There is something wrong with our horses.
I watched a video last week where three starving, unhandled mustang mares were taken to a rescue after being at a holding facility for who knows how long. The three were released into an arena with a tub of hay in the middle. They were cautious of everything, but eased up to the hay tub and began eating. I was shocked. Not by their condition or their cautious approach to the tub, but that they began eating right next to each other, ears touching, without a single scuffle or grimace. They ate together in peace.
From volunteering at a rescue, I’ve seen how most horses who come in starved behave. They fight, they threaten, they steal other horses’ food if they’re strong enough to do so. The behavior lasts long after they’ve gained the weight back and have had years of predictable food sources. Sometimes even horses who we know have never been starved will resource guard aggressively.
Why does this happen to our domestic horses? One answer may be that we don’t give them something that they need to feel safe enough to share with others. Maybe it’s space, maybe it’s access to food, maybe it’s stable herds, maybe it’s enrichment. Maybe it has something to do with being weaned too early, or kept with only other youngsters and their mom for company at a really young age. Maybe it’s genetic. Whatever the issue… something is different about horses raised in captivity that makes the resource guarding worse. Something is keeping them from the deep family bonds that form in a wild herd, suffering or thriving together as a group, not as competitors. It isn’t so different from our own troubles as humans in our modern state of existence. May we see ourselves and our society reflected in our horses, and make changes there too.
I have started a Maeve Birch Instagram account, maevebirchbooks. It will have the same writings as I post here, but may be easier to share with friends on social media. Check it out and invite a friend!
Don’t forget to leave a review on Amazon if you’ve enjoyed my book, Standing in a Field With Horses. This helps others to discover it and learn about new ways of existing with horses. Thank you so much for your reviews so far.
“Horse chewing grass. Close-up photo” by Ivan Radic is licensed under CC BY 2.0. To view a copy of this license, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/?ref=openverse. Modification: text box added.
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