Horses are special creatures. They are majestic, strong and can display a broad range of emotions. Whether they’re around humans or other horses, they are amazingly communicative and thrive in social settings. These qualities are part of the reason why horses can develop such a strong bond with humans.
The relationship between humans and horses has a long history. As they have evolved and become domesticated, horses became a valuable source of transportation, labor and companionship. With qualities unique to their species, horses have become one of the few mammals that can form a lifelong, mutually beneficial and deep emotional connection with humans. Here are the top 10 reasons why horse and human relationships are so unique:
Even in the wild, horses are pack animals. They thrive in groups and suffer from loneliness, just as humans do. Herds of horses have a family structure and tend to stick close together. In the wild, horse family groups consist of one or two stallions, several mares and all of their foals. While stallions take possession over their herd, they are typically lead by an older, dominant mare. She isn’t necessarily the strongest, but is the most experienced, and maintains dominance through her attitude rather than physical intimidation.
As the foals get older, they break off into other herds. Colts form bachelor herds until they assert their dominance and begin a harem. Fillies either stay with their original herd, join another established herd or create a new herd with one of the bachelor stallions. Stallions can remain the leaders of their harem for a long time, and while the average is two years, some may last as long as over 10 years.
Because they are such social animals, horses need relationships to feel happy. A lack of socialization can have a negative psychological impact on a horse, especially young horses. They learn behavior by observing mares in a pack, and without a reference, they won’t gain the manners and skills that social horses develop naturally. People can satisfy some of a horse’s need for companionship through grooming and spending time playing with them.
Beyond having a natural bond, horses can pick up on and understand human emotions.
Psychologists demonstrated that horses could recognize a human’s mood from their facial expressions and differentiate between anger and happiness. Without training the horses, the psychologists showed 28 horses several pictures of unfamiliar faces either angry or smiling. Then, they had the people from the images meet the horses, wearing neutral expressions.
In each case, the horses responded negatively to the people presented as angry and positively to those shown as happy. The findings show that not only do horses recognize and react to emotions, but they have a memory for them. They can remember how people presented themselves emotionally and respond accordingly. Horses are particularly socially intelligent. They are the first non-human mammal known to have the ability to recognize, analyze, respond to and remember human emotions.
Not only can horses understand the various moods and facial expressions of humans, but they can also communicate their own emotions. While they often talk with their ears and eyes, they show feelings through snorts and whinnies.
In general, snorts mean horses are happy or feel at peace. The more frequently they snort, the more comfortable they are. In a study in France, scientists put three groups of horses in different scenarios. Two groups were held in individual stalls, while the third was allowed to roam free in a pasture. The horses allowed to roam snorted often, as they were in a social and positive environment. When the horses in stalls were allowed in the pasture, they snorted twice as frequently.
As for whinnies, horses can convey positive and negative emotions in different intensities. Each whinny has two frequencies — one that describes the emotion, the other, the strength of the feeling. Paired with observations of heart rate, skin temperature and breathing pattern, scientists identified the kinds of whinnies horses make in different environments. Horses typically expressed positive emotions with shorter, lower frequencies and negative emotions with more extended, higher frequencies.
This kind of vocal communication may be a learned behavior or effect of domestication. Horses may have adopted these snorts and whinnies as a result of years of interaction with humans. By being able to display their emotions understandably, horses can create a deeper bond with humans.
Many riders agree that spending time with horses has a calming effect, but some scientific research suggests that it can physically change your heart rate.
One study measured the heart rates of humans and horses when horses were petted for 90 seconds. The small study featured three groups: One of six males with positive attitudes about animal companions, one with six males who had negative attitudes about pets and a group of six men who were in a horse riding club.
At the start of each petting sessions, the humans’ heart rates were higher than afterward. As the petting went on, the heart rate of the horses at first increased, but then decreased as the people continued to pet them. The authors of the study continued that petting horses can help to decrease tension and that an emotional interaction can exist between people and horses.
Horses command respect in many ways, especially with their stature. They are massive beings, with enough brain and brawn to intimidate people. However, they can trust and will allow people to approach them if they don’t appear to be a threat. Humans typically understand this dynamic and respect horses’ space and needs.
Humans also naturally respect horses because they can relate to them. Horses share a similar family structure, can communicate emotions and feel empathy, learn to trust, show stress, thrive in open spaces, require social relationships to be healthy and learn by observation. Not only do people have all of these traits, but they can also recognize them in horses, just as horses can read the same in humans.
Attitude has a lot to do with respect. Humans know horses will retaliate against poor treatment or resist people they don’t trust. Riders, groomers and owners all understand they have to earn a horse’s respect, as people have to earn each other’s respect.
Horseback riding is a beneficial form of physical exercise for people. It’s unlike most other types of physical movement for humans, which means it targets different areas of the body than many other sports or exercises. A person can burn up to 200 calories when riding a horse for 45 minutes.
Horseback riding can help strengthen individuals in several ways, including:
With so many opportunities for physical benefit, horse riding and care are excellent forms of exercise. The horse and rider train together, growing a close relationship and providing one another with positive experiences. People don’t just benefit physically, either. The advantages of riding go deeper.
Riding horses can encourage several kinds of emotional development. From the initial stages of forming a human relationship with horses to learning how to train them, riders will gain a wealth of mental and emotional benefits from the process. It can help people open up and feel more secure in themselves or even overcome the adverse effects of trauma.
Some of the most significant emotional benefits humans can gain from horses are:
Humans are naturally social, and emotional development is vital to forming and maintaining strong relationships with others. Creating a bond with a horse is a perfect way to learn how to open up emotionally and understand the importance of patience, trust and communication.
Humans can feel better just by being around horses, but they’re capable of much more than lifting spirits. Spending time with horses can be mentally and physically therapeutic. Equine-assisted therapy and hippotherapy are valuable forms of treatment for individuals with many kinds of disorders and diseases.
Hippotherapy can help with various forms of trauma and disabilities, such as:
For individuals with disabilities that affect their muscles, horseback riding is a great way to tone, train and build underused muscles. It can also help with improving balance and fine motor skills. Horses walk and move with a similar gait to humans, so horseback riding can provide the benefits of walking to those who are unable to do so on their own. It also trains hand-eye coordination and builds other connections between mental and physical faculties.
Therapeutic horseback riding can also help with behavioral issues and emotional trauma in children and young adults. For young people who have been through abuse, forming a relationship with a horse can teach them trust. Children who have trouble connecting with others can learn valuable lessons about navigating social scenarios by bonding with a horse.
Riding horses has different benefits depending on what the rider wants to get out of the experience. Whether they’re looking for gentle physical therapy or a way to learn emotional skills, spending time building a relationship with horses can help people through recovery.
The domestication of wild horses goes back thousands and thousands of years, dating to as early as 10,200 B.C. As humans began to tame and learn to ride horses, they became more and more domestic, meaning they remained close to humans of their own free will. Humans trained horses to transport goods and respond to riders. Over time, horses learned to pull wagons and buggies.
In addition to daily labor, horses were also vital during war times. They fought bravely alongside soldiers and helped transport crucial supplies. Horses do bond with humans and their relationship with soldiers was likely stronger than those developed prior, considering the highly emotional environment.
Currently, most horses are companion and therapy animals, meaning humans greatly value their relationships. Many individuals treat them as pets or keep a stable of horses to teach others how to ride.
Horses have many similarities with which humans naturally identify. For one, a hierarchical system. In both human dynamics and horse herds, there is a hierarchy structure. Whether it’s in families, employment or government, people are consistently operating within a hierarchy. Horses also have a similar family structure as humans, where male and female horses stick together and their offspring leave the nest once they’re mature.
Horses are also communicative and expressive, much like people. They can display different attitudes and emotions, which makes them relatable to humans. In the company of people, horses can display happiness, stress, trust, worry and many other moods. They’re even able to make complex facial expressions. With the ability to convey and read emotions, humans can understand horses’ sentiments and horses can understand humans.
We know the bond between horses and humans is a special one. Sharing a lifelong relationship with a horse is emotionally fulfilling and beautiful. It’s what makes saying goodbye incredibly difficult. Agape Pet Services wants to help you give your beloved friend a proper send-off. We provide cremation services as well as keepsakes and memorials to honor your horse and keep their memory close.
We’re here if you need us. For more information about how Agape Pet Services can help you, feel free to contact us.
Horses can be one the best pets for anyone to have. There are so many beneficial characteristics that horses have. They are intelligent, obedient, friendly, understanding, compassionate, even-tempered, loyal, trustworthy, and beautiful. Due to their long life span, you will have a pet that is a part of your life for a long time ( 25 to 30 years.) This makes it possible to develop a very strong bond with it over a prolonged period of time.
It is common for a situation of codependency to develop between the horse and its owner. This happens as there is so much that the owner and horse share together. The owner sees to it that the horse has its needs taken care of. Food, water, shelter, visit to the vet, as well as daily exercise and grooming, are all part of what the horse and its owner interact with daily. So we can naturally see why their relationship is so close. A strong bond that lasts for decades is established with horses that are rare to achieve with other pets.
I’ve traveled around the world to photograph some of this world’s most amazing animals. Throughout my expeditions, there has been no stronger connection between an animal like I have with horses and me. As you can see through my fine art photography, horses are my favorite subject. After meeting and speaking with many horse lovers, riders, and owners, here is a list of the TOP 10 reasons why horses make great pets!
We believe that horses do love their owners. We know that owners do love their horses. It is a major commitment for owners to decide to have a horse for a pet. Most horse lovers know and understand how much of their time and energy will go into having a horse as a pet. It is a big responsibility, but their love of horses is more important than what is required to have a pet horse. The sheer joy and fun that a horse has as a pet is always a delight for any owner; they can walk it, ride it and care for it for its entire life.
Following is the benefit of having a horse. Why do horses make fun and excitement within your space?
All pets from dogs to cats and fish to birds have the incredible ability to reduce our stress by merely being in their presence. Petting them, walking with them, they become your four-legged friends in most cases. Being around horses gives one a peaceful state of mind as they are very tranquil. Roaming around nature with ease, they teach us to slow things down and enjoy what mother nature has provided us that so many take for granted.
An all too obvious feature regarding horses is that they are always there for us. Whether we want to walk around the coral and pasture or have a relaxing ride on them they are there to answer our needs and please us. These animals have an amazing affinity for mankind and are always happy to make people content.
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Horses are enjoyable animals, especially the Camargue horses I have photographed. They have so much playful energy and stamina. Every horse has its personality and characteristics that you will surely love.
When horses are part of a herd and have lives where they roam free and graze all day they are amazingly calm and playful. This is also true of horses that are in the stable and well cared for. These horses are fun because their attitude is that they want to be with you and please you as much as they can. They are able to express their true selves by expressing their natural state of contentment.
The lifespan of horses is longer than most pets, which are about 25-30 years, which means that you have a significant amount of time to develop a deep connection and a special bond. Having a horse as a pet is a huge commitment that demonstrates your real character and development as a person.
Since the horse has lived together with us for thousands of years it is both used to and familiar with us. We are friends and not strangers to horses. When they are our pets we take care of all their needs. On a daily basis, we make sure that they are fed and have water, are groomed as well as medically cared for and most important of all loved. Because of the horse’s incredible sensitivity, they sense and understand our moods. If they sense that we are upset they will do all they can to comfort us.
This is all very important for the horse because it understands that it is provided on a daily basis a good life for its entire life. Both man and horse benefit from this association because they are both profiting from their love, happiness, and friendship with each other over a very long period of time.
Horses have immense beauty and elegance. Their stature poses, and graceful movements all leave us mesmerized. From their display in movies, literature, and art, they are a symbol of strength and courage throughout the world.
The beauty of the horse cannot be praised enough. We have a familiarity with them from their prehistoric paintings in caves through to our current day Western movies and nature documentaries on TV.
Horses are known to be four to seven times faster learners than humans. They need to be quick learners because they are prey animals, and they are very intuitive.
Horses unite their intelligence with instinct and emotion and this makes them a type of super animal. Their senses lead them to instantly make complex decisions that influence not only themselves but others.
Another example of their keen intelligence is how quickly and incredibly trainable they are. The training of horses for dressage, jumping, vaulting, racing and other equestrian activities is astounding. To witness any of these activities makes us quickly realize what great athletes these animals are.
Researchers in the field of equine studies have shown that horses can recognize human emotions. Just like dogs, horses will provide comfort and act more playful if they see you being sad or troubled.
There are certain breeds of horses that instinctively recognize human emotions. Therapy sessions with these horses are organized for people with certain mental and emotional medical conditions. The result of these encounters is both therapeutic and healing for the patient. To date, no one knows why these encounters are so positive, but it is believed that on a spiritual level that the horse and human being communicate and have an energy exchange.
Another astounding encounter between humans and horses occurs in nursing homes. Special horses are brought to a nursing home and allowed to roam from room to room at their discretion; they instinctively go into the rooms where they understand that a patient needs them.
If you love the outdoors, horses are great for exploring nature. Breathing fresh air and getting the right amount of sun does wonders for the body and mind. Having a horse as your companion during outdoor adventures like horse riding and hiking is a great way to keep fit and healthy.
What is wonderful about this is that it is both healthy for the rider and the horse. It also allows both participants to spend more time together thus strengthening their bond. It is also beneficial for both to take a walk together outside if for some reason they choose not to ride.
Just as with humans it is necessary for the horse to have daily exercise to maintain health. It should always be a part of the horse’s daily regime. We must remember that a horse is naturally a herd animal and that it basically wants to run wild with the pack; we must respect this and see that daily exercise occurs.
Having a horse as a pet or just being around one can provide physical and mental benefits to people suffering from different illnesses or conditions. People struggling with Alzheimer’s find it therapeutic to be around horses. Equine therapy helps them find calmness, and it eases the frustration that comes from living with Alzheimer’s. Research from Ohio State University finds that therapy helps lift patients’ moods and reduces negative behavior.
It might seem hard to believe, but horses are easy to look after. Yes, it’s a big commitment, but providing food and shelter is very straightforward. Several ranches around the country allow you to visit, ride, and pet horses for a minimum fee. You don’t have to spend too much if you are not ready to own one at the moment.
Throughout mythology and ancient tales, horses have played massive roles. They inspired countless stories of both gentleness, power, and triumph. Horses have a long history of coexisting with humans for centuries. From Kings to Queens and villages to kingdoms, horses have been companions and instrumental in shaping the most critical eras of human civilization.
We hope these top 10 reasons why horses make great pets have provided you with a better understanding of how much of impact horses can make in your life. In life, our journeys are filled with nature and wildlife. It’s our passion and privilege of being this forward for everyone to experience.
“There is something about the outside of a horse that is good for the inside of a man.”
Winston Churchill
We have a variety of black and white wildlife pictures and fine art prints of different sizes and finishing options to decorate your space.
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