"My mom said something. 'You can lie down for people to walk on you and they will still complain that you’re not flat enough.' Live your life." (unknown)
'Non-optional social convention'. Yes it's a Sheldonism, for those who watch the American comedy series 'Big Bang Theory'. We have found that it fits.
I wrote a piece for a Heavy Horse compilation breed book some years ago - a brief history on the Earhaeedy Greys, the wild part-Percherons rescued from a station up near Wiluna in WA in 2005, by a behind-the-scenes vet and our friend Dr Sheila Greenwell, plus former station owner Ross Quartermaine and other good people. We are fortunate to have several of those few rescued horses still living with us, in the Wadi Farm Herd. They are the heart and soul of it.
I noted in the article that there are really very - very - few truly 'wild' places left in the world. True wildness and true freedom in a pristine environment is hard to find, particularly in relation to wild horses. There are boundaries everywhere.
It is what it is.
In domesticity, people talk about 'liberty' work/training. So do we - but we talk about it in conjunction with 'choice' and affirmative training. There is no true liberty for horses in domesticity. We take our horses on 'liberty walks'. They have more choice and they have room to gallop around, but there are still boundaries. Liberty and freedom are attitudes, like compassion. Just like being positive, kind, proactive and ethical are attitudes. Choices we make every day.
I have witnessed and seen footage of some 'liberty' shows and it's very clear that the horse is not so much free to do what is 'asked' but more free to continue to be a living automaton that has been 'asked' to perform a particular set of exercises so many times the horse has shut down. It's operating on automatic.
Indication of pressure is an ask in training. Application of pressure becomes more than that. We need to use that knowledge and any training tools responsibly. Ethically. We need to change (and in fact remove) our agendas and approach our relationships with animals with love. We need to make better choices.
We try to be realistic. We give the Wadi Farm herd and the horses in it as much choice in their day-to-day activities and in their mutual activities with us and with visitors and clients as we can. As much as we choose to allow in our particular situation, with regard to welfare, safety, the property and infrastructure. Our horses have some 'liberty' - quite a bit of liberty if you count the fact they live in large paddocks and in a herd environment. They have a great deal of choice. However there are certain things each horse needs to learn in order to live a comfortable, safe, connected life with us. Often the herd teaches boundaries and mutual respect, just like society and nature teaches humans. We must spend enough time with our horses, and be consistent enough in our interactions, to earn enough trust for them to come when called and be happy to hang with us for a start. Each horse must learn to be haltered, led, have their feet checked and trimmed, their teeth checked and dealt with...etc. They must learn basic groundwork and learn to step outside their comfort zones when asked. (For things like emergency float loading in a fire situation, or when being floated to new places.)
It's our responsibility to teach these things kindly and affirmatively. 'When we know better, we should do better.' We are trying to do better these days.
Our horses must learn to stand quietly enough to be greeted and often handled by strangers. They don't always have to stay with those strangers and they learn that too. We recognise body language and we can grant them that choice. Most of the time they can choose to approach, then either leave, or come with us and do something else.
Some go on to be educated to saddle, if they show an inclination. We use treeless saddles and bitless bridles. A bit more freedom and choice for the horse, as long as those particular tools are employed in the right way.
Sometimes there isn't a choice for the horse, or at least it may not be their initial choice. We can still endeavour to respect their comfort and wishes as much as humanly possible. Horses live in the moment and sometimes, in that moment, they say no, only to change their mind a minute later when they realise we are about to do something they actually enjoy. It's our responsibility to know each horse's nature and to know whether or not they are going to enjoy participating, or if we should ask another horse, or simply come back later. It's also our responsibility to learn to recognise if the horse is saying no for another reason, like soreness or illness. Or injury.
Again, like humans, horses appreciate knowing their boundaries. They also appreciate being thanked for choosing to participate in some of our 'non-optional social conventions'. They like to know there's something in it for them. We choose to believe that our horses in some way understand that with the work they help us with, some training lessons and contact are mandatory, for safety and for building connection. And when it's all done with mutual respect and positive reinforcement, I do think they choose to enjoy it. Most of the time!
