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Why Keeping Your Horse in a Herd Makes Sense
05/17/2008 - By Go Equine
A group of horses are having a drink at a watering hole. Everything is calm. Suddenly, they hear something. With excitement, one begins running, and the others follow. The herd quickly runs up and over the hill to see the source of the noise – you.
A group of horses are having a drink at a watering hole. Everything is calm. Suddenly, they hear something. With excitement, one begins running, and the others follow. The herd quickly runs up and over the hill to see the source of the noise – you. Your face lights up with joy as their excitement builds. They bound towards you… and stop at the fence. Each looks for their attention as you pet each of them and give them each a carrot as a reward.
They don’t need discipline to be obedient. They all come running when you call, looking for attention and love. A herd of horses may be a lot of work to keep, but there are truly many benefits that come with a horse being part of a group.
If all the horses get their attention, a herd can be a remarkably loving and faithful group. They are friendly towards each other, they do not get jealous of the other horses, and they keep each other company. It also makes them remarkably obedient. A horse that lives with a herd does not usually need spurring along. These horses recognize their cues and listen to their owners with enthusiasm and respect.
Horses are naturally herd animals. They feel safe in groups. When separated, they experience stress and anxiety. They need companionship. By keeping a horse alone, you take away their sense of safety, which is crucial in raising a horse to trust you. Horses are like humans in that regard. If you raise a child without companionship, you will have many problems, especially socially. Horses need a social life, too. They learn from other horses: how to react and defend itself, how to treat humans, etc. Proper horse behavior is learned from other horses. By watching how other horses react to situations, they will learn on their own.
What about the possibility of horses fighting? Don’t we want to avoid that situation? Hardly. In fact, it is good for horses to be able to roughhouse with other horses. It gives them healthy exercise. They do play rough, but for a horse, they’re barely touching each other. When they can expel this energy with other horses, they will be calmer and more receptive to direction when dealing with humans.
Horses are not nasty or anti-social. They are loving, social creatures. Feral horses choose to be in herds. They do this because they have an instinctual need for comfort and preservation. They look out for each other and teach each other. If you simply remember that raising a horse is based on many of the same principles of raising a human being, then you will make the correct choices for a horse that will love you for a lifetime.
