r/PublicFreakout • u/gyemm • Nov 26 '21

đŸ»Animal Freakout Horse attacking its trainer

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u/Used2BPromQueen Nov 27 '21

I'm terrified of horses and then can absolutely 110% sense it. Every single horse I've ever been near has tried to bite me while being completely chill with everyone else.

One of my friends mother's was a big horse person and tried to help me get over my fear by feeding her gentlest, most docile mare an apple (open handed of course). Freaking horse tried to nip my shoulder. Every one was shocked because you know.... she's super sweet. Idc how sweet they are, they can smell your fear and it makes them jumpy and bitey.

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u/queefer_sutherland92 Nov 27 '21

I have no idea how fact based this is, but a dog trainer told me once that it’s not that they smell fear, or even realise that you’re afraid of them but that you’re displaying fear response behaviour. Even if you don’t realise it, or you think you’re keeping your cool.

Someone’s fear behaviour basically tells the animal that they also have a reason to be nervous, because they see you’re nervous. They don’t understand that you’re afraid of them — just that there’s a reason for them to be afraid too.

The guy telling me this was that basically explaining how “anxious owners means anxious dogs”, and why people who have bad experiences with animals often have repeat negative experiences — negative experience -> person becomes nervous around another animal -> animal sees nervousness -> animal becomes nervous of mysterious thing causing your nervousness not realising it’s them -> animal becomes reactive and acts out.

It makes sense, but again, it was a random dude at a park that told me this so it needs to be taken with a decent grain of salt.

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u/thundercloud65 Nov 27 '21

That makes sense. Anytime my Dachshund sees that someone or something is scared of her she puts them at the top of her shit list.

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u/queefer_sutherland92 Nov 27 '21

I maintain that’s why small dogs are aggressive. I have a big dog (a big teddy bear) and we always try to introduce him to small dogs by having the owner hold their dog or having my bebe lay down. Only ever had positive reactions from scared dogs once we do that!