spend more taking care of it.” So how much can owners expect to spend on horsekeeping? Calculating costs can be complicated. While some expenses, such as basic veterinary and farrier fees, are relatively consistent over time, others vary from state to state, region to region and year to year, such as feed and hay. Horse Ownership Cost: Horse Feed According to the Unwanted Horse Coalition, (UHC) a horse’s dietary requirements depend on its breed, activity level and age. For example, horses with extensive training and show schedules generally require more feed and forage than horses that are only occasionally under saddle or are not ridden at all. Likewise, older horses may need to eat more just to maintain good body condition. Generally, a healthy horse should consume at least 1.5 percent of his body weight in forage daily. For some owners, that means making sure the horse has lots of grazing time on pasture, supplemented by high-quality hay . But hay costs vary depending on your location, the volume of the local hay crop, and how far the hay must be transported. As a result, the cost of hay is higher in California than it is in the Midwest, for example. “Hay is a large and regionally-produced crop that is shipped long distances, so problems in some areas won’t necessarily impact price,” says Daniel H. Putnam, Ph.D., extension agronomist and forage specialist in the Department of Plant Sciences at UC Davis. In Florida, Yakin-Palmer pays $13.50 to $15.50 per bale for hay. Meanwhile, trainer Clarissa Cupolo recalls buying hay annually by the ton. “In New Jersey, we had to buy hay by the ton,” says Cupolo. “We would pay $2,000 for hay to feed six horses for a whole year.” Horses’ diets can also include feed, either commercially manufactured or locally milled. Those costs can vary too, depending on where the feed is milled and where ingredients are grown. A 50-pound bag of commercially formulated equine feed runs anywhere from $15 to $35; the average stabled horse eats 5 to 15 pounds per day. Don’t forget to add onto this the cost of any supplements you feed, which can vary widely. Horse Ownership Cost: Hoof Care and Veterinary Expenses Aside from meeting their horses’ dietary needs, owners must also provide routine veterinary and other professional care to keep their animals healthy. In general, those costs do not fluctuate much from month to month or year to year. Nevertheless, having a plan to finance these costs is critical. For example, veterinarians generally charge $25 to $75 for a basic farm call, which covers the cost of the veterinarian traveling to the horse’s location. Frequently the owners of horses kept at boarding barns split farm call costs when all the horses residing at the barn receive vaccinations at the same time. Once the veterinarian has arrived, routine vaccinations , including rabies, tetanus, West Nile, EEE and WEE, range from $75 to $150, according to Jennifer Williams, Ph.D., executive director and founder of the Bluebonnet Equine Humane Society and author of How To Start and Run A Rescue. While some vaccinations are administered annually, booster inoculations represent an additional cost, and an additional farm visit. General health care costs should also include $50 to $150 for annual teeth floating . Additional dental work generally adds a cost of $100 or more depending upon what the horse needs. But veterinarians are not the only professionals that help keep a horse healthy. All horses require routine farrier care every four to eight weeks, whether they are shod or not. Cost for trimming a barefoot horse may range between $25 and $40 ($150 to $240 annually), Williams says. Routine farrier care for shod horses ranges between $50 and $150 per visit, or $300 to $1,200 annually, she says. “If your horse is lame or develops problems with his feet, he may need more frequent farrier work or the assistance of a specialist, which will cost much more,” she points out. Horse Ownership Cost: Unexpected Vet Emergencies But even if owners budget for the best routine care, all horses are at risk for injury or illness. When that happens, an emergency farm visit can cost as much as $100 before the veterinarian even begins to treat the animal’s condition. More serious treatment can require transporting the horse to an equine clinic, or even surgery. That’s something Yakin-Palmer learned when Cera required surgery after a severe colic episode. “The bill was $15,000 in veterinary, hospital and aftercare costs,” she says. “That’s why people should have an emergency fund for their horses if they can.” Insurance policies are also available. One type is directly through veterinary equine practices, where owners pay an annual fee that covers routine services, such as vaccinations and farm calls, as well as for reduced “deductibles” for surgeries and other major services. Other policies are available through equine health and liability insurance . Some supplement companies, such as SmartPak and Platinum Performance, offer a program to cover the costs of colic surgery with a qualifying order and routine wellness care from your vet. Costs of Boarding vs. Home Horsekeeping Some novice owners believe that horsekeeping costs will be lower if the animal is kept at home as opposed to being boarded at a local barn. But that’s not always the case, says McLean. Owners who intend to keep their horses at home must factor real estate costs into the horsekeeping equation and balance it against that of boarding. “For example, real estate costs can be $700,000 to $1 million for 2 acres if you want your own horse facility,” California-based McLean points out. “But boarding costs can run between $400 to $700 for full board, depending on the facility. Barns where Olympic-level horses are boarded can run between $1,200 and $1,500 a month.” The cost of basic services, such as stall cleaning, turnout, hay and feeding are typically included with full-care board. At some facilities, blanketing and holding a horse for a farrier or veterinarian is also included, says Clarissa Cupolo, owner of Gemini Performance Horses in Florida. Owners must still pay their own bills for these services, however. Elsewhere, horse handling is passed on to owners at an hourly or per-service rate. Still, boarding a horse may be most cost-effective for some owners. “For example, if you have to travel for work, you may want to board your horses,” says McLean. “Also, you have to factor in the cost of your hours feeding your horses, cleaning their stalls, turning them out, et cetera.” These facts are not lost on Yakin- Palmer, who boarded both her horses before she brought them home. “Keeping your horses at home is certainly limiting,” she says. “You have to have a flexible schedule, and you have to be there. I work at home so my schedule is flexible, but I can’t just take a vacation; my vacation is being with my horses.” Ultimately, each owner must decide how to calculate—and afford—the cost of horse ownership. To do that, Maubert-Walukewicz advises prospective owners to gather opinions from local horse owners before they purchase a horse. “Find out what the costs are [in your area], what kind of work is involved, and what they think of keeping a horse at home versus boarding it,” she says. For her, the choice was simple. “I spend about $4,800 a year on keeping my horses at home,” she says. “I’m the one feeding them, taking care of them, and interacting with them every day, so I know them much better than I would if they were boarded. But even if the cost is equal, that choice is not for everybody. Whatever you choose, you have to do what’s best for the horse.”  Source: https://www.horseillustrated.com/cost-of-horse-ownership