Horse Slaughter: Social Deconstruction Part 3

Controversial Topic –Pro

Dear Yakima Nation,

As a Native American nation, you have raised many questions for the federal government in regards to the ban of horse slaughter, claiming it is “absurd”. The question of equine slaughter is in fact a hot-button issue in the West that concerns many people throughout the entire United States provided that horses are a loyal companion animal.

I understand that an estimated number of 12,000 feral horses roam across your reservation destroying your lands, food, medicinal plants, and customary way of life. These horses have become a problem for your nation, and it is difficult for you to understand the emotional attachment that other Americans place on these animals. It is apparent to me you deem Americans hypocritical in their slaughter and consumption of other domestic animals. Furthermore, you have argued that horse meat is popular in other parts of the world, and was even used in America before World War II. Your nation has also discussed other solid points in this controversial issue including: increased job/economic opportunity, humanely reducing overpopulated herds, and providing nourishment for starving people. I understand that your best interest is not only for your people and way of life, but you do care about the lives of these feral horses.

In a sense, Yakama Nation Chairman Harry Smiskin is correct in his way of thinking. It is an emotional concept for most Americans. Consequently, if most Americans had to go out and kill their own dinner—they would have a hard time doing that as well. We have become so accustomed to buying packaged meat in a store that we lose contact with the fact that some animal forfeited its life to become our food. Perhaps it is the loyalty of the horse to serve humans that makes it more emotional.

In order to solidify your stance and ease concerns of activists, I believe you must do more research on the slaughter process and USDA regulations. Many horse activists, as well as most Americans, are very emotional about this topic. This is because they believe that commercial horse slaughter is barbaric compared to other slaughter of animals. Specifically they believe that the "stunning" process by captive-bolt is ineffective on horses and that equine are a very different species of animal compared to bovines. They argue that horses react very differently to head trauma and the commercial slaughter environment. I think as a Nation, people will attack your logic and research. If you are able to fully understand the process, and not just see a big picture your justifications on horse slaughter could be logical, flawless, and not ignored.

Sincerely,

Kaleigh

Resources:

http://www.oregonlive.com/pacific-northwest-news/index.ssf/2013/04/yakama_nation_presses_federal.html

 http://vimeo.com/19176482 

http://mag.audubon.org/articles/conservation/saddle-sores

Controversial Topic - Con:

Dear Humane Society,

I understand that ending the slaughter of American horses for human consumption is one of your top priorities. You claim that each year, tens of thousands of American horses are inhumanely transported and slaughtered where there meat is then shipped to places like France, Italy, and Japan for human consumption. Furthermore you clarify that the types of horses being slaughtered are riding horses, carriage horses, race horses, wild horses, and children’s ponies.

I believe that you provide some excellent points in protecting our nation’s horses and food safety reputation. Furthermore, I believe that although there is practical reasons for horse slaughter most Americans would agree with your concerns—and for good reason too. Many slaughter houses have in fact poor protocol, and could be deemed inhumane in their euthanasia process. Furthermore, I agree that horses are not the type of animal Americans would willingly choose to consume.

Finally, I urge you to consider the opposition. Horse slaughter does not necessarily have to be a negative thing. It could be economically beneficial in America if done humanely and correctly. Horses may be deemed a companion animal, but they are also deemed as a domestic working species. I urge you to think outside of the box—the companion animal realm and concentrate on horses as a species. Feral horses are becoming quite the problem for Native American nations and they could use our help. Banning humane horse slaughter may only contribute to more inhumane illegal ways of horse euthanasia.

Sincerely,

Kaleigh

Resources:

 http://www.humanesociety.org/issues/horse_slaughter/

http://www.humanesociety.org/news/press_releases/2014/01/congress-blocks-horse-slaughter.html

https://secure.humanesociety.org/site/Advocacy;jsessionid=B25F4F3E23F11303E721C0FC24AACAB2.app304b?cmd=display&page=UserAction&id=6351

Compromise

Three obvious areas of concern of animal use concerning horse slaughter:

1.     Is the euthanasia humane?

2.     Is consumption safe?

3.     Is it really beneficial to terminate horses as a means to an end?

Humane Euthanasia

I believe that both parties could come together and outline a safe and humane protocol in horse slaughter. Ultimately, both parties care about the welfare of horses. Since the Humane Society deems horse slaughter as a painful inhumane experience they could work with Native American groups to legally change the experience. Together, horses’ safety through slaughter could be assured provided that the Humane Society heavily regulates these protocols. Furthermore, humane slaughter would safely eliminate horses that are destroying native grounds. Coming together to find the safest efficient way of euthanasia could potentially eliminate questions regarding horse safety.

Consumption

I believe that this concern is less practical. Historically, people have hunted and fed off the land without regards to the “satisfaction” of the meat. Native Americans are less concerned with taste, and the Humane Society is primarily concerned with meat safety for humans after years of giving our horses medicinal veterinary treatment. They state that horses were not raised to become meat, so the quality of meat is less than to be desired and could be tainted with antibiotics and etc. Ultimately, the Yakima Nation would benefit from the slaughter and consumption of feral horses that destroy their lands as opposed to abandoned companion horses. These animals would not be “tainted” with medicinal treatment and their taste is not of concern as long as it feeds their starving nations. The Humane Society seems more concerned with the slaughter of companion, race, and play horses than that of their wild counterparts. If together they could arrange a way where slaughter specific legislation for consumption could be enforced—it could benefit both parties. Primarily specific legislation for types of horses killed for consumption.

Logistical

I believe there is honestly no compromise about this subject area of horse slaughter that can be made. Both parties will truly never understand each other’s opposing sides. The Humane Society will never see the “point” in killing any horse when someone could adopt it or it could be safely rescued. On the other hand, Native nations will never understand our hypocorism in consuming other domestic farm animals, but treating the horse as sacred. Understanding the realism of the situation and practicalities of horse slaughter will forever be a never resting issue. You cannot change people’s opinions; you can only educate and enforce safety protocol to ensure humane treatment of horses. 

Moral Vision Statement

I envision a future where all human and nonhuman animals interact humanely. Nonhuman animals, primarily domestic farm animals are of a real importance as they provide food to our health. Humans as natural omnivores eat both plants and animals and this has been the case for thousands of years. It is no more wrong for a human to eat meat or fish than for lions or sharks to do so. However, the way that farm animals are treated matters. I would not go as far to say that I believe all industry practices are cruel and ran poorly. For instance people preach the importance of free-range eggs and free range or organic meats. They believe that farm animals are meant to roam around and not be kept in small enclosures. Furthermore, they claim that meat should be hormone and antibiotic free. I believe it is better for humans to eat meat from animals that are not stressed as stress tenses the muscles (meat). In order for nonhuman animals to be stress free they must be treated humanely. Humane treatment is a classic win – win. I would like to see a better regulated production environment. Often times, the worst environments are the only environments that people know about. This leads to my final point—education. A future were consumers are properly educated on animal agriculture is important. Understanding concepts and not just feelings is one of the biggest factors affecting public opinion on animal agriculture.

Self Reflection

This course has taught me a lot about nonhuman animals and our relationship with them. This course has been extremely beneficial to me because it has opened my eyes to concepts and opportunities that I was unaware of. For instance, in lecture we discussed on different occasions my species of choice for the final project—horses. I learned about horse reservations for injured or retired race horses, their history, and the various roles they play within society. Furthermore, I learned that volunteers who were interested could get involved with this program. Likewise, there are other opportunities out there that volunteers could get involved with like service animals and working animals. One of my favorite sections of class involved animals’ roles through film, literature, history, and art. It is really astonishing to look back at the way animals have changed throughout time not only in function but morphologically. This project also allowed me to take time to appreciate a species that I have always been interested in—horses. Researching its history, use, and adaptations was very interesting. Concepts such as anthropomorphism, animal welfare, and animal rights were all discussed thoroughly through my research. Finally, I have a new appreciation not only for the species of my choice but the human and nonhuman animal bond. Oftentimes people don’t really consider the effort and sacrifices of animals especially when it comes to their food and clothes. Even if you live in the city and have never seen domestic farm animals, your life is heavily influenced and affected by them. It is nice to be able to learn and reflect on their roles so I can refine my appreciation for animal agriculture. 

The Horse: Equus ferus caballus: Social Deconstruction Part 2

Art 

During medieval times, horses played an essential role in the daily life of both the rich and the poor. Their function is clearly illustrated through the art of this period of time. In comparison to modern horses, horses during this time differed in size, build, and breed. Additionally, medieval horses were more central to society—essential for war, agriculture, and transport.  The triumph of Christianity after the fall of Rome, gave rise to a new ideal. Horsemen were faithful soldiers that followed a code of chivalry. In order to depict this demeanor, horses were often portrayed in ornate coverings along with their riders. These artworks showed horses together with knights in armour or lords and ladies with decorate mantles and other clothing. An example is shown above. Christendom during this time presented a period of stability which permitted the growth of learning, art, and sculpture. During the Reformation of the 15^th century, engravings and woodcuts became a popular form of art. Horses were often included in scenes of fantasy or contemporary life. Many woodcuts and engraved prints commemorated equestrians among the ruling classes, with both horses and riders well decked out in finery. Jousting was an aristocratic pastime, and many forms of artwork illustrated these games. Finally, another theme often represented in the history of horse art of medieval times was that of death, time, and the Devil. In these artworks, the horse was portrayed as scrawny or gaunt. Other art works showed horses and farmers working together in the fields.

The horse appears less frequently in modern art partly because the horse is no longer significant either as a mode of transportation or as an implement of war. Most modern representations are of famous contemporary horses, artwork associated with horse racing, or artwork associated with the historic cowboy or Native American tradition of the American west. Above is an example of a piece of artwork emphasizing horses within the racing industry. Horses today are much less appreciated for their function, as compared to their historic counterparts. Today’s artists try to create works of art depicting horses’ personalities, talents, and entertainment values. These themes align with the mainstream use of horses. Today’s horses are less practical, but are appreciated as a family member, entertainment, and sport. Horses are more likely to be the central theme of decorative paintings where one can just admire their beauty. One can see pictures of horses in magazines, on the internet, or as decorative wall art.

Literature/Folklore

Horses have frequently appeared in literature. They appear as main characters, sidekicks and symbols of overarching themes. Horses are commonly used in children's literature as children usually relate well to animals, but authors of adult books write about horses as well. The Pippi Longstocking series by Astrid Lindgren uses Pippi's horse as a companion as well as a means of demonstrating Pippi's unusual qualities such as strength. She regularly lifts the horse onto her porch and is unfazed by the horse's presence in her kitchen. The horse grants her freedom; she can ride the horse to any destination she pleases. In the original book series, the horse has no name, but is one of her prized possessions which she purchased with a suitcase full of gold coins. The setting takes place in a small Swedish village where nine-year-old unconventional and assertive Pippi shares a home with her monkey and her horse. She has super strength, which is illustrated by her ability to lift her horse one-handed without difficulty. She is a rambunctious wild card which is attractive to young readers. I believe that Astrid Lindgren chose to use a horse as Pippi’s best friend because during the publication period of the series horses’ roles were significantly transitioning. Furthermore, horses became less important as modes of transportation or as useful agricultural animals, and instead they became a new status symbol. Following this period, led to the breeding and development of sport horses whose characteristics contrasted quite differently than their agricultural counterparts. By using these new breeds of race horses which were gaining rising popularity, Astrid Lindgren would be able to clearly illustrate Pippi’s superhuman strength. Finally, society started seeing horses as less practical and important due to their function, and instead viewed them as something they could relate to. By the end of the 1960s, the number of horses had risen to 7 million showing a demand for an animal that has always been there. The resurfacing of the horse correlates to the newly perceived idea of the horse at that period of time. 

Another piece of literature that illustrates this movement is Seabiscuit by Laura Hillenbrand.  In 1938, Seabiscuit received more coverage than FDR, Hitler, or Mussolini. His success was a surprise to the racing establishment. They deemed him as a crooked-legged racehorse with the sad tail. Three men changed Seabiscuit’s fortunes: Charles Howard, Tom Smith, and Red Pollard. A bicycle repairman named Charles Howard became an overnight millionaire by introducing the automobile to the western United. He hired Tom Smith, a mysterious mustang breaker from the Colorado plains to train his racehorse. Smith urged Howard to buy Seabiscuit for a bargain-basement price. Following this Red Pollard, a failed boxer who was blind in one eye, half-crippled, was hired as his jockey. Over four years, these unlikely partners survived bad fortune, conspiracy, and severe injury to transform Seabiscuit into an American sports icon. As horses became more popular at this time, writers used them as an attempt to attract audiences to read their books.

Resources:

http://www.nal.usda.gov/awic/pubs/HorseHistory/intro.shtml

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pippi_Longstocking

Film

Two films in which the horse is casted as a starring role are “Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron” and “Black Beauty”. 

“Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron” is a 2002 American animated western film released by DreamWorks Pictures. The film follows a young Kiger mustang stallion and his adventures during the 19^th century Wild West. The film begins with Spirit’s birth, and transitions into his role as a leader. He protects the herd which is demonstrated by his actions in saving two foals from a mountain lion. Spirit is portrayed as curious and adventurous where he follows a strange light and eventually is captured by wranglers. Spirit see’s branded docile horses that he deems as slaves. A Colonel at the US Calvary post tries to tame Spirit with little success. Spirit’s resistance ignites a force within the other horses rekindling their personal spirit. At this point in the movie, a new character is introduced: Little Creek. He is also held capture at the post until he shares the answers to questions about the land. Together, Little Creek, Spirit, and an army of horses escape the site. Little Creek tries to tame Spirit with kindness, while Spirit becomes infatuated with Little Creek’s mare—Rain. After showing no signs of domestication, Little Creek decides to release spirit back into the wild. As spirit was one step away from being free, the Colonel from the post finds the Lakota village. A battle arises and Rain is shot and seriously injured by Colonel. The Colonel captures Spirit and sells him to be used for the constructing railroad. Watching Spirit pulled away, Little Creek arrives, vows to free the mustang once and for all. Eventually, Little Creek locates Spirit and saves him from a wildfire. The end of the film shows Spirit and Little Creek trapped by a gorge and forced by the army to summit onto a cliff. Beyond the cliff is open space and Spirit manages to gain the courage and strength to leap off the cliff and onto the open land. Spirit's move for victory amazes the Colonel so much that he stops his men from shooting the two while exchanging nods of respect and farewell to them both. Spirit returns to the rebuilt Lakota village with Little Creek and finds Rain still alive, nursed back to health by the Lakota people. Little Creek decides to name the Kiger mustang "Spirit-Who-Could-Not-Be-Broken" and sets Spirit and Rain free. Spirit and Rain travel day and night to his homeland. Eventually, the two horses joyfully meet up with Spirit's own herd.  In contrast to the way animals are portrayed in an anthropomorphic style in other animated features, Spirit and his fellow horses communicate with each other through sounds and body language. Spirit's thoughts are narrated by his voice actor Matt Damon, but otherwise he has no dialogue.

 “Black Beauty” stars a horse born on a farm in the English who is sent to Birtwick Park to serve Squire Gordon and his family. The horse receives his trademark name (Black Beauty) from Lady Gordon, the squire's ill wife. Beauty becomes infatuated with the squire's bitter chestnut mare, Ginger, who rejects his attempts in reaching out to her. However, Beauty does befriend Merrylegs, a pony who gives rides to the squire's daughters, Jessica and Molly. On a stormy night, Beauty is pulling a carriage holding the squire and his caretaker, John Manly, home from town, but after coming across a potentially dangerous puddle refuses to move.. John slips and falls into the river, but hangs on to Beauty's bridle. Beauty and the squire save John, and they head home. Young Joe Green, who works in the stable accidently, gives Beauty cold water instead of covering him in blankets, which makes Beauty ill. John, Joe, and the squire treat Beauty, and he recovers Further in the film, Joe rescues Ginger and Beauty from a fire and the squire and his family are forced to move due to Lady Gordon’s poor health, and bid goodbye to John, Joe, and the horses. Joe takes Beauty and Ginger taken to Earlshall Park, home of the Lord and Lady of Wexmire where their job is to pull Lady Wexmire's carriage. After some controversy Beauty is later sold, and eventually taken to a fair, where he spots Joe, now a grown-up, but Joe doesn't notice him.  Jerry Barker, a taxi carriage driver from London, buys Beauty and introduces him to his family, who name him Black. Beauty likes his job as a taxi cab horse, and Jerry treats him better than his last owner did. One day, Beauty spots Ginger, now a cab horse, but she is very weak from being abused by her owner. Beauty begs for her not to give up, but her owner leads her away. Sometime later, Beauty sees her dead body on a wagon. Jerry becomes ill and sells Beauty to a grain dealer and pulls heavy loads of flour for two years until he collapses from exhaustion. He is taken to a fair to be sold, but he is so weak that no one wants to buy him. Finally, Joe and Beauty are reunited and Joe promises he will never sell Beauty again.

Both films show the importance of the human-animal bond. Between hardships, separations, and near death situations both horses are able to attain true peace, love, and happiness. Although Spirit is animated it depicts horses in their natural state—with the exception of narrated thoughts. Likewise, Black Beauty’s thoughts are narrated and he is depicted as a normal. I believe that this provided viewers with a sense of deep connection and ultimate reality with the horses. In both films, the horses fall in love with a mare. This could also be relatable to viewers, as we seek out connections in everyday life. In conclusion, both films show that no matter the circumstances one must not give up because there is a light at the end of the tunnel.

Resources:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Beauty_(1994_film)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spirit:_Stallion_of_the_Cimarron

Religion/Mythology

Horses are significant to different mythologies across cultures. They represent travel, flight, soul journeying and transcendence, protection, communication, stamina, power, wisdom and faithfulness. In Shamanism, the Asiatic people found the white horse to be sacred. The horse was mediator between souls of the living and dead. The shaman’s drum used in ritual practice in assisting in an altered state of consciousness was oftentimes referred to as “the horse”. Along with this idea, the peoples also used props in their rituals that symbolized the white horse, and in some cases horses were used as a sacrifice. Bronze Age Greek culture attributed the horse with drawing the sun chariot across the sky.  White horses were sacred to Neptune, and were sacrificed into the sea at Rhodes as an offering to the sun god. The winged horse, is taken to be the source of poetic inspiration – the Hippocrene (horse spring) created where he struck the ground with a forefoot gave the gift of verse to those who partook of its waters.  Pegasus also provided the gods with rapid transport between worlds.  Centaurs from the east may have developed from early contact with the nomadic horsemen of the Asian steppes. Centaurs were endowed with great wisdom and learning, but also showed a warlike nature.  Celtic peoples developed a horse-based society, and as such were dependent upon the horse for their success through Europe.  Epona, a triple aspect goddess, was the protectress of the horse and horse keepers; she was paralleled by the Irish Macha and Welsh Rhiannon . Epona’s aspects included warfare, fertility, life cycle and protection and she is also attributed with concern for guidance of the soul to the afterlife.  The “legendary horse” was available for travel to other realms.  The Celtic horse was associated with fertility and vitality; white, black and red horses were especially sacred to the Celts and deemed to have supernatural abilities.  Under Roman influence, the Celtic horse became associated with the sun, war, and healing. The gods of the Gauls are depicted and mounted on horseback.  Although little is known of these deities, their association with the horse has been hypothesized to be a reflection of the importance of the horse in war, religion and the economy.  The horse was crucial to the Celts for military power, as well as for prestige, civilian economy and ritual. It is obvious that horses are shown throughout time in various mythological ideals. Today, people are less likely to think of horses in the mythological way. I believe that in today’s society the horse is used less as a form of thinking and ideals, but pictured realistically through science, and their ordinary lifestyles. We use horses as model’s to help understand physiological functions. Horses are also used as a source of sport and entertainment. The roles that horses fulfill today are much less philosophical and much more ordinary.

Resources:

 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_horse_(mythology)

Controversial Topic

A very controversial issue dealing with horses is whether or not slaughter houses should be legal in the U.S. A lot of people believe slaughter houses would reduce abuse and neglect against horses, and reduce the numbers in the shelters, while others believe that isn't a proper way to solve these problems. The process of slaughtering horses to produce meat for consumption is called horse slaughter. Throughout history horses have been consumed by humans for nutritional value along with other wild species. Cave arts, paintings, and other historic markers show horses being hunted for the use of consumption. The initiation of domestication of the horse probably had human consumption in mind. However, today this is not the case and horse slaughter has become highly controversial. Society contemplates the humane management of horses in industrial-scale slaughter. Questions regarding the meat’s safety and production value are on the rise. Finally, most people are concerned with whether it is appropriate to consume a creature that has become a companion animal like cats and dogs. Horses deserve humane consideration because of the many roles they fulfill in our society as working animals or for sport. Most importantly, horses are not bred or raised for food in the U.S. which results in a confused and angry population. I believe this is a very skeptical topic. The idea of receiving funding from the federal government so society can produce and consume horsemeat seems pretty far fetch. Like most people, I consider the horse as a companion animal—and although I would be able to put that idea aside, I do not believe that I would branch out my diet and begin consuming horse meat. Most Americans’ diets are stable and it is often times hard to initiate a change especially when people know what they like and do not like.

The Horse: Equus ferus caballus Social Deconstruction Part 1

Species Identification

The species I chose for the Social Deconstruction of Animals Project is the horse. It is a domesticated odd-toed ungulate mammal belonging to one of two existing subspecies of Equus ferus.

Social History/Domestication

Our relationship with horses dates back to 30,000 BCE. Proof of the foundation for this relationship was primarily based on cave art of the wild ancestors of today’s domesticated horses. The Paleolithic cave drawings illustrated the use of wild horse meat for human survival and nourishment. The origin of horse domestication is highly controversial. Although it is difficult for researchers to put an exact location and date on the domestication process, most can agree on a few positions. The horse was necessary for meat and transportation. The clearest evidence of means of transportation is from chariot burials dated c. 2000 BCE.  Researchers also narrowed down domestication to the Neolithic, Eneolithic, or Early Bronze Age in the Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Eastern Europe, and Western Europe.

What exactly is domestication? The definition of domestication has proven to be a critical concept in deciphering horse domestication. Whether it is human control over breeding, morphology, skeletal and dental activity, weapons, art, and spiritual artifacts, or lifestyle patterns of humans—domestication evidence used as proof of horse domestication can be highly variable and subjective. Furthermore, one can classify evidence of early horse husbandry as either direct or indirect. The direct category refers to artistic, textual, and funerary evidence.  On the other hand, the indirect category infers information based on characteristics of bone and artifacts.  Although there is no direct evidence for the origins of horse domestication, and no one type of indirect data can lead us to pin point domestication, these indicators allow us to put together a vague timeline.

One problem with dating domestication on analysis of physical remains or through genetic studies is the assumption that there is a separation of the wild and domestic populations’ genotype. Although this separation has occurred, results can only estimate the latest possible date of domestication. Further controversy rests within the idea of feral horses. Today’s horse populations can revert back to a feral state and all feral horses descend from ancestors who are of domestic types.

Although the origins of horse domestication are a complex process to describe, one main theory has derived: domestication followed the taming of horses for human use. It is important to note that all domesticated animals are tamed animals, but not all tamed animals are domesticated. The distinct difference between a tame horse and a domesticated horse lies within generations. Wild horses were most likely captured, tamed, ridden, slaughtered, and eaten. Following this, orphaned foals were most likely taken in by families who adopted them as pets. This eventually led to the realization that these pets could be put to work. This process would have taken a long time to develop and would have depended on genetic changes that allowed the horse to breed in captivity. Considering this idea, horse domestication could have been initiated by the horse itself to an extent. Other scenarios include, but are not limited to: human and horses ended up evolving together, and highly developed human understanding of horse behavior enabled horses to reproduce in captivity.

In conclusion, the process of horse domestication is a complicated one. Historically, horses were an important use for warfare, transportation, and food. Today, they provide humans with comfort as companion animals, and entertainment as a major leader in sports and leisure industries. We may not be able to prove distinct causes and effects of domestication, but one thing remains certain: the human-horse relationship has developed, changed, and positively affected our society.

Resources: http://www.princeton.edu/~achaney/tmve/wiki100k/docs/Domestication_of_the_horse.html

http://research.vet.upenn.edu/HavemeyerEquineBehaviorLabHomePage/ReferenceLibraryHavemeyerEquineBehaviorLab/HavemeyerWorkshops/HorseBehaviorandWelfare1316June2002/HorseBehaviorandWelfare2/DomesticationBreedDiversificationandEarlyHis/tabid/3127/Default.aspx

Current Social Perceptions

The domestication of horses and their progressive adaptation to changing human life styles has influenced the many roles horses have played throughout history. At first the horse was used as a source of food for peoples. As time passed, horses were kept and improved by selective breeding to maximize their usefulness for transportation of people and goods. Eventually, technical innovations replaced work horses, and agricultural land became more profitable by producing more food. In today’s society, the horse’s role has dramatically changed. It is no longer crucial for survival by providing us with food and transportation. Today, our relationships with horses are less necessity based, and now influenced by our emotions and even through economic profit. Some roles that horses fulfill in today’s society include recreation, show, racing, traditional work, breeding, and pets.

Society uses horses recreationally through pleasure riding. Recreational riding is used predominantly for personal enjoyment. Specifically, the American West uses the term trail riding to describe pleasure riding on public lands. The recreational use of horses has evolved a leading misconception that horse ownership is only for the wealthy. This misunderstanding shows how high society places horses within our culture.

Horses are often seen as companion animals. A companion animal is simply defined as a pet or other domestic animal. As a companion animal, the presence of a horse can provide humans with health benefits such as improvements in mental, social, and physiologic health status. The human-companion animal bond is not only beneficial to the human, but provides benefits for the horse too.

Show horse is another role that horses have fulfilled in today’s society. Showing includes any of the non-racing riding disciplines. Specific examples include Western riding, English riding, endurance riding, and polo. Western riding includes: barrel racing, reining, roping, cutting, and pleasure. English riding is done in dressage, hunters and jumpers, fox hunting, saddle seat, and combined training.    

Although horse racing is an equestrian sport with a long history, race horses are a source of economic profit in today’s society. They make money in the form of gambling proceeds, increase in their prices when sold, and enhanced value for breeding fees. The style of racing, the distances and the type of events vary significantly by the country in which the race is occurring, and many countries offer different types of horse races. Various types of racing have given rise to horse breeds that excel in the specific disciplines of each sport.

 

Finally, today’s horses provide humans assistance with traditional work on farms, ranches, forests, and cities.Farm and ranch work includes working cattle, ploughing, hauling, pulling equipment, carrying packs, and rodeo. City work includes pulling carts and carriages, and police work. They provide income to their owners by carrying out the work of the jobs that need to be done. Growing up, I lived in a small rural farming town of 1,700 people. It may be no surprise that my views on horses are predominantly influenced by their usage in traditional work. My only contact with horses prior to college was on my friends’ farms where they were described as practical. 

Ethology

The horse is a social species that we don’t fully understand. If we disregard our horse's emotional well-being, it leads to a host of problems that can be avoided simply by just giving credit where it's due. These problems most likely result because science has not caught up to find a way to measure the emotional aspect of the horse’s behavior.  Behavior science is no longer subjective, and when studying animals, scientists have to observe, quantify and explain specific aspects of their behavior without adding personal interpretation. Furthermore, two different people can look at the same equine behavior, but come up with two entirely different interpretations.. Only motivations that can be proved are legitimate explanations for behavior within the scientific method. Placing emotional responses on animals may not be wrong, but it cannot be proved to be right, either. For this reason, ascribing human emotion to animal behavior is considered to be unscientific and is generally not done. Most of what animals do gets explained by two basic and proven animal drives: survival, and to breed and nurture offspring. Seeking food, water, shelter and mates can all be accounted for by the drives to survive and reproduce. On the other hand, if a horse does something that seems like an emotional behavior, it's still pretty difficult to prove his motives.

           
 There are advantages to understanding the horse’s emotional and intellectual capacity. One important advantage is that it helps in horse training by giving humans a familiar framework for relating to horses. It is easier to understand their behavior if it can be related to our own. If the horse acts in a way that seems frightened, we can assume he is afraid of whatever is happening around him and can handle the situation accordingly. Another advantage of assuming horses have the capacity to feel is that we must then accord appropriate respect to them. We must keep in mind their emotional well-being, which is not necessary if we think of them as lacking feelings. Thinking of horses as having emotions requires us to have a certain amount of consideration which we might not otherwise feel like we need to provide. The end result is a higher and more humane standard of care for horses, benefiting horses and society in general. On the minus side, where do we draw the line? If our horse kicks for no apparent reason, do we assume that horses know the difference between "right" and "wrong," and hold him accountable for behaving without conscience? Because he has emotional capacity, does he also have a code of morality?  These questions occur and limit us in furthering our research towards the intellect of nonhuman animals.

Through my research, I found few legitimate scientific articles in regards to the horse’s emotional and intellectual capacity. Many summarized that horses are in fact highly reactive emotional animals due to human breeding, management and activities. Furthermore, horses are capable of belonging to something bigger as a herd. Examples of data illustrating the horse’s ability to cognitively respond includes: semi-feral horse observations, and observations emphasizing how human cues affect horses’ state of attention. Other articles emphasized the importance of understanding the horse’s cognitive way of learning so we can than improve its welfare. The most consistent information I found in regards to applied equine cognitive ethology dealt with long term memory. Many stories and experiences seem to confirm that horses can recover stored information over a long-term period of latency. As long as a horse has not become indifferent towards its surroundings, it will remember our interactions with it. This primary emotion is extremely important for survival. One thing is certain: we must give the horse the opportunity to explore for itself.

Resources:

http://thecognitivehorse.com/tag/horse-ethology/

http://thecognitivehorse.com/2012/07/24/if-a-horse-could-open-up-the-black-box-of-skinner/

http://thecognitivehorse.com/2012/10/05/the-horse-as-it-is/

Specieism

Today, the majority of interactions we have with nonhuman animals come from two places: pets and animal product. It is extremely interesting that the horse fits within both of these categories in today’s society. As a pet, the horse fulfills our instinctual need to connect with nature. They provide us with companionship. We show our affection towards horses by getting to know them as individuals with personalities. We want to attribute them with human characteristics. In fact, most people consider horses as members of their family. They may not sit at the dinner table, have conversations, or be able to sleep in the house, but horses can provide humans with companionship and structure which we than relate to our own species. As a working animal, we use horses to help us complete tasks and daily chores. On the other hand in some parts of the world, horses are still utilized as a source of meat. The idea of using horses as a source of meat is highly controversial. The 2013 meat adulteration scandal in Europe caused for a lot of concern; foods advertised as containing beef actually contained horse meat. This news upset many Americans. I think this example illustrates that we see the horse as more than just a way to survive, and we have deep emotional attachment to the species. In conclusion, the horse is an animal we can relate to, but by doing so we also understand that it has a practical role in today’s society.