Quote:
Originally Posted by Riot
I give you the benefit of the doubt that you don't know horses personally, how they think.
Others familiar with horses can chime in with their interpretation of what the guy is saying about these two.
Horses are herd animals. They (generally) have a pecking order, and take their cues on how to act, what order to drink, or who eats first, or who runs in the front, from physical intimidation of their space (rarely fighting) by higher-ups. There are a few leaders (who own their space and move other horses out of it), and most are followers (who move when told). A herd survives danger when it works together and sticks together and follows the leader's instructions. Safety in numbers.
I enter a stall with a strange horse to do something to it in the stall, I take it's halter and move it around in a circle in the stall - I've made the horse move out of my way, at my whim, away from my space (as a more dominant horse would do) and hopefully that puts me in charge as I control the stall space and where the horse moves (so I don't get squashed). Same thing in a round pen - you stand up straight and walk toward the horses hindquarters, that "pushes" the horse away from you. You control the space. You step in towards the front of the circling horse, he stops and respects your space. Won't enter it.
So that's what horses are doing running in a herd: some are scared, some pal up with a buddy and won't move away, some are dominant, some will willingly engage in a fight of speed and body slam intimidation to own the space, same freak and shrink if another horse looks at them with intimidation, some just get along, follow the rules and are good soldiers following the herd.
|
I agree with everything you say above. I have nowhere near your hands on experience with horses, but that jives with books I've read on horse mentality/psychology, and is pretty normal for most highly social animals.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Riot
The above (Trinniberg) strikes me as a non-thinking animal, who isn't aware of what's happening around him with the other horses. He's just in flight mode (but not necessarily scared) running until he drops. No desire to pass other horses, run with other horses, unawares of what is happening and other horses place in the herd. Just running until he can't go any more, regardless of what other horses are doing. Not pushing anyone out of his way, not being pushed because he's clueless. Head down, just doin' his thing, oblivious.
|
So, speed crazy horses are stupid? Or, maybe not stupid, but just a horse that loses it's mind when it runs?
It's funny how many horses with sprint breeding, sprint physiques, sprint trainers and very high early speed are stupid, unthinking or mindless! Must be a genetic connection between fast twitch muscle and mindlessness.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Riot
Horses are not loners - they are safer and more comfortable in the pack. This horse (Bodemeister)is a confident loner - weird in a horse - but is aware of what the others are doing around him. He's not interested in dominance battles, shoulder to shoulder - if a horse approaches from behind to engage him in battle, he'll just run away out front, confident and happy to be alone. He's not running "scared" away from the scary noise of the herd.
If he could get loose on the lead, at a decent pace (if there were no other speeds), he could happily wire, quite content to not be part of the herd, and running away if a closer came to him.
A "target" is that some horses like to see a target horse out front, something to catch and run down and pass.
|
Maybe Bodemeister isn't so much a confident loner as he is a much more physically gifted animal. As in faster.
I remember reading a story about Easy Goer, and how he got his name. Apparently, from an early age (foal, yearling) whenever he was with other horses his age, his gallops would find him far in front of his playmates/workmates, even though he was moving just so easily. Hence, Easy Goer. I'm guessing he wasn't a confident loner, but just a much more gifted runner.
I would much rather have a horse with a nice combination of speed and stamina but that might lack a little in the psych department, vs a horse that has a great dominant psychology, but is as slow as molasses.