I walked into her stall with my parka hood up and she almost kicked my ass. I took my hood off and she calmed immediately and made a happy noise at me.

A good reminder that horses are unpredictable no matter how well you know them or how much training you put into them. The weirdest shit can set them off.

  • r0ertel@lemmy.world
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    1 day ago

    Thanks for continuing to post pictures of Sandy. They’ve frequently been a happy escape from all the negativity online and IRL, particularly today. I don’t get to be around horses except every 5 years or so and seeing the range of emotions and behaviours you capture in Sandy is fun for me.

    • LaunchesKayaks@lemmy.worldOP
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      12 hours ago

      I’m so glad she brings you happiness and an escape!She has done the same thing for me and I love sharing her with everyone here. She really is a light in the dark!

    • LaunchesKayaks@lemmy.worldOP
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      2 days ago

      Thank you! Rainbow is her theme. I even got her a rainbow unicorn horn lol. Her halter is also rainbow. She has a lighter blanket that’s rainbow as well. I think I’ve posted pics of all of her rainbow gear lol

  • Otter@lemmy.ca
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    2 days ago

    What are some ways that a horse might indicate that I should back away from it?

    • LaunchesKayaks@lemmy.worldOP
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      2 days ago

      Ears pinned flat against their head, rapid breathing, swishing tail, turning their ass towards you and lifting a foot a lil, stomping, sometimes baring teeth, flaring nostrils.

      The best thing is to look at the ears tho. This graphic is a good depiction of ear language. Ears stiffly forward and can also mean curiosity/interest, so you have to watch the tail and the rest of the body to make sure the horse is actually curious and not thinking there’s danger or some shit. I’ve included a graphic that’s a good representation of war language.

      Mares have a thing called the mare stare. It’s just them making staring at you aggressively but 9/10 they don’t actually mean anything by it and they’re just being catty. Sandy is an expert at the mare stare. Whenever she gives me that look, I scold “Excuse you!” And she’ll stop immediately and have a better expression and I’ll say, “I know that you’re a bad bitch. You don’t need to tell me, you need to tell the herd.”

      . A lot of people hate mares for how catty and dramatic they can be, but I love it. It’s like some real housewives drama but with huge critters that can kill you with one kick. Sandy’s herd has a mare that will constantly go from being one of Sandy’s good pals, to a total bitch to the whole herd.