How Horses React

Top picture is a very pregnat Mt Girl. Bottom picture is L S Mountain Wind Socks with her daughter Mt Girl.

We had an interesting experience several days ago. I have a mare that is about 9 years old. Bob has been admiring her. She has a sweet disposition and is well endowed with beauty and conformation. She is black with three white socks. Her name is L S Mountain Wind Socks. We call her Wind Socks.

Wind Socks has been hard to get into the barn when we needed her for teeth work, vet work or the farrier. Therein lies the problem. We only got her into the barn for teeth work, vet work or the farrier. So when only unpleasant things happen every time she comes in, then why would she want to come into the barn at all?

Bob began to observe her attitude about being in the barn. So he decided that had to change. The first several times he wanted to catch her, he had a hard time. But soon she was in hand and walking with him leading her into the barn. Each time she came into the barn she was rewarded with some tasty feed. She also got some hay. Horses seem to like a little hay every once in a while even with lush grass.

Soon she was the first one at the barn door to get led in for her little treat of grain and hay. We would then turn her back out. I like to groom the horses so I set about untangling her mane and brushing her and combing her thick mane and tail. She loved the attention and it is easier to get her into the barn. So when the vet came to determine if she was pregnant, she didn't mind so much. The farrier came and trimmed her feet and again, it was really not a problem for her. She got her little bit of grain and was once again turned out.

So she now gets a little grain and hay fairly often. As a result, she doesn't mind being caught and brought into the barn.

One day Bob asked me if she had ever been ridden. Of course the answer was yes because a mare has to be certified to breed to be able to register her foal. The same is true for stallions. Certified to breed just means that a horse has to be ridden and show that they have the Rocky Mountain four beat gait.

So Bob started getting ideas. He wanted to ride Wind Socks. One day last week he brought her into the barn and put her into the cross ties. Before long he had her tacked up ready to go. Our arena has been such a blessing. My children were wonderful to build that arena for me. He led her out to the arena and we closed the gate. He ground mounted her. It is safer that way. She tried to back away from the mounting but he stepped off and corrected her and tried again.

Soon he was aboard and riding around the arena. She was doing pretty well. She seemed calm and not at all distressed by the person on her back. But all the sudden she decided to pick up the pace and she almost got away from Bob. He didn't really know what had happened.

I was intently watching and listening. I was a little fearful for him since she hadn't been ridden for several years. She was ridden briefly before I brought her home. I had purchased her for a brood mare from Van Bert Farms just over two years ago. She is a successful brood mare. She loves her babies and her last one didn't leave her side for the first several weeks after her birth.

No horse will dare mess with Wind Socks' baby.

But riding her is a different thing. Let's see how that turned out.

As I said Bob was riding her in the arena and she suddenly wanted to take off and pick up speed. Bob did not know what had happened. But I heard the whole things. We have a lot of birds around the farm, of course and some of them make a noise just like someone clicking to a horse to get them to pick up speed. That is what happened when Wind Socks picked up speed. She heard the birds clicking and thought it was Bob asking her to gait.

It was rather surprising. He was prepared for whatever would happen and did not lose control. But how did Wind Socks make that mistake? Well, Wind Socks did not recognize the difference between the birds making that sound and the rider. She is not familiar with her rider's voice. She just heard the click and picked up speed.

How like that we are. We hear what we think is the voice of God and because we have not learned what his voice sounds like or don't know how to listen for him we take off on some wild ride and we think we have heard his voice but it is an outside force we are hearing. It almost got Bob into trouble and we get into to trouble the same way. Not only do we get into trouble but we also take others with us.

Have you learned what God's voice sounds like? Do you know Jesus as your Lord and Savior? Have you confessed your need for a Savior and ask Jesus to forgive you and save you? That is the beginning of being able to listen to God's voice. God doesn't shout at us. He just quietly speaks. You will not know peace until you accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior. It is a peace that passes understanding.

May God bless you and keep you in his loving care. And may you know the joy of hearing his voice in your life.

Regards

Mary