Five Ways Anthropomorphism is Affecting Your Relationship with Horses
We’ve all done it—giving our horses human-like qualities because, hey, they’re our best pals! But while it can be endearing to see horses this way, anthropomorphizing can actually interfere with how we understand and train them. Anthropomorphism is the act of attributing human characteristics, emotions, and intentions to non-human entities. Here’s how thinking of your horse as “one of us” might be leading to some misunderstandings.
1. Misinterpreting Your Horse’s Behavior
It’s easy to call a horse “stubborn” if he won’t load in a trailer. But let's look at it differently: loading a horse into a trailer—a dark, enclosed space that feels unnatural—is actually a big ask for an animal that thrives on open spaces and security in a herd. He’s not being “difficult” on purpose; he’s uncertain or scared. When we look at things from his perspective, we see he needs confidence-building, not punishment. Understanding this difference allows us to address the issue more effectively, helping him feel safer rather than frustrated.
2. Setting Unrealistic Expectations
I’ve heard many well-meaning clients say something along the lines of “Why won’t he do this for me” as if the horse decided to refuse to stand at the cone in their pattern because of a personal vendetta. Your horse cannot perform tasks he has not been taught, no matter how much he enjoys being with you. When we expect horses to act and react like humans, we may push them beyond their natural limits. This can lead to stress and anxiety in the horse, which inevitably hinders their ability to learn and perform as desired during training. Instead, I encourage owners to think about the behavior they want the animal to perform, and use horse psychology to problem solve. In the case of the previous horse, everytime the owner walked the horse to the cone at home they were bumping quite forcefully on the bit asking the horse to drop the head, the repeated negative experience caused the horse to refuse to approach all together. When we viewed the horse as a horse, the solution became simple: the horse needed to believe there was a positive outcome (or at the very least, that there was not a negative outcome) to standing quietly at the cone.
3. Misreading Signs of Pain
Pause for a moment and ask yourself, how your horse can let you know something is wrong. Let’s say your horse has Kissing Spine, a very painful condition. How can he make you aware of this other than “being naughty”. He may refuse to go forward, he may start bucking in the canter, or biting at your foot. He’s not doing this out of rudeness, rather he’s trying to communicate his pain. When we attribute human emotions to our horses we may misunderstand and think the horse intended to ruin our lesson today and punish the horse for it. However, as we look at horse psychology, we know horses aren’t capable of being vindictive. He is simply reacting to what he feels in the only way he knows how. If we want our horses to trust us and enjoy working with us, then we need to carefully separate our feelings from their behavior and be mindful of our reactions. When unusual behavior doesn’t seem to have a direct connection to training, it's always worth a call to the vet!
4. Taking Things Personally
I’ve found clients who anthropomorphize their horse’s natural behaviors often internalize their horse’s actions. They end up disliking their horse for not acting according to their preference. Unfortunately, horse training is not a Disney movie. Your wild Mustang won’t suddenly choose to be saddle broke because he likes you, but rather, he needs to be taught to accept the saddle through operant conditioning.Horses don’t weigh complex emotional histories when they decide to engage in a behavior. They only consider their history of positive and negative experiences surrounding that behavior. So rather than personalizing their actions, let’s approach training with patience and neutrality, avoiding that unnecessary emotional rollercoaster.
5. Stifling Their Natural Behaviors
Expecting horses to act like people can lead us to unknowingly limit their natural needs. For example, horses are designed to graze almost constantly. So feeding them two large meals a day can cause stress in their digestive systems, even if it’s convenient for us. Not everyone has acres of pasture, but things like slow-feeder hay nets can mimic grazing and prevent digestive issues. A few adjustments here and there make all the difference for their health and happiness.
Train with Empathy and Curiosity
When we treat horses like horses instead of expecting them to conform to our human world, we can be more effective horse trainers and often find more joy in our relationships with them. After all, humans are the smartest animals in the world, it only makes sense that we would bear the burden of empathizing with the animals around us. I encourage you to try a new mindset for training, and act as an observer of your horses. Like a scientist studying them with no bias. Then take their responses as neutrally charged information, and make a training plan that best suits their needs.
