Trust Instead of Dominance

An introduction to the world of the horse

A

ll horses are not the same. Although any casual observer can see clear and marked differences between individual representatives of the species with the melodic sounding scientific name Equus ferus caballus, most books on horses and riders speak with one voice about 'the horse'. However, there is as much a typical horse as there is a typical human. There are clear differences to be found, both behaviourally and physically, between Arabs and Exmoor ponies, Belgian Draught horses and Mongolian horses, or between Hanoverians and Quarter Horses. In addition, representatives from within individual breeds can also differ greatly in their behaviour and characteristics. It is precisely this individuality that characterises horses and which provides so many of the challenges that we find when dealing with them. No one horse is exactly like any other, so we are faced continuously with new surprises when involved with them. In what follows, I will cover where our leisure partners of today come from and highlight some of their evolutionary qualities, so that we are prepared for our later discussion of some of their characteristic features.

In the course of the millions of years that form its developmental history, the horse has learned to adapt to different living conditions and circumstances. In the course of its evolution, and as a result of certain inherited traits being passed down from generation to generation, the species we now know as the horse underwent significant anatomical and physical changes. What started as an antelope-like forest-dwelling animal became a plains-living animal that could gallop - the horse. Distinguishing characteristics of an individual are coded in the form of genes, which are copied and passed on to the following generations. Many species don't exist in just a single form, but have a number of different variations. The hereditary differences among individuals, in other words the genetic variability, are created by these different forms and the recombination or reordering of their genes.

Today's breeds are a colourful mix, originating from very different types. They unite a wide range of behavioural characteristics inherited from their ancestors.

Even in the case of the ancestors of our domesticated horses, there has always been a wide variety of subspecies or types that have adapted to the climatic and ecological conditions of different regions around the world. Today, in order to trace the ancestry of horses and their domestication, researchers make use of the genetic information contained within the so-called mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA), which is passed on exclusively from mother to daughter. Normally the order of the genes changes in every generation owing to the merging of the female and male elements at conception; however, when considering mtDNA, you are dealing with a recognisable component of the genes that remains consistent over many generations, and through which it is possible to follow the maternal line and the degree of relationship between different species of equines. The origins of the maternal line of the modern domesticated horse, and thus the ancestress of all of the various different types of horse, can be traced back between 320,000 and 630,000 years. Using mitochondrial DNA, the domestication of the horse by humankind can be traced back to the period between 9400 and 2000 BC. For a long period, researchers hypothesised that the horse of today originated from a single ancestor, a theory that is now strongly doubted. They imagined that the domestication of the horse was a single and relatively simple process, which caused the domesticated horse we ride today to be created from the interbreeding and natural selection of only a few individuals, which were then spread around the world by humankind. Modern research now assumes that the domestication of the horse took place in a number of different locations around the world, and at varying times. Each group of people took the horses that were living in their region at that time and in effect created their own 'ancestral' horse through breeding. This theory is supported by the fact that, when examining the current range of horses that exist today, we can find 17 different types with varying maternal lines.

The different subspecies mentioned above are the ancestors of today's domesticated horses and thus the foundation for the modern breeds of today. Their initial development occurred without the influence of humankind, and was a result only of exposure to the environment in which they lived in different parts of the world. They therefore developed great differences not only in their physical characteristics but also in their behaviour. Probably the oldest domesticated type of horse, with a maternal line that stretches back 47,000 to 166,000 years, originated on the steppes of Asia and was characterised by a short-backed, slight body, a short head with wide nostrils and a tendency to move fast in its dry, warm habitat. These horses formed very close family groups and found it easier than the other types of horses to become used to humans.

The maternal lines of the northern draught breeds (sometimes inaccurately referred to as cold-blooded horses) can be traced back 29,000 to 100,000 years. With their thickset and chunky bodies and powerful jaws adapted to chewing hardier grasses, they were perfectly suited to cold climates. This was a horse that went everywhere at a steady walk and formed loose groups. The maternal line of the more roman-nosed warmblood type, which is 6000 to 21,000 years old, was well suited to the vast, cold steppes of the northern hemisphere. They had a relatively long back and long limbs that were ideally suited for long journeys. They probably lived a solitary life, with herd life virtually unknown, with the exception of groups of older mares who lived with other female family members. It can be assumed from this that these horses would have tended towards showing more aggressive behaviour and would have had a well developed sense of personal space.

The particular way in which various breeds express themselves can easily lead to misunderstandings when strange horses meet for the first time.

The social life of the maternal line of the first ponies, 2000 to 8000 years old, probably took place in large herds, which fell into individual subgroups but joined together when danger threatened. With their medium size and their thick coats they were especially well suited to the mild, damp climate of the British Isles and Scandinavia.

In addition to these four basic types, there were other varieties of early horse from which our ancestors developed what would become today's breeds. But, as can be seen, the beginnings of our domestic horses were, in terms of their social behaviour and environment, very different. There were horses that developed in very close family groups and others that lived a rather more solitary existence. As a result of this, the reality is that it is illogical to assume that there is a single and uniform herd and hierarchical structure that applies to the full range of horses that exist today. From domesticated horses with a variety of origins, humankind has bred and developed the current breeds over many centuries. Some of today's breeds are still very close in type to their ancestors, others are a result of crossing several types, uniting some of their characteristics, both physical and behavioural.

Local dialects in the equine kingdom

The range of expressions covers a wide spectrum among the different breeds of horse. As a result of this, individuals from different breeds can sometimes find it hard to understand each other. What for one might be a friendly tussle could for another be a serious fight.
The way certain elements of behaviour, body language and facial expressions are shown or expressed can also vary considerably. Whilst an Arabian horse will hold his tail upright at the slightest excitement in a way that is typical for this breed, this type of behaviour is likely to be seen much more rarely in a Belgian heavy horse, and then only in cases of extreme provocation.
We can also clearly distinguish differences in threatening behaviour. Owing to its smaller muzzle, a Welsh pony's more oval nostrils appear a lot less threatening than the nostrils of a French trotter, even when pulled into a much narrower slit, although both individuals may be making a threat with the same intensity. Many thoroughbred types tend towards a pattern of behaviour that is more extravagant, while heavy horses use only a minimal number of physical changes to show their mental state.
These differences in the way horses express themselves are probably founded in the variety of subspecies from which horses originated. While thoroughbreds originally would have had to communicate with each other over larger distances, ponies, living as they did in closer proximity to each other, could rely on smaller gestures because their body language did not have to be read at great distances. Owing to the mixing of these different types over time in our modern breeds, many of the behavioural patterns from different types can be found within the same breed. This means that there is a much wider breadth of behavioural characteristics than would have been the case originally. Different types of horses don't naturally know the habits and language of others, but instead have to learn them. The individual pattern of behaviour that they have learned in their own herd has been taught to them by their parents, siblings and other members of the...