Laika had a fascination with horses. The first time I saw her in the presence of a horse was on my birthday a few years back. I was taking a hike with her and a foster dog named Annie - a cattle dog mix. Suddenly a pack of horses appeared on our hike - they were part of a summer program for kids.
I was lucky enough to put both dogs on leashes a.s.a.p while Laika squealed with delighted at the now nearby horses. From then on I was continuously on alert when it came to the possibility of finding horses on our hikes. The likelihood of what could happen gave me goose bumps (or as we say in Spanish literally - chicken skin).
On another occasion, Laika and I were on one of our often outings. On this particular day we were at a dog friendly park that extends to a beach AND the local horse track. The track actually has a handful of ways to allow a dog to venture into the track.
One day Laika saw from the car (mind you) a horse being exercised at full gallop. As we got out of the car and began our walk, Laika took off across an ample parking lot in the direction of the horse… wow, wow, wow! There was no freaking way I could catch her, not even then when I was younger. In an instant images of Laika being trampled by the horse or the jockey falling on the ground flashed in my mind as I tried to figure out how to call Laika back to me. I did the only thing I thought of at the time and it worked! By sheer luck Laika looked back as if wondering if I was coming along for her private adventure only to find me running in the opposite direction. Her predatory instinct kicked in full swing and she returned to me.
After these (and a handful of other less dramatic incidents regarding horses) I did some training sessions in the presence of corralled horses and Laika on a leash.
The goal of my training was to teach Laika to make eye contact with me when she saw a horse. She did this with no problem as she was hungry and what I offered her was something truly delicious. Yet the question remained: what would Laika do if she was once again off-leash and the horse out of the corral? Some scenarios I was willing to try just to find out… what if… but this particular one I was not - the stakes where just way too high. I guess, thought, that life has a way of presenting us with situations for us to learn about ourselves or perhaps it is just the nature of life…
As John, Laika and I began our hike on one Xmas morning here in Santa Fe, Laika and I were down below a slope with John on the trail just above us. Laika was off-leash when suddenly John alerted me to the presence of a horse. “Look a horse” he said. It took me a split second to leash Laika only to realize that the horse was loose. The horse was just wandering around at the border of the national forest as so many species of animals do in New Mexico. As I approached with Laika, we got very close to the horse. The horse remained standing and was also curious about our presence just as we were of him.
Laika and the horse touched noses, and then to my disbelief she gave this friendly black horse a play-bow! This is one of the moments where I wished my eyes were a camera just to capture that passing moment which was never to be repeated again.
My often cautious nature let me to move away from the horse and insist that we get back on with our hike. However I was secretly hoping that the horse would follow us.
Now a couple of years later, I sure wish I had let things play out a little more… could this horse and Laika have become fast friends?
Would I have found out once and for all what all the fuss she had made with horses was about if I had just let her interact (off-leash) with the horse?
I've been thinking about the social relations between different species. We all have read stories where animals in their natural habitat would not even interact with another species, yet do so peacefully with a chosen pal to the amazement of those who witness it. Or how about those stories where prey and predator also challenge their very nature to become close companions? What the heck is going on?
The possible reasons as to why animals of different species & natural “adversaries” form close bonds… might surprise you…stay tuned as we explore some of these reasons.
I was lucky enough to put both dogs on leashes a.s.a.p while Laika squealed with delighted at the now nearby horses. From then on I was continuously on alert when it came to the possibility of finding horses on our hikes. The likelihood of what could happen gave me goose bumps (or as we say in Spanish literally - chicken skin).
On another occasion, Laika and I were on one of our often outings. On this particular day we were at a dog friendly park that extends to a beach AND the local horse track. The track actually has a handful of ways to allow a dog to venture into the track.
One day Laika saw from the car (mind you) a horse being exercised at full gallop. As we got out of the car and began our walk, Laika took off across an ample parking lot in the direction of the horse… wow, wow, wow! There was no freaking way I could catch her, not even then when I was younger. In an instant images of Laika being trampled by the horse or the jockey falling on the ground flashed in my mind as I tried to figure out how to call Laika back to me. I did the only thing I thought of at the time and it worked! By sheer luck Laika looked back as if wondering if I was coming along for her private adventure only to find me running in the opposite direction. Her predatory instinct kicked in full swing and she returned to me.
After these (and a handful of other less dramatic incidents regarding horses) I did some training sessions in the presence of corralled horses and Laika on a leash.
The goal of my training was to teach Laika to make eye contact with me when she saw a horse. She did this with no problem as she was hungry and what I offered her was something truly delicious. Yet the question remained: what would Laika do if she was once again off-leash and the horse out of the corral? Some scenarios I was willing to try just to find out… what if… but this particular one I was not - the stakes where just way too high. I guess, thought, that life has a way of presenting us with situations for us to learn about ourselves or perhaps it is just the nature of life…
As John, Laika and I began our hike on one Xmas morning here in Santa Fe, Laika and I were down below a slope with John on the trail just above us. Laika was off-leash when suddenly John alerted me to the presence of a horse. “Look a horse” he said. It took me a split second to leash Laika only to realize that the horse was loose. The horse was just wandering around at the border of the national forest as so many species of animals do in New Mexico. As I approached with Laika, we got very close to the horse. The horse remained standing and was also curious about our presence just as we were of him.
Laika and the horse touched noses, and then to my disbelief she gave this friendly black horse a play-bow! This is one of the moments where I wished my eyes were a camera just to capture that passing moment which was never to be repeated again.
My often cautious nature let me to move away from the horse and insist that we get back on with our hike. However I was secretly hoping that the horse would follow us.
Now a couple of years later, I sure wish I had let things play out a little more… could this horse and Laika have become fast friends?
Would I have found out once and for all what all the fuss she had made with horses was about if I had just let her interact (off-leash) with the horse?
I've been thinking about the social relations between different species. We all have read stories where animals in their natural habitat would not even interact with another species, yet do so peacefully with a chosen pal to the amazement of those who witness it. Or how about those stories where prey and predator also challenge their very nature to become close companions? What the heck is going on?
The possible reasons as to why animals of different species & natural “adversaries” form close bonds… might surprise you…stay tuned as we explore some of these reasons.
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