The Weight of a Horse's Emotions

I can recall two occasions where a horses raw emotions caused my stomach to turn, and my heart to sink. I was a teenager at the time and becoming interested in the colt starting and training aspects of the horse world.

The first time was while spectating a colt starting clinic. The professional began to work with a horse who was very troubled and not fitting in with the program. He was sending her on a circle while tossing his lariat rope between her legs and around her bum. When the rope went tight in these areas, she went from just fleeing on the circle to kicking, bucking and squirting urine everywhere. The sound of the high pitched squeals, and the liquid hitting the walls was almost unbearable.

The second time was while I was working for a colt starter and polo trainer the summer after high school. We were starting a soon-to-be race horse together before he went to the track in the fall. I remember him talking about the first saddling and how the horse might do some bucking. What I wasn’t prepared for was the open mouth, horse fetal position roaring that was exuded in the round pen.

During both occasions, the humans I was surrounded by acted like everything was normal and needed to be done. This was a step in the process that would be over soon, and why question it. I always wondered how people could laugh and find it funny when another living being is experiencing sheer agony in the hands of a human.

We all have bad judgement at times, and we all will push a horse past what they can handle. These scenarios should be viewed as great learning opportunities, and should never be accepted as the norm. In my experience, if a horse is started like this they will resort to these behaviors when the feelings resurface in the future. Getting that spot in a horse to dissipate can be a huge project that has to be done in phases over time. Still, it can never be undone.

Photo: Could this horse be any more upset? If you google photos or videos on this subject, the content is endless.