Asking Our Horses to Work for Us

 

Do We Have the Right?

Copyright 1989 By truth-or-consequences

1248 Words Exactly

Sold to: The Western Horse

I watch young or inexperienced riders all the time, as they hesitantly, shyly, indecisively ask their horses to perform. It's as though they are afraid of inconveniencing the beast by cueing him to move out or even to stop or turn. Many people are so in love with their horses that they want to spoil them into uselessness.

I know about these feelings because I feel the same things. I love my horses with all my heart, and, frankly, I place the value of their souls slightly (and sometimes significantly) above that of many humans I know-- and some may consider that fanatical. Yet when it's time for my animals to work for me I'm not bashful about demanding performance.

By the same token I'm not a domineering type of rider. I seldom "force" my broncs to do anything, though I reserve the right to do so in certain circumstances. I've found as an employer of people that folks will work twice as hard if you ask them if they can or will do a job, rather than to order it done at any cost. I know I will. And we must never forget that horses are only human. Certainly the Arab owners among us can identify with this philosophy. It's just that the rider must know when to stop asking and start insisting.

But what gives us the "right" to harness the spirit and body of this magnificent animal and to ask him to perform for our amusement and pleasure?

To answer, we must consider that the horse has basically two choices in life. He can be wild, or he can live in our stalls and paddocks.

There are those who will instantly attack this statement with the argument that if horses were given the choice, why, they would choose to be free, of course.

In dispute of that contention I'll state flatly that I personally know of countless mustangs who have wandered into a barn or pasture straight off the range and have refused to leave. I had a hungry mustang herd take up residence in my open stock trailer once. I've raised and ridden such horses and almost anyone who lives on the open ranges has seen the phenomenon.

And by the same token some domestic horses, once loose on the range, are content to never come home.

It can therefore be argued that some horses want to be domesticated........and some do not. How then are we supposed to decide which horses are to be used and worked, and which are to be set free? Should we allow each one to decide for himself by opening every pasture gate in the country? There are those who would have us do that, and perhaps, in some purist, altruistic kind of way, an argument can be made for that approach. But what if we turn our domestic horse out onto the range, and he fares poorly? Just before he dies of starvation, he may have some obscure horse thought of going home where feed was plentiful. Is the purist going to be there to make sure his horse gets what he wants?

It can be strongly argued that the often silly equine, like the often silly teenager, cannot always be trusted to make a sound and thoughtful decision, a decision that will affect the rest of his life and perhaps his very life itself--- and that we have the obligation, as hopefully wiser and more evolved creatures, to make that decision on behalf of the entity we have chosen to protect. No, to live in our paddocks and stalls is not the perfect life for a horse. There are few perfect solutions to problems in this world. All our remedies are flawed, and even the best answers that our best minds can provide have their down side. All we can do is to continue to struggle to choose the least disagreeable option, where all that's available are disagreeable options.

If your horse is over 18 years old, for instance, chances are that were he free on the range he'd not be alive at all. And life.......is nearly always preferable to death. Life in a paddock is a "less disagreeable option" than no life at all.

As a domestic horse he can expect to see his late twenties in relative comfort, and I know of rodeo broncs who've received positively unsurpassed care all their lives, who are still bucking off smart aleck young cowboys, faithfully and happily, at 35.

Can we conclude that the horse is better off to enjoy 35 years of good life in captivity, as opposed to 18 years of hard, often hungry or painful life in the wild? If no one else will take responsibility for the determination, then I will. The answer is yes.

If we are to assert, then, that it is our prerogative to protect the horse from a cruel environment in the wild, without breaking any cosmic or karmic laws or regulations--- If we have the obligation to expend the time, energy and often substantial expense to take better care of these beasts than does mother nature, then it logically follows that we have the right to ask for something in return. And therein lies the heart of the issue.

We do not have the right to ask the horse to sacrifice his life or his health or his sanity for us, as some owners ask. And we do not have the right to keep the horse in miserable or even marginally unpleasant conditions, or to abuse him or to send him to an early grave through ignorance or stupidity or laziness-- He doesn't owe us these things.

As part of this bargain we agree to feed him better than he would get on the range, and we promise to protect him from predators, and to keep him healthy, sometimes at great hardship to ourselves-- and we promise to do our best to help him live far longer than he would on the range.

In return, the horse agrees to work for us to the best of his ability. Think of it as a job done in exchange for a wage. You mowed the lawn or weeded the garden or washed the dishes for your allowance when you were a kid, didn't you? You, as your horse's parent, also pay the critter in terms of care, and he provides a service to you by packing you around. The horse pays you in terms of packing you around, and you provide a service to him in terms of good hay, grain, vaccinations, a safe place to sleep, and an education of sorts. It's not as if the horse does not receive great benefit from this deal, and as an owner you have the same rights and obligations as any kind and compassionate parent. As long as you hold up your end of this sacred bargain, your bronc has an obligation to hold up his as well, and neither of you has the right to slouch or cheat.

And if you're still worried that you haven't earned the right to ask your horse to perform well and ably and to work hard for you when you ask it, then it's time for you to get out to the barn and make sure he's getting better than he gives.

That'll make both of you feel better about the agreement you've entered into, and that's the very essence of "a good deal".