Most people are drawn to horses. They are elegant beings who possess gentleness coupled with great size and strength. They can be dangerous to the inexperienced person; the inexperienced person can be dangerous to them.
When a horse lives in the neighborhood, he is a magnet to many. If you find yourself wanting to visit a horse that is not yours, ask his owner for permission to see him and never visit if the owner is not there.
You should never feed a horse you do not own. Horses have complicated digestive systems. They cannot vomit and they choke easily. If you think the grass clippings from your lawnmower would make a tasty treat for a horse, pony or donkey – stop and think again. Grass clippings are so fine that one mouthful could choke a horse to death. If the mown grass has been sitting for several hours in the heat, it will have become rancid and will likely cause a potentially fatal digestive disturbance called colic.
Horses love carrots and apples. Both contain sugars that are dangerous for a horse with metabolic issues (linked to insulin resistance). Letting a horse bite off pieces of a whole carrot from your hand could teach him to bite a finger off of someone else. Horses cannot see what is held by their mouths, they cannot tell the difference between a carrot and a finger until they taste it!
A whole apple offered to a horse can be grabbed and swallowed, which will choke him so quickly that he cannot be saved.
People foods can be toxic to horses. Any gas producing vegetables like cabbage, kale, broccoli, etc. will cause colic. Chocolate is dangerous as are many weeds that grow along ditches. To pull plants growing nearby and hand to a horse might poison him or they could have been sprayed with chemicals!
Even appropriate horse food can be detrimental if a horse is not accustomed to it. It takes 10 days to gradually change a horse’s diet; so to suddenly give him unfamiliar hay or grain can be damaging.
Going into a pen or field with a horse you do know puts you at risk. Horses are prey animals who react quickly when frightened and, while they will turn and run away (the flight instinct); they often kick out defensively as they flee. If a horse lands a kick on a person, the sheer force of it can break bones or worse! And flimsy footwear puts you at risk of severe foot injury should you get stepped upon.
A horse’s owner can take you in to meet their equine and her presence reassures that horse. Should the horse become worried, she will recognize that and keep you (and her horse) safe. Each horse has individual mannerisms and levels of tolerance that can only be perceived by their person.
Consideration and awareness can make you an advocate of horses. That neighbor with the beautiful mare will be grateful for your thoughtfulness in asking permission to pet, visit or feed her horse. And if she declines, know that it is just to protect her horse. They are complicated and fragile creatures.
Stablewomen 