Horses are Prey Animals

The horses are finally checking out the new "predator" that is in their pasture.

The first thing a smart person learns about horses is that they are prey animals. This is the basis of all dealings with horses. If you act like a predator around your horse, you will never develop a trusting relationship with him. A horse will demonstrate this over and over to you.

Bob loves riding my horse, Venture's Golden Satin. He has ridden her miles and miles. We live on a dead end road that ends at my farm. Bob likes to ride her three miles down the road coming into the farm. The first ride out that way was very interesting. Satin encountered all sorts of new predators that she didn't know existed.

The first predator was a killer mail box. She no doubt could see the gaping mouth of this terrible thing just waiting to jump on her and eat her alive. Next predator on her new route was the killer garbage can. It was even bigger than the killer mail box and had a bigger gaping mouth to swallow her whole.

Poor Satin. All along the route there was all of these things that she just knew for sure was out to get her. She encountered the killer goat, the killer dogs that were chained in the yards. The river was also a threat even though it was 50 feet away she just knew it would suddenly swell up and take her under never to be seen again. There were donkey, cows, more goats, more mail boxes and maybe worse of all, the killer TV set. Some thoughtless person had thrown a broken TV set along the route and she spooked at that.

Satin is a very sensitive horse. Bob rides her on our 400 acres and she encounters deer and turkeys frequently. A turkey few up one day almost in front of her face and she turned to run but Bob had good control and he prevented her from bolting. She also encounters deer. She considers them a real threat. But Bob being a good horseman keeps a firm hand on her and makes her face her threats.

Since these first encounters with all the predators she found along the way, Bob has been teaching her to trust him. He make her face her fears. He encourages her until she will face the predators in her world. She has learned to face head on the killer mail boxes and the killer garbage cans and all the other predators in her world.

Which now bring me to the above pictures I have posted with this blog. As you can see there are several horses standing around a mineral feeder. Such a harmless piece of equipment. So you think. Not in the horse world! Bob and his grandson moved the mineral feeder into the pasture one day and it chased the horse all around their field. You and I know that didn't happen but we aren't horses.

The horses were beside themselves with that feeder that suddenly appeared in the domain. They would look at it for a moment and then run like a mountain lion was after them. Finally they would all stop as far away as they could get and watch it for a time. Then they would all suddenly take off and run like it had started chasing them again. This went on for about a half hour with them running awhile and then stopping to check it out. Then running again. Each time they would stop just a little bit closer. Finally the bravest of the herd got close enough to smell it. Then off they ran again.

It was really funny to watch. But what were they feeling. They were feeling threatened and fearful for their lives. They had no one they could trust to show them this was harmless, comfort them and make them feel safe. That is our job as we ride and train our horses. A horse depends on its rider to make it feel secure.

This once again is a lesson God teaches us by of our horses. How so may you ask. I am glad you ask because I am going to tell you. If we don't depend on God for our safety and to take care of us we find cheap replacements. Maybe alcohol or drugs. Maybe money or possessions. Maybe we become a collector of stuff. But none of it is ever satisfying. We have to have more and more money, stuff, alcohol, drugs or whatever we use as our security blanket.

I will never tell you that there will never be fears in our lives. But if we trust the creator of all mankind, the world and all that is in it, we can feel secure that no matter what happens in our world, there is someone bigger than ourselves that is in control. Like Satin has learned to trust Bob, we learn to trust God and know we are redeemed from our fallen state by his son, our Lord Jesus Christ by his death and resurrection, then we too learn we don't have to run from our predators, from the killer mineral feeders that live in our world.

May God bless and keep you in his loving care. And may you learn to depend on God for your seurity and safety.

Regards

Mary

As most of you know, I have a broken arm and have been dealing with it for about two months now. I have missed writing my blog and I have learned that many of you have missed reading it. Thank you for the kindness shown to me since I broke my arm almost two months ago. My recovery and use of my arm is slow but sure. Thank you for your prayers and well wishes

Many are the afflictions of the righteous but the Lord delivers him out of them all.

Psalms 34: 19

Is it the smell of their body as I hug their long neck or the scent only a horse has that I can't forget? Is it the depth of their eyes as they contentedly rest? No, it is just being around them tha I like the best.

Teresa Becker

from Chicken Soup for the Horse Lover's Soul