Are horses pets? If not, what do you consider them to be?

Recently a non-horsey friend asked me if I thought of my horse as a pet and the question completely threw me! What do people think? Is your horse a pet? If not, what is he/she? We buy and sell them like commodities, we 'use' them for sport, we breed from them (does that make them 'livestock'?) and in some countries we eat them (although I guess no-one who comes on this forum would be doing that!). So ... what are they to us?

I'd love to hear your views!

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Permalink Reply by Ferrous on August 21, 2009 at 1:41pm

"friends of another species who deserve to be treated with respect and who can be worked with for a mutually enjoyable and productive relationship"... that's a great way to put it!

I do have some friends who treat their (and my) pets in "a more infantile manner" (despite our suggestions to be more firm). One of my dogs likes those people very much, because he can (and does) get whatever he wants from them. We do treat our dogs a bit like 'our kids', but it is always tempered with a reminder of who is in charge... but any good 'parent should do that right? ;) *lol* I am also quite smitten with my horse... but every day we work on 'our relationship' so that he knows who is the leader, and I rightfully earn his respect.

Our household seems to be drawn to animals with a strong independent nature, and so it is very important that we maintain our position as alpha... otherwise this place would surely become an Orwellian type of Animal Farm! I do agree that the horses in my life have a special place, and I have met some schoolmasters who have both taken good care of me, and firmly let me know when I was doing something wrong... they can be excellent teachers indeed. Even my young horse is teaching me many things. My dogs also take good care of me, just in different ways... and kitty takes care of the barn... and our goose guards the hen house (literally - no-one messes with 'her' chickens)!

I can't imagine life without our critters! However one would define them, they do make life richer.

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Permalink Reply by Fiona Hill on August 21, 2009 at 2:47pm

Thank you everyone, some wonderful thoughts so far - and I love the idea that we are our horses' pets! My horse would definitely agree with that! I think the relationship we have with horses is particularly unique.

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Permalink Reply by Lallanslover on August 21, 2009 at 10:41pm

My horses are companions, teachers, confidantes, and most of all treasured friends.

However, when I really think about what horses mean to humans in general, I am always put in mind of that wonderful poem by Ronald Duncan, The Horse:

Where in this wide world can man find nobility without pride,
Friendship without envy,
Or beauty without vanity?
Here, where grace is laced with muscle
And strength by gentleness confined
He serves without servility; he has fought without enmity.
There is nothing so powerful, nothing less violent.
There is nothing so quick, nothing more patient.
England's past has been borne on his back.
All our history is in his industry.
We are his heirs, he our inheritance.
The horse.

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Permalink Reply by Jennifer Lamm on August 24, 2009 at 4:24pm

A pet to me is an animal that I choose to make my friend and care for. My horses seem to have it the other way around..... they chose me.... I am their provider, but they treat me differently than everyone else. My husband says it's okay if they are just my pets. That takes off the pressure to be doing something with them all the time. :) I hope we do stuff together but if not, then they can just live happily ever after with me on my ranch. :)

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Permalink Reply by Fiona Hill on August 25, 2009 at 4:04am

That's a lovely poem - thank you for sharing it. I've never heard it before.

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Permalink Reply by Fiona Hill on August 25, 2009 at 4:23am

Now that is very annoying - I just wrote a whole long heartfelt bit about what horses mean to me and it hasn't saved! Oh well... the universe clearly wasn't ready for it!! :-)

Thanks everyone for your thoughts ... it's lovely to hear them.

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Permalink Reply by Jan Jollymour on August 25, 2009 at 9:54am

Ferrous' explanation covers it I think - my horses are my partners, first and foremost. My dogs are more like small children, who just never grow up...life would be much less enjoyable and rich without them, and I would bring much less understanding to my human relationships without them, so I'd have to classify them as partners in life, and certainly not as "pets".

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Permalink Reply by Petstorejunkie on August 26, 2009 at 6:35pm

I think they are more than pets, they are partners, and most importantly friends <3

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Permalink Reply by Over Fences on August 29, 2009 at 1:31pm

I dont think of them as pets, not beacause I dont love them or exchange affection, but because thay basically run free as a feral herd on my 20 acres and the adjoining 20, they come around and visit every so often, to eat mainly.

When I catch them to ride I treat them kindly and respectfully but I am catching them for serious work and I APPROACH AND HANDLE THEM in a serious manner, because I dont want them acting silly or "friendly" when Im trying to catch them. I once got kicked for not correcting a horse that was overly "playful" when I would turn him out after riding.

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Permalink Reply by Fiona Hill on August 29, 2009 at 2:12pm

Hi Over Fences
Thanks for your thoughts. I think you hit the nail on the head when you said treat them kindly and with respect but to take it seriously - friendly can soon become 'pushy and aggressive' with horses and they are far too big (most of them) to mess about with. If we start treating them like dogs, we are potentially in big trouble!

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Permalink Reply by Over Fences on August 29, 2009 at 3:37pm

I once sold a really talented mare to a family, as the mothers horse. She was always a pushy mare and I told them that she propbbly would'nt be a good childrens horse beacause she tended to push me around a little out in the pasture & would pin her ears or otherwise get nasty when I scolded her for it.

They agreed that the kids had their own horses and would'nt be handling this mare. Well they had her for about a year and were calling me with all sorts of updates on how faboulous she was doing at all the shows, and how I had given her a bad rap over the pushy thing.

They were mistaking her "playfulness" for affection and were allowing all the neighborhood kids to climb all over her loose in the pasture. They had her total about 2 years. She would chase the kids they would chase her etc.

Well the playfulness turned into a pecking order type situation and she was headbutting/crowding the kids and eventually bit two of them on seperate occasions.

They sold the mare on. And now have horrible memories of her as some kind of vicious horse.
To me this totally unfair, and they are the ones who gave her a "bad rap"

If they would have just taken my word that this was not a "pet horse" the Mother of the family would still be winning all the ribbons on that mare.

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Permalink Reply by Fiona Hill on August 30, 2009 at 11:48am

Oh dear. Sounds like they were lucky she wasn't nastier. She gave them all the clues but they didn't see it! People often see what they want to see and think horses are being 'cuddly' when they are crowding them and pushing them around - OR warning them off for their rude body language that they don't even know they are doing! I have the same thing with my horse - I know when he steps in close and puts his head above mine that he is being dominant, but lots of people say 'oh your horse is so friendly'! Equally, there are times when I can play with him loose in the arena and he chases me - but is he following or is he herding? We can jump over jumps together and I can convince myself it's all lovely, but then as he lands, he canters by and overtakes, twirling his head and kicking out as he goes past! Hhmmm ... aggressive? or just playful? I know what I think, but others may see it differently.