The Effects of Abuse on a Horse

Horses are herd animals and live in a system of trust and support with their fellow herd members. When domesticated, horses replicate the herd system with their human handlers. They are willing to develop a trusting relationship with their handlers, but if this trust is abused either intentionally or accidentally then it can potentially cause the horse to distrust humans for life. When raising a young horse, it is vital not to frighten it or damage its trust.

  1. How Equine Memory Works

    • Horses have excellent memories and tend to learn by association. They have particularly good memories for negative experiences and pain, and sometimes it can prove impossible to reverse a negative memory. For example, a horse that has fallen going over a certain colored jump may violently refuse to jump over that color again. Horses whose backs are pinched by an ill-fitting saddle often refuse to accept a saddle for the rest of their lives, even after the saddle has been adjusted. Some horses are left with what amounts to a phobia after a negative experience that may have happened years before.

    Physical Abuse

    • Horses are flight animals and will always respond to a negative situation by trying to flee. However, if subjected to a situation where there's no room to run, they can fight back and become aggressive. A horse that is tied up then hit, for example, would eventually turn on its handler as it has no other form of escape. It is possible for such horses to suddenly learn their superior strength over humans and become virtually impossible to handle. A horse that feared being hit may become impossible to tie up, or may develop a phobia against people of a certain sex or who wear a specific-colored shirt. Working to cure such horses is a long process requiring huge amounts of patience and can only be carried out by experts.

    Mental Abuse

    • Horses are gregarious and require company. Ideally this is the company of their own kind, but any lone horse should be provided with a companion such as sheep or cattle. Horses that are kept isolated can quickly become stressed and may exhibit unwanted behavior. Horses evolved to wander over thousands of acres of prairie and are designed by nature to be on the move. A horse that is constantly kept in a stall with no stimulation can start to develop stable vices, which are a form of nervous tic. These include weaving - rocking from side to side and crib biting - constantly chewing on a handy surface.

    Accidental Abuse

    • Sometimes equines are subjected to abuse that is accidental rather than deliberate. For example, horses are designed to trickle feed and have a constant flow of long fiber such as grass passing through their systems. An owner that feeds a huge quantity of concentrate feed, such as oats in one go, would be risking problems, as the horse's digestive system cannot cope with this style of eating. A bout of colic would be likely, which can weaken the digestive system and cause problems for the rest of the horse's life. Equally, a horse that was required to work with cracked or untrimmed feet may suffer muscle strain, joint problems or even permanent injury.