Photo by Guillaume de Germain on Unsplash

If you’ve ever spent time around horses, you know they’re pretty different. No, not just in size, of course, and no, not just in personality, but in how they react to the world around them. For example, chickens scatter, cows plod along, and goats climb everything they can reach. But when it comes to horses? Well, you can basically expect that they get spooked at a plastic bag drifting across the pasture. If they’re unfamiliar with something, it spooks them too. For anyone who wants to have a horse and keep it living long and healthy, well, you’re going to need to understand that they’re not the fighting type.

Plus, that’s exactly why they’re not like other livestock when it comes to safety. Horses are wired in a way that makes them both majestic and a little unpredictable at the same time, and if you’re responsible for them, you’ve absolutely got to understand what makes their needs so unique.

They’re Built to Run First and Think Later

Alright, so the first thing to know about horses is that their instincts go way back. For thousands of years, their survival depended on how fast they could get away from danger. Technically, it’s not that much different compared to a lot of other animals, but when it comes to the flight or fight response to horses, it’s going to be flight mode first; they don’t often fight.

So it really doesn’t matter if it’s a dog barking in the distance or a bird rustling in a bush. If it startles them, they’re gone. And unlike cows, which might lumber off a few feet and stop, horses run until they feel safe. But of course, there’s going to be a problem with this because they don’t always notice what’s in the way. That’s when fences, gates, or even their own herd mates become hazards.

Their Curiosity Gets Them into Trouble

Needless to say, horses are curious creatures, and while that makes them fun, it also makes them risky at the same time. So, they’ll test boundaries, chew on things they shouldn’t, and stick their heads where they don’t belong. And while sure, maybe goats might climb over a fence or something like that, you can count on horses to be more likely to lean on it, paw at it, or try to push through if they think there’s something worth checking out.

Why does Safety Look Different for Horses?

For the most part, other livestock can handle rougher conditions. Like, cows and pigs, for example, aren’t going to shatter a leg if they misstep near a fence post. Horses, on the other hand, are like high-performance athletes; their legs are strong but delicate, which makes them especially prone to injuries. So, of course, one wrong move can cause major issues and possible vet visits.

Sometimes the safety can be standard, like durable horse fencing (that also keeps their instincts in mind), removing risks that could endanger them, too, of course. But just keep in mind, this has absolutely nothing to do with locking them up; it’s more about creating that freedom that they need, but at the same time preventing rough play and them just getting spooked.

You Need to Try and Think Ahead

Anyone who’s been around horses knows you can’t predict every situation. A horse will always find new ways to surprise you (just like a dog or cat), so it’s about setting up that environment that you know will work with their instincts rather than against them.