The Loss of Horse Sense and the Importance of Thoughtfulness in Horsemanship
The term “horse sense” used to be common parlance among people like my grandparents. It essentially meant “common sense” or “thoughtfulness” and likely originated from Ray Hunt’s advice to his students: “THINK.” Back then, people were generally viewed as more capable of thinking through situations than horses. However, if we take a closer look at recent history—especially the treatment of horses in equestrian sports—it’s not hard to see how far we’ve drifted from true “horse sense.”
Perhaps mechanization is largely to blame, alongside the rush of modern life. Time constraints seem to have made people less attuned to the basic nature of horses. We’re in a hurry to get everything done and done quickly, often at the expense of true understanding and connection with the animals.
I witnessed a shocking display recently, where a couple attempted to introduce their two horses to one another for the first time. They turned the horses loose in an arena and proceeded to chase them around with a whip. The intention, apparently, was to establish who would be the “boss”—though it was clear that neither of them was really in charge.
This is the same person who inspired several of my recent blog posts—the individual who, in my view, should never be allowed to handle horses, let alone own them. Unfortunately, this is a free world, and the horse often has little say in the matter.
As the horses’ anxiety levels increased, they looked to each other for comfort but were prevented from getting close by the crack of the whip. This, of course, only heightened their fear, creating exactly the opposite of what was intended. The other person, who seemed more submissive yet equally ignorant, smiled and went along with it, unaware of the damage they were causing.
Both were oblivious to the fact that they were creating a tense and fear-filled first encounter between the horses—something I discuss further in my earlier blog, First Impressions. The whip-cracker in this instance was the same ill-tempered individual handling the filly mentioned in that post.
In reality, introducing horses to each other is a simple process. But it doesn’t seem to be an intuitive one for many. A more peaceful approach, in the same arena, would involve throwing a few flakes of hay about 20 feet apart and letting the horses roam freely, without interference. It’s that simple—just get out of their way and allow them to be.
In nature, when horses form herds—whether it’s two or a hundred—they naturally establish a pecking order. This process is organic and cannot be rushed or artificially created by humans. Interestingly, we recognize hierarchical behaviors in humans more easily than in animals, but the principle is the same.
When left to their own devices, horse herds will find balance. Nearly all horses, except perhaps those raised in total isolation, will have learned some form of herd behavior. These early lessons, often involving light discipline such as a gentle kick, are typically taught by the mother during the weaning process.
As Ray Hunt once said, “It’s easy to change the horse, but it’s hard to change the human.” In establishing a pecking order, there will always be some pushing and shoving between horses. Whether you create a stressful environment or a peaceful one, they will eventually sort it out on their own when turned out together.
It’s not a competitive sport—there are no red cards, no point deductions, and whips or human dominance do nothing to speed up or ease the process. The upside of being around someone whose horsemanship is as lacking as the individual I’ve described is that there are endless examples of what not to do when handling horses.
The purpose of these blogs is to highlight common mistakes made by horse handlers and raise awareness about how easily these mistakes can be avoided. All we need is to return to some good, old-fashioned horse sense and take a moment to think about what we’re doing. Is our approach helping, or is it inflaming the situation?
In this instance, while neither horse was physically harmed, they may have been psychologically scarred by the handlers’ behavior.