Are we our own worst enemy?

[heavyhorse]

6 hours ago, caikgoch said:




With that in mind, he and most horses I have known enjoy being ridden properly.      I'm his portable gate opener.      With me he gets to go places and see new things.      And there is a connection that comes from two bodies moving together and communicating directly, without words or symbols.

This.  My late, great friend (stallion) never had a saddle, bridle, bit in his whole life.  I rode him without tack of any kind, possible only because he looked out for me, I'm not that great a rider.  Clearly he could have withheld his consent at any time.  He became very spirited when doing so, (carefully) showing off to the other horses that he was getting to do something special that they were not.  




(Different times, BTW, before we knew we had to wear helmets, knee guards, kidney protectors, more crap than NFL players wear.  Luck and stupidity.......)