Membership in a herd of horses

Barb Dwyer

Tourist
Everyone with equine zoo experience has their own story to tell. Maybe you have one equine partner. Or, maybe you dive into a herd.

I am starting this thread to troll for other equine zoos who go to mingle among herds of horses. Not to command or control them, but to just be part of the herd.

Humans chatter. It becomes annoying. Equines silently observe. They taught me to Shut The Fuck Up.

There is a sense of mutual companionship and trust that develops with shared experience. It is possible for you, as a human, to become a member of a herd.

These are not relationships among humans. This is you, as a human, being able to cross over and understand an animal's sense of the world.
 
Years ago on holiday at a riding centre, the yard owner suggested all guests should meet the horses first before riding. We were a group of 5 or so, and while walking down the field towards the horses, the other 4 kept chatting about what horse caught their eye, and purposefully walking towards them. I didn't say anything, so the yard owner asked me for my part of that chat. I told her that it's more a matter of which horse would fancy to meet me. And I kept silent again. The result: the herd gathered and welcomed me rather than the others. It's still the same now. Whenever I go to the yard, it's not always about riding or groundwork. I just as well simply like to be in the field, in the moment, as part of the herd.
 
This last spring i was traveling out in the Black Hills and stayed on a ranch with 8 horses... A mix of mares and geldinngs. I woke up around 1 am and decided to go out in their back 40 and check out the stars on the partial moonlit night. 10 minutes from the house the herd ran up around me and were very interested in checking me out. I did a bunch of finger grooming on several and got a bunch of nuzzles and a little grooming back myself! Also ended up giving 4 of the mares some oral attention which they seemed to enjoy. I know i did! Ill never forget that moonlit night with the herd!
 
It is an amazing experience to have the herd run up and surround you, in the dark.

Thread derail: In the Black Hills, did you see faces in the stone?
 
It is an amazing experience to have the herd run up and surround you, in the dark.

Thread derail: In the Black Hills, did you see faces in the stone?

Not this trip... I was just passing through to Wyoming. Ive been to both Mt Rushmore and Crazyhorse many times in the past.
 
I don't think I'll ever truly know the feeling of being in a herd, as I can't be around horses.
 
I can only fantasize about falling asleep out in a pasture, and each horse takes its turn lying down next to me and keeping me warm until I wake up.
 
If you sleep in the pasture when the horses are up, they will probably paw at your face, which can be like brass knuckles. They don't mean to harm you; they just wonder why you aren't up like everyone else.

If they DO want to harm you, they can stomp the fuck out of you. So, do not present yourself as a threat to their safety.
 
Years ago on holiday at a riding centre, the yard owner suggested all guests should meet the horses first before riding. We were a group of 5 or so, and while walking down the field towards the horses, the other 4 kept chatting about what horse caught their eye, and purposefully walking towards them. I didn't say anything, so the yard owner asked me for my part of that chat. I told her that it's more a matter of which horse would fancy to meet me. And I kept silent again. The result: the herd gathered and welcomed me rather than the others. It's still the same now. Whenever I go to the yard, it's not always about riding or groundwork. I just as well simply like to be in the field, in the moment, as part of the herd.
Now That's Priceless!
 
One thing about a herd is, they can develop a collective personality. By that I mean, there might be 10 - 20 of them, but they act as one. They have a common interest.
 
This is unquestionably a magical experience, but there is some research that might help explain a little of it:

Horses recognize facial expressions of other horses:
https://www.nature.com/articles/srep38322

Horses recognize facial expressions in humans:
https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/full/10.1098/rsbl.2015.0907
They also remember the last expression that was given to them:
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0960982218303646

Horses seem to have a bit of a language of their own, in which you can formulate new ideas as constructs of context and actions. It's mostly body language but there are a few vocalizations as well. At some point I hope some of us can come together and write a guidebook on all the different equine communication we've collectively learned.

What to us might seem obvious appears as magic to others. All you need is the knowledge to walk the path between the two worlds.
 
I'm also a nudist/naturist so love to do barn chores and grooming naked. I shed my human clothes and become just another animal in the barn.
With grooming, petting and kissing them all over, and I mean all over, they accept me as one of them. Some times horses get jealous of other horses if I spend too much time with the other horses. Some might get horny when I am horny and have a hardon. When naked you really feel that you have entered into the beautiful world of horses and ponies:)
 
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