Horse Trailers
A few weeks ago on the bus ride home, we passed a horse trailer. As we moved by, we were at eye level with the horses, and happened to catch the gaze of one the horses. He was obviously peering into our bus. I wonder what his perceptions were?
He knows he’s being transported to some location, does he think that might be the same case for us? Does he think we might be going off the mountains to be ridden? He’s probably laughing about how crammed into our space we were compared to him. For the space of each horse, there are probably close to 12 people all packed in like sardines. Maybe that made him feel a bit better about his situation. Or possibly worse, what if he’s got an abusive owner, and his thoughts were that all of us were about to experience the same woe that he does each time he is taken out. Was there a hint of sadness in his eye? Did he imagine for a moment all of us being spurred violently in the side by our bus driver? Or perhaps, the horse has studied quietly for years human behavior, and he understands completely that we are in a bus, being transported home from what must be a woeful place.
We look at the horse in the trailer and we empathize with them based on our knowledge of how the world works. We feel a bit bad, and assume that they must be uncomfortable. We imagine ourselves standing in a horse trailer, confined, abused and uncomfortable.
Wouldn’t the horse look at us the same way? empathizing with us based on his view of the world? Does the horse view us as free? majestic? beautiful? happy? or does he view as miserable, confined, small, weak and with fear? Wouldn’t we make an ugly horse? We must be hideous to them, bald, small, always standing on our hind legs, a flat face, weak, etc. When ever we engage the horse we hold our arms high, just like a stallion in a fight. We make horrible noises, appear in small moveable cages, and demand obedience. Or do they look at us on the bus in a similar situation? Thinking that we are all being carted around in a giant trailer, soon to be tied up or ridden by another?
How often do we do the same to others around us? Assuming that their view of the world must be the same as our own?
John, that’s pretty deep. I think you need some rest. :)
From having lived in an area where a lot of my neighbors had horses and my children fed the horses next door, I might have some insight. The type of horses that you will see in a horse trailer are domesticated. The dependence and relationship to humans that dogs and cats have with their owners will likely exist with these horses as well. So it is more likely that they perceive the riders in a bus like their owner rather than a strange unknown creature. Horses that are well cared for need daily attention, grooming, and riding several times a week, particularly if the pasture where they are staying in isn’t large enough to let them run and exercise. It is sad to see horses neglected without being able to exercise. (We all get a little stir-crazy towards the end of winter… this is similar to how a horse may feel being confined to a small pasture) Horses that get the right amount of attention will look forward to human interaction, even if it is just neighbor children offering carrots or apples through the fence.
David,
That’s some good insight, and even shows the problem that I’m looking at further. We (people) are really only able to look at others from our own perspective and conditioning.
The more we experience, learn, and try ourselves, the more equipped we become to understand others.