Horses are creatures of beauty. They serve several purposes including equine athletes in competitive racing, search and rescue activities, work and pleasure purposes, loyal beach ride partners, and even being cuddling pets to people who care to own them.
They are intelligent, fascinating, and compassionate pet companions.
Despite these desirable traits, horses are the least adopted pets. Dogs and cats top the choice of commonly adopted pets; yet, horses are special. But, “why are horses good pets?” you might ask.
There are over a hundred reasons why horses make great pets as dogs and cats, if not better. They are fun to be with, great outdoor companions, good for adventures, and beautiful sights.
This article expounds on ten reasons horses make good pets.
Reasons Why Horses Make Great Pets
It is a great commitment to have a horse as a pet. However, it is not all responsibility and duty to own one.
Horses offer and share a sense of loyalty and bond with their owners. They are a reason for delight and joy.
Whether cruising through nature’s loneliness in the summer or hammering it out in a snowstorm in the winter, horses are there for their owners.
Below are 10 amazing reasons worth considering on why horses are the best pets.
1. Lifespan
Pets tend to become members of the family, and their owners are often emotionally invested in their bond with them.
Sadly, common household pets such as dogs and cats have a very short life span and may not be around their owners for years, leaving a vacuum of emotional space that can neither be filled nor replaced.
However, horses have a life span that is longer than most pets. Horses can live for about 25-30 years and beyond.
Their long lifespan gives the opportunity and ample time for owners and their horses to share a deep emotional connection as a result of several shared memories and experiences the owner and horse have had together over a prolonged period.
The bond between an owner and a horse is very rare to achieve with other pets.
Yet, for a horse to live long, the owner has to groom and care for it properly. The longevity of a horse will depend on the following:
- Quality of its feed and feeding pattern
- Hygiene and grooming
- Emotional bond with its owner
- Proper health care
- Overall lifestyle
In the end, a horse that is well cared for will be around its owners for decades.
2. Easily domesticated
Since the beginning of time, horses have co-existed with humans. Humans began domesticating horses approximately 6000 years ago.
A horse’s natural content attitude and incredible willingness to please make domesticating them easily the ideal pet choice.
No doubt, they are big and strong, but in the depth of that big size is a heart of gold ready to obey.
3. Offers comfort and reduces stress
Pets offer a sense of comfort and relief from stress simply by being in their presence alone.
However, with horses, it is a notch higher. When feeling tensed, emotionally or mentally stuck, a simple ride can prove to be relaxing and offer tranquility and calmness, and promote positive emotions.
Nothing is more soothing than feeling the rush of wind beat through you while enjoying a pleasant ride experience after a long day.
It gives a fulfilling sense of purpose. Also, this experience benefits horses as well, both emotionally and physically.
4. Intelligence
Horses are more intelligent than you may think. They are fast learners, highly sensitive, and can decipher human emotion.
They can recognize different facial expressions in humans and have incredible long-term memory. 1
They are capable of remembering activities taught to them even years after, which makes them ideal for sport-related equestrian activities.
They can communicate with humans and are capable of understanding the basics of human language. 2
A horse is perfectly smart enough to act in ignorance to your call or instruction with the knowledge that if it ignores you long enough, you’ll let it be.
5. Fitness
Riding on a horse is another way to stay fit, burn calories, and get a decent amount of sunshine if you despise the gym.
It could also be a way for horse owners to come together and allow their horses to socialize and exercise as they are herd animals and also require daily exercise.
Riding a horse offers many benefits to both the rider and the horse itself, and being fit is surely one such benefit.
6. Emotional support
As surprising as this may sound, it is a veritable fact that horses understand human emotions and can tell when their owners are sad or happy.
Being the loving and supportive creatures they are, they tend to become more playful when they notice gloominess in their owners in the hopes of raising their spirits.
Mental health experts sometimes go the distance to organize therapy sessions in the company of horses for patients with specific mental and emotional medical conditions.
Some nursing homes permit special horses to roam around, room to move at their discretion, and space to provide emotional support to patients that need them.3
Surprisingly the results have been outstandingly positive. Even spiritualists agree horses share a unique spiritual bond of energy with humans that allow for soulful communication.
7. Beauty
There is an infinite specimen of horses, all with their unique physical build. Still, notwithstanding the specimen, horses, in general, are magnificent.
They boast impeccable muscular structure, move elegantly, and are blessed with graceful stature poses.
It is no surprise they are a source of artistic inspiration and have wound up since humans learned drawing in several prehistoric paintings to modern-day canvas art.
8. Easy to care for
Although owning a horse is a big commitment, caring for them is quite straightforward.
All that is required is providing adequate shelter, food, regular exercise, and proper grooming. In grooming your horse, take note of the following:
- Bathe horse regularly
- Clean and brush the mane and tail
- Regularly check its hoofs for harmful or sharp objects that may be trapped within
- Regular veterinary check-ups
- A horse that is well cared for is healthy and happy.
9. Therapeutic needs
As mentioned earlier, having a horse as a pet has its emotional benefits. It goes beyond that. Horses can also benefit people struggling with certain mental illnesses.
For instance, people dealing with substance addiction and Alzheimer’s find comfort and relief in being around horses as individuals break free from negative behaviors and inspire uplifting moods.
In other words, horses are therapeutic help for mental health patients, and owning one can be an advantage in this regard.
10. Varying personalities
Every horse is unique and has its identifying personality and character traits that distinguish it from other horses.
Some are calm and more relaxed; others are playful and very energetic.
It is quite similar to different characters and behaviors in humans, but this difference makes them intriguing beings.
Owning a horse and exploring its character or personality is another fun side of having it as a pet.
Conclusion
Horses have coexisted with humans for a long time. They’ve witnessed and stuck with humans for most of our civilization, playing minor roles in the shaping of critical eras in our development as a race.
Dogs may be man’s best friend, but a horse is man’s true companion, and they make for a great pet.
References & Notes
- Christa L., Horses’ Long-Term Memory Put to the Test.[online] The Horse.
- Horse intelligence. [online] Equine World UK.
- Marty S., 2018. A horse is a horse (of course) at nursing home. [online] McKnight’s Long-Term Care News
