Weird Question??????????????

[TLC97]

How do you communicate with your horse? I talk to mine all the time, more than just regular commands. Reason I ask is with my situation with Cane right now. I begged him to be good Monday and he was a trooper. I need him to understand that he needs to behave for the surgery to work and not thrash when he comes out of sedation.....

I know I am whacked........................;)

[WashingtonBay]

Well, I talk to mine all the time.

I hope Cane got your message. :)

[vicklynn]

I talk to mine all the time.

Your not wacked.

[lovesfortune]

I talk to mine all the time.. either they think I'm crazy, or they understand. SOunds like Cane understands. :)

[Lakota's Pet]

I talk to mine all the time. We haven't completely connected yet, as I only got him the beginning of August, but we're getting there. My dad's QH that I have ridden a lot since we got him 5 years ago seems to understand every word I say. And I get the you're crazy look from him all the time.

[starkitten]

I talk to all my animals (they are afterall my best friends and family). I am fairly certain even if they can't understand my words they can understand my emotion and get it :)

[Toodlestoo]

Not weird at all. I talk to my guys constantly especially when I'm riding. I think it's one reason they're so calm around me. http://bestsmileys.com/horses1/5.gif

[cloedoll]

Awe, I'm sending good thoughts and vibes your and Cane's way. I really hope all goes well. (((hugs)))

I talk to them, pet them, give them massages - all while talking. :D

[alittleoffkey]

I talk to mine constantly - last weekend I needed to go out and talk with Leggy. He knows absolutely everything about everything going on in my life. And we have long discussions before the vet gets there (about how she's not actually going to kill him). I also read to Legacy a lot.

Take a deep breath, for him to be calm, you need to be calm. Show him how relaxed and confident you are about the entire situation so he can follow your lead. To quote vicklynn "You're not wacked." ;)

[All4Grace]

Ok, don't laugh, but my old Horse and I had such a connection I literally felt his emotions sometimes.
Story time: :D
The day before he went to his new home I was cleaning stalls and listening to my MP3 player, the song, "Please remember" by Leann Rimes came on and I was suddenly drawn to his stall. He was munching on his hay and I just stood in the doorway singing to him. I was crying and singing and when the song was over I played it again, this time while half way through, Java picked up his head, walked over and placed his forehead on my chest. I kept singing and crying then I felt warm all over and Java made a big sigh, lifted his head and nuzzled my face, then he went back to eating. Right there I knew, he was going to be ok and he understood I wasn't deserting him. A huge lump was instantly removed from my throat and I went back to finishing chores.
Java wasn't an overly effectionate horse. He would nuzzle ONLY when you'd tap you chin for a kiss. He HATED baby talk (would pin his ears) He perfered you talk to him like the intelligent animal he was!!

I talk to the horses all the time. I like to watch them and study their behaviors and their moods. I do sing ot them alot too... their are my only captive audience these days lol

[FoxFireEMT]

I talk to all my animals all the time!! Your not wacked! I think a true "animal" lover "talks" to their animals. I also "will" my horses too, mentally, that is! LOL. In times when talking is nec. an option like in shows! LOL.

Tanya I wish you the best of luck with Cane!! Sending prayers & good vibes your way!

[TLC97]

Ok I am feeling better. A dear friend had suggested that I just sit in his stall and explain everything to him, but leave out the "putting him down part" and change that to feel better.

Monday I told him he needed to be good, load up nice because Jonathan (my 7 yr old son) was coming. I told him if he got nervous it was ok to fidget a little, look at me in his way (yes he has a special way) and I would have him mildly sedated. Well when they started to find the bad stuff (tendon wise) guess who go REALLY fidgety and kept looking at me.................. I know it is weird, but I know he heard and understood what I said.

Jake too HATES baby talk, he will turn his butt to me when I do it or lip me as his way to make me stop.

[PatriotsDreamer]

Tanya, if you can teach him this before monday, teach him a command to lower his head. when they lower their heads it releases natural calming endorphins.

[WP~Paint]

I talk to my horse more than just commands too. I think sometimes they do understand what you say!

[ownedby7horses]

I talk to my horses! You're not "whacked" lol
I talk to my dogs too. They might not understand actual words, but they pick up on my emotions & energy and they feed off of that. If Im sad, Rodeo will come and just stand with me. He'll nuzzle up and just stay there. He wont be his usual mischevious (sp?) bad little self, but just a calm relaxed guy.
The dogs, same thing. If Im happy...they're happy. If Im sad, they'll be sad with me. If Im nervous, they'll be on guard. Im sure that they do understand what Im saying to a point.

Im passing great thoughts to you & Cane for the upcoming surgery. Good luck & I hope he heals up fast & all goes well.

[oursarge]

I talk to mine all the time. I have one that might go blind eventually so I think it's important for him to know words. I talk to all of my animals. My African Grey has a big vocabulary because I talk to her constantly.

[JackieB]

Thoughts and prayers for Cane. He might be able to understand what you are telling him. I'd sure try.

[Ariesgrl131]

I talk to mine like their human :p

[Chavhorse]

I talk to mine all the time and I also sing to him when something scary is going on I figure if I am calmly singing then he thinks there is nothing to worry about.....and he knows all my secrets

[sugarsgirl]

I talk to mine all the time.

[AppyLover]

I see no problem talking to my horse. I think talking to him and letting him know that everything it going to be ok. He may just understand more than you'll expect.

[rather-b-riding]

I talk to my horse all the time...and sing LOL! Especially when we are out trailriding by ourselves (which is most of the time):p

[Blue]

I talk (and sing) to Blue. Haha.

[Aina]

I probably talk to the horse I am riding more than I do to the other people at the barn. They seem to listen and they work better for me than they do for most people.

[HAWKINSTXN]

sure i talk to mine all the time, sometimes i even use words you can say outloud in public

[SedonaThunder]

So you've decided to move forward with surgery? I'm sure you feel much better having made a decision! I think it's completely normal to talk to Cane and explain things to him, I believe that animals understand a lot more than we give them credit for.

Prayers and good wishes for a successful surgery!

[dame_wolf]

I talk to Koda. So guess that mean I'm whack too... :cool:

[GrungeEquestrian]

No I talk to horses all the time, I know they don't understand what I am saying but they can understand my mood from the tense and sound of my voice. Honestly I went through some very hard times my freshman year, if it wasn't for the gelding I leased to cry on I don't know if I would be hear today. I talk to Trouble all the time, either telling her how undeserving I am of her or about my day. I ask her questions and she seems to answer in her own way...she truly is my best friend.

[PatriotsDreamer]

Um i talk to dreamer ALL the time the whole time. Ill be brushing him, and i tell him about my day. I talk to him about things that worry me, what i want him to improve on, and why im teaching him something. I SWEAR he understands( or thinks im crazy). I also read him the letter that countrygirl sent me. You should see the look on my b/o face when they walk in and im telling him a story, they probably htink im crazy too!

[Diane of Buck's Hollow]

Absolutely...I talk to Buck all the time. I sing to him too. I know that my voice settles him sometimes.

[Miracle Whip]

Ginger understands me - sometimes. Like this morning. Her and Whip accidently got separated. The gate was shut between the back pen and the front pen. Nothing was holding the gate shut. Whip ran out to the pasture and Ginger stood there and looked at me. I told her it was ok to push on the gate and she tried. BUT the hinges were too stiff and she gave up so I opened the gate for her. Its against her nature to push on a fence.

I do wish I could somehow convince her that de-worming is for her own good and that I am not trying to poison her, but she is very stubborn in her beliefs on worming. No good shall come of it.

Start by using a "good girl" tone of voice and a harsher "BAD!" tone of voice. Its funny how Ginger scoots her arse into the pen when I yell at her. This is something that starts with groundwork. After 3 years, she knows what good girl means. And having that phrase to reassure us is a wonderful thing.

[valleyrider]

I talk to our boys too. (and all my animals)I tell them what I am doing as I am brushing them. And sing when we are out on the trail. I also talk to Bones about my troubles when we are out on thr trail alone. I know he is listening. If anyone was out there and heard me,, boy they would think I am nuts! Talking to your horses really does keep them calm. I humm to Cloud cause he is more nervious than Bones. It helps calm him when I put his pad & saddle on. When you are calm they are calm. If you are scaired, they will feel it and be scaired too. But when I am sad & crying:(, Bones will bring his head down as if he was trying to comfort & hug me. So we are not crazy, just loving, caring horsey people:)

[AUEquine]

I do believe in some communications with horses... and heck I tell mine everything! But I do have to tell this funny story, and hope I don't squash any toes!

A woman brought a horse into the vet clinic that was colicing. He was colicing bad! They did the work up and told her for him to survive he had to go to surgery asap! He was very painful, trying to go down, his belly tap was almost straight blood, he was in trouble! But she said she needed a minute with the horse... we thought she just wanted a minute to tell it she loved it, and maybe say a little prayer... nope! She told us she had to take the horse away from us and ask it what it wanted to do. So she took the horse up into the old treatment room and apparently had a 'talk' with it. And when she came back she said that he had decided that he wanted to go to surgery, that he wasn't done living yet, and still wanted to take her on some trail ride out west. The Dr.s kept the straightest faces they could, gave the horse it's pre-op drugs and off they went. Shortly after surgery while the horse was in recovery the woman called the front desk and demanded to speak to her horse. After she berated the front desk worker enough she called the dr. and ask what he wanted to do. He said he felt humerous and generous at the same time, and actually took a cell phone back to the horse in the recovery stall for her to 'talk' to it.
Now like I said, I do know there is communication between horses and owners, but not to the point that the horse can tell you that it wants surgery and what it's plans are afterwards!

Now on the other side of that... Horses definatly know you, know your voice... even over a phone! My boss' mare was in the vet school for a month or two this summer with an EPM attack. She would go down a few times a night and after a few hours I'd have to get her up. Well one time early on she just wouldn't get up. I tried and tried everything for almost 45 minutes! Then finally I paged her owner/my boss on the LINC and told her what happened. She said she'd be there in about a half and hour and we'd put her in the sling and get her up. Well low and behold, after hearing her momma's voice... that mare just popped right up! And it wasn't just this one time... it happened other times with me, and with other techs! She new her momma's voice and would hop right up!

[TLC97]

Thanks guys. Cane and Jake had their feet done last night. Jake has been silly lately for the farrier. Well when I took him out of his stall I told him "BE GOOD" very firm he was an angel. Cane did very well, even when he had to put weight on his bad leg, I just patted him and talked with him the whole time.

I have always talked to my horses when riding them. I have found with Jake that I have to be careful what I say because he will anticipate. If I saw oh we are gonna get ready to lope and do not move my body at all he will lope.

I figure non-horse people can think what they want, I know I am a little touched.