Do You Think Horses Have Ambition?
I was talking to a dressage trainer the other day and she was saying how she’s "never met a horse with any ambition." She also said that people are just burdens that horses put up with. Basically she made her opinon clear that she thinks horses just do their job so they can go back to the stall or field and eat.
I’m not sure if I agree with her. I mean when i get to the barn, my horse neighs and wait by the door, then i take him out and tie him for tacking up and he gets very impatient and paws sometimes, and then we get out in the arena and he just seems so happy to be working. (btw he’s not in just a box stall, he has a pasture connected to his stall and has 2 other horses to play with.)
Do think she was right?
I’m just interested to hear opinions.
Meagan– interesting view on it. but do you tinhk they can look forward to things? even if the time in which they look forward is only minutes or hours?
I can’t imagine being a psyc major. I took my first psyc class last spring and it was too complictaed for me lol. that’s why i’m a criminal justice major.
I know I will probably get thumbs down for this, but I don’t think they do. I am going to be majoring in Psychology, and its this type of thing that interests me. How do animals think differently than humans? What can and cant they think about?
I have asked my teacher several questions like this. One in particular was, "Can animals feel embarrassment?"
He said that animals do not have the ability to think cognitively, and that they cannot think introspectively. Ambition would fall under introspection, because it is a type of examination of oneself.
Edit—–
Working to please their owner is different than ambition. Horses work to please the owner because we are the alpha in the herd (or at least we should be). In a herd environment, horses work to do what the higher ranks tell them to do. Ambition is desire for acheivement, rank, or success. What I am trying to say is that a horse cannot cognitively think "Man, I really want to get first place today." Or "Gee, it sure would be nice if I made it to the olympics." They cannot think about themselves in that way.
Edit—–
They can look forward to things, such as feeding (we all have experienced that!!). But that is their will to survive, they need to eat and so they look forward to getting food. That’s different than introspection, that’s just will to fulfill the demands of your instincts. I don’t think that they look forward to things like shows, for instance. They may get nervous from feeding off of your anticipation or the high stress atmosphere of the show grounds. But they don’t get nervous for the actual showing aspect, the being judged and critiqued part.
I totally do not agree with her have to say a majority of horses are what she says but i know with my arabian huckelberry if i dont ride him for 2 days he breaks out of the fence and comstantly winnies at me he runs up for a ride even if theres no treats. A horse with no ambition cant become a great competitor. I cant explain why else my horse wants to jump.
I somewhat agree with the first answer but if a horse can look forward to grain why not look forward to activity, a horse doesnt know if he wins a prize but he knows when you are praising him.
no I do not think she’s right. I know many horses who will do anything to please their owners; including mine. Some, don’t but love to jump. there are people who think humans are the kings of the world, and animals are just there to do our bidding. i don’t think shes one of those people though. I can see what she means because, horses don’t think about the future. they live in the now, and want to enjoy every minute of it. that’s why they are so happy when they get worked, or just plain patted.
I disagree with Meagen. I think horses get embarrassed. There was this foal that was prancing around head high knees coming to his chest started rearing bucking getting all the other horses attention then he just wipes out!! Head over heals! It was hilarious I have to say! Then he quickly got up and threw a huge buck! and sprinted over to his mama and hid behind her He was acting like I meant to do that.. Like on the opposite side where all the other horses were. Then all the other mares were coming over to see id he was ok.
My horse loves to be ridden. She loves to run period. She runs up to the gate all excited and ready to ride. But a horse doesn’t’ wake up and say ok i am going to work on my side passing. So Yes and no.
Hoped I helped!!
people say that horses don’t get "happy: or "sad" like people do, but if they don’t get sad then what do you call pining? i don’t think horses have all the emotions we do, but they do have ome, and if a horse likes something, they’ll do it and if they don’t, they won’t. if a horse doesn’t like to jump, they will either refuse, or be very particular on position. if they do like to jump, you could be backwards and they would still jump that fence, so i think they could have ambition
Some do, some don’t.
When he knows he does something right he looks around to see if people notice 
<3
I’ve ridden many horses who just want to eat and sleep but my horse absolutely LOVES being in the ring. Not so much trail rides or anything, he loves being watched and showing off
I’m gonna share a story that I promise you is true– it happened with our own horses, many years ago when I was just a ‘lil one’. It argues the human assumption that horses are simple creatures who don’t ‘think’ or reason.
One day my mother and I heard screams coming from the horse pasture. Then we heard a high young whinny as an answer, coming from the front of the house. Uh oh… We went out to find that Harold, the gelding, had taken advantage of a dry spell and a low pond at the back of the pasture to lead CJ, the 2 yr old, Bonnie the yearling, and Prince the baby back around the fence, up the fence line, and into the front yard to eat apples and grass. We went out, and figuring that Joy, the mother (the one left behind and screaming her head off) would want baby back first, we caught Prince and put him back. Much talking, loving, nuzzling went on. We went and caught Bonnie, the yearling. More talking, nuzzling, a quick nip. Then we brought the two year old back. She got a swift nip and a nicker.
Then we returned Harold to the pen. That old broodmare went after him, beat him up, and then, believe it or not, spent the entire rest of the day refusing to let him near any of the young ones. He had clearly failed his babysitting duties as far as Joy was concerned. Mind you usually he was allowed to play with and groom even the young colt. Not that day. She was mad at him for hours. So tell me, for an animal that can’t reason, how did that mare figure out who had led the way, who was responsible, and who got the punishment? Realistically, if horses don’t reason or use cognitive thinking, then how did she even devise and carry out a suitable punishment?
I’ve seen horses plan out attacks on other horses. I’ve seen them play jokes on each other. I know of one horse who picks up sticks and chases the other horses with them, beating the other horses to make them run.
Horses may fail maze tests, but I think we do them and ourselves a disservice if we think they are just dumb animals.
I’m in the racing industry and I think they do. Champions are champions because they have heart and a will to win, they love nothing more than racing and winning. Also alot of horses actually don’t know how to win or want to win, thats why when two horses work together they always make sure the better one wins.
i think they may. When I was a young i worked in a small racing stable, there was a gelding who was quite successful and nearly always placed. The days that he came 2nd, 3rd or unplaced he walked into the barn with no fuss. But the days that he won he would stop at the entrance and scream and carry on then stop, prick his ears and listen as all the other horses answered him. It was as if they were praising him. When everyone settled down he would walk quietly into his box. I do believe all animals have feelings and personality and contact with a humans amplifies this. My opinion is only based from my own experience but i know that when a new horse came from large stable/town because he was unsuccessfull and came to our stable to have a go (we were sm town stable) it was amazing how their personality would come out (they were zombies who had been locked in stables 24/7 apart frm a workout and a brush). I beleive they changed because they were loved/close contact (however you see it). Honestly some animals are almost human (even the stupidity factor) i dont have a degree but i know that much and i’m sure you agree.
Would like to add also that there was a gelding who once he had hit the lead would think the race was all over and just wouldn’t try, hence it was always a close finish, but my point is he was ambitious enough to know that he had to overtake the horse in front and win he just didn’t understand about staying in front until the finish post. But i know he loved chasing that other horse down and the thrill of passing them. I believe that is ambition.
Ambition may not be the right word. I don’t think they plan on advancing their careers.
But wanting to work, perform…whatever you call it, they certainly do not just all live to eat.
I think your trainer’s horses might be ‘ beasts of burden ‘ because that is how they are treated and handled by her. (possibly she is a bit burned out?)
Ever notice how kids, pets, and yes horses sort of turn out to be what we EXPECT them to be? It is because we treat them with our own expectations therefore, they respond accordingly.
If we treat our horses as friends and loving companions, they will respond the same way. This is clearly seen with rescue horses who transform from frightened abused animals, to loving cooperative companions.
I agree that not all horses will want to jump or perform, because they have unique personalities. But I strongly disagree that horses are ‘just dumb animals’ !