Talk:Horse behavior

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Nice job moving this article from the horse page and illustrating it! Montanabw 15:01, 19 June 2006 (UTC)

Contents 1 Obstacle avoidance in horses 2 In other languages 3 Discuss terminology here, not more edit warring, please 4 Sleep Patterns of "Prey" Animal

[edit] Obstacle avoidance in horses

here is a question to the experts among you: is it true that horses, even if running in a large group at high speeds, as a rule manage to avoid running into small obstacles, such as isolated trees or a standing human? I know that cows don't, because they seem to run over anytihng in their way. But, I have been brought up in the belief that one could in principle survive standing in the path of a herd of running horses, provided one is quite visible. Any truth to this? Dietwald 09:01, 20 June 2006 (UTC)

Some truth, yes. Horses like solid footing and hate stepping on squishy things--like humans! They also know it hurts to run into things like trees and fence posts. So, when possible, they prefer to avoid trampling things. Obviously, the ability isn't perfect or magical--they can slip in the mud, trip over unseen objects, fail to see wire fences or utility pole guy wires, etc., and by doing so might run into something they shouldn't.

So if you were to be caught in a herd of stampeding horses with nowhere to escape, standing still and upright--with your arms out to make yourself appear even bigger, might be your best option to not be trampled. Even with just one or two horses running at you, your best chance of not being run over by accident is to stand still but to raise or wave your hands to make yourself as visible as possible. They probably will stop when they get to you anyway, but some like to cut it a little close.

Cattle, being less agile, are more adapted to just plowing through whatever is in front of them. However, even cows tend to avoid large, solid objects, like trees...and if they have a choice, will also try not to step on squishy things, though it's harder for them to avoid doing so sometimes...and for smaller things, they have a thicker hide than a horse, so it's easier for them to ignore things like brambles, barbed wire, willow sticks, etc... Montanabw 18:36, 20 June 2006 (UTC)

Thank you. So next time I go to Wyoming, I'll feel much safer...;) (well, it'll be the first time I go if I went...) Dietwald 07:54, 8 July 2006 (UTC)

[edit] In other languages

The Russian Wikipedia has a partially overlapping article specifically about horse herds, over here. The first section deals with herds in the wild, while the second deals with herds in captivity. Just thought I'd mention it, since this article is strangely bereft of interwiki links currently... Esn 04:26, 12 May 2007 (UTC)

Hope you know how to add links to the other language wikis, I really haven't ever tried to do it. Feel free to add the language link if you feel it appropriate. Montanabw 00:12, 13 May 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Discuss terminology here, not more edit warring, please

Discussion of herd behavior should be carried out here instead of reverting and edit warring. Wild horses are subject to considerable anthromorphism and romanticism. I suggest that this sections begin to be sourced. To that end, I have started to add some material.

If there are differences of opinion, then the controversy should be worked out here and if consensus cannot be reached, the controversy itself can be described and discussed in a fair manner within the article, not by an edit war of reverting other people's hard work. Thanks Montanabw 19:08, 22 June 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Sleep Patterns of "Prey" Animal

Currently:

"This is to be expected of a prey animal, one that needs to be ready on a moment's notice to flee from predators."

(Etc., about "prey" status.)

Do mice sleep standing up? Can a cat, a "predator" be killed and eaten if caught asleep?

So it looks like the issue is not being "prey", but the specific nature of the horse and its environment -- being exposed on grassy plains, having a certain time delay to get standing and start running, having limited self-defense capabilities and limited group social defense behavior.

But being Wikipedia that thesis needs to be supported by references -- not my logic. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 75.36.148.235 (talk) 19:39, 6 May 2008 (UTC)

There are references, and if you feel more are needed, feel free to add the "fact" tag and we can dig up yet more. I can see if rephrasing the sentence clarifies matters. Montanabw^(talk) 05:30, 7 May 2008 (UTC)

I used to vollenter at a horse farm in high school. When i was feeding them, they would bite, kick, and head butt each other over who got to eat first. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 66.185.192.82 (talk) 03:42, 7 June 2008 (UTC)