Ethics!

"What is the moral correctness of how we conduct ourselves around our horses?"

 

As I battled with the trains and underground today I found myself relishing the thought of a meeting in Starbucks or a hotel versus the office.  It struck me that in this day and age work feels very different (positively so) when we conduct it OUT of the office.  Presumably most of us would rather NOT be at work hence the strategies to avoid it feeling like work. 

This made me feel instantly guilty for all those moments where I've 'got after' my horse on days where they clearly weren't in the mood to work either! It seems only natural that they should have on and off days - just like us right?

One of the most common habits I observe, when we work with horses is our propensity to 'nag' them! We nag with our leg constantly nudging their sides even when they are already going forwards.  Habit, or lack of awareness being mostly to blame.  Then there is our nagging on the lunge...  There must be nothing worse for a horse than being asked to keep on going round and round in a circle seemingly without purpose or rest bite.  Much like a day in the office of non stop back to back meetings!

If we go back another step, there are moments when we go to mount or tack up, and our horse steps away. This is our horses way of signalling they aren't ready to be mounted or tacked up. Yet often we proceed regardless.  Do we even notice and recognise its potential meaning? Isn't it like rape?

As humans it's in our nature to "ride others" to "drive for results", give people a "hard time" if at home or at work, but with our horses it tends to be counter productive.  It works against us.  (Perhaps this is why horses are such good teachers)! 

None of this makes us bad people but it does open up questions of ethics; what's right or wrong in our actions towards our horses?

This is the first year of keeping horses where I have tried to go 'rug free'.  All summer long the fly sheets have stayed in their bags.  To my relief my horses have been no more subject to fly bites than those horses wearing the protective sheets.  It's mid October and mine have all been naked day and night since early April.  They are still naked now (although they have just come in at night). 

It's actually felt uplifting to see naturally dusty coats, full of autumnal shine and warmth and to know their coats are full of natural oils, as nature intended.  

Grace's coat - not groomed for days!

I must confess I'm guilty of only grooming two or three times a week at the moment as it suddenly hit me that naked, they can roll to re-balance their coats or to boost circulation, promote coat loss and temperature control - far better than I could achieve for them!

So at the risk of sounding pompous - surely it serves us well to remember from time to time that the horse left alone can do a reasonable job of taking care of his own needs. We intervene with all our so called knowledge and that tends to trigger the demise of a simple and often healthy life for our horses.  

I'm keen to develop a checklist for boosting my 'ethics score' - this is how it looks so far:-

Don't .... ride out of balance.  Make sure my body is straight and in alignment using Equilates or similar routines.

Do.....  ride when my mind is in the right place for the job at hand: calm, present, focused, responsive and open to whatever comes along

Don't ... rely on old fashioned training methods - that require horses heads to be strapped down, creating tension and resistance - seek out alternatives based on compassion

Do.... remember horses don't have time lines or set progressive goals (that's our truth not theirs)

Don't .... think a 4 year old should be jumping 1 metre high fences - mounted and be impressed! (Long term physical and mental health will improve a horse's life).

Do... learn how to read a horse from the ground - to cement the relationship and learn how to move him/her around safely

Don't... expect perfection and understanding at the beginning of the relationship 
(we don't get that early on in our human relations so why expect it with another species)?

Do... think twice before mounting /tacking up a horse who clearly isn't happy!

Don't... rug, groom, stable or shoe horses unless its in their best interest

Do... ask myself what is right and wrong?  What feels right, right now? 


Don't... ignore gut instinct when it's directing me to do something different from how everyone else does it

Do... learn how horses' learn ! Help them be the best they can be! Play to their strengths and set them up for success!

This list won't float everyone's boat.  It may be helpful, it could be full of misguided error.  I'm learning too, so I'm not one to say what's the right answer to ethical conduct , but I am trying to ask better questions that will lead me to those answers.  I owe that to Essy and his clear message to me on behalf of all horses everywhere.  

That at least, feels ethical for now.