Our horses don’t need careers…

they need to get their needs met, and perhaps so do we?

Capitalism is a human construct, and horses have become collateral in our pursuit of personal and collective ventures - plowing our fields, fighting our wars, and carrying us on their backs so we can experience fame or fun.

If we think about horses as they exist in the wild, outside of our domestication and capitalistic exploitation, what needs might they have, and what might they enjoy doing with their time?

What if we believed that in domesticating horses, we are also taking on the responsibility of providing a species appropriate life for them - one that meets all of these needs, and allows them to thrive?

While I believe most of us can agree about the importance of friends and forage, I want to focus on the third F - freedom, and the time we spend engaging in activities with our horses: are those enjoyable for them, meeting their needs, and keeping them free from harm?

Within the conventional horse-world, I have witnessed countless horses needing to "retire" from their "career" in the sport-horse industry due to injury, disease, or behavioral issues, and this often at an early age where these horses should be in the prime of their lives.

The truth is, their bodies and psyches are breaking under the pressure and demands placed upon them, and evidently the careers we force them into do not meet their needs, or keep them free from harm.

But, life under capitalism doesn't look much different for us. Most of us don't know what we actually need in order to thrive, and those of us who do often lack the resources, i.e. money, time, or energy to actually get those needs met. Many of us struggle with chronic physical and mental health conditions, due to the unsustainable pressures and demands that are placed on within this system. Our bodies, our psyches, our horses, and the earth are all telling the same story - that we have lost our way, and are on an unsustainable and harmful trajectory fueled by greed and exploitation.

Photo: Ghetty Images 

We too are social animals, sharing ancient brain structures and nervous systems with our horses that were designed to help us survive and thrive in a world much slower than the one we currently live in. Not only that, but we too have welfare needs, such as access to shelter, food, safety, and community, as well as free time for meaningful connection, play, rest, movement, and self-actualization, all of which we need to get met in order to not only survive, but thrive.

Our current reality is that very few humans and horses are getting their essential needs meet within this system, and that the stress and deprivation is hurting us all.

I wonder what could change if we started to listen to our bodies, to our psyches, and to our horses?

Carla & Frankie, 2016 | Photo: Beth Behrs

Imagine a world in which we got to spend time with our horses in ways that can meet our mutual needs for play, movement, connection, and rest...

Imagine time spent wandering and foraging in nature, and building strength and capacity through natural, unrestricted movement and play.

Carla & Frankie, 2016 | Photo: Beth Behrs

Imagine only grooming our horses if they want it, and in ways that feel good for them, not because we want them to look a certain way.

Carla & Frankie in Topanga, 2016

Photo: Beth Behrs

Imagine resting together, simply sharing space, breath, and presence.

Emily & Soldier, 2023 | Photo: Ellie Smith

Our horses never asked to work for us, or to have a career in sports.

They don't need us to be their boss, they need us to be their friend and advocate.

I believe a shift from exploitation to empathy with our horses can teach us about what might be causing our own collective suffering, and in offering our horses a species appropriate life, perhaps we will get the chance to reconnect with our own animal body, and the wisdom that it holds about what we need to survive AND thrive - together.

Emily & Soldier, 2019-2022 | Video: Carla Preiss

This video shows Emily’s journey with her horse Soldier. Soldier was 9 years old when he came to live with Emily, and before that he had been trained for a career as a performance horse. Soldier was afraid of everything - people, gates, whips, anything on his face or near his back, and for a long time Emily struggled to catch him in the field. But over time, and with lots of care and patience, Soldier has started to trust again, showing us not only the scars his previous life has left him with, but also who he truly is underneath it all - so noble, so sweet, and so proud.

Emily & Soldier, 2023 | Photo: Carla Preiss