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timeasmymeasure
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Date: 2022-11-05 12:45 pm (UTC)What a lovely way to describe Arabs! My impression is that they are quite emotive, and have what we'd call a mediterranean temperament if we'd be talking about people. With great range of emotion, expressed to the fullest without shyness, often involving quite a generous physical component.
Icelandic horses are on the other side. Not really emotive at all. They are like us Nordic folks: physically quiet and the outside does not readily reflect inner emotions unless a keen eye is cast to the signs. They are masters of suppressing the output of their concerns. The fact that Icelandic horses also grow up in large mixed groups in expansive pastures means that they are very fluent in "horse", compared to horses that grow up in small groups with frequent human contact. So they communicate with precision and nuance that's hard for humans to pick up. (For a reference point, our two youngest horses are currently growing up in a 60-80 horse herd that is in a 2-3 square kilometre open pasture. Prior to this herd the gelding was in a group of 25 stallions, 1-20 years old, pastured together until he was castrated at the age of two this summer.)
This quiet exterior of course means that it is quite easy to ignore what they are trying to communicate, and slowly wear down their patience with the numbskull human until the horse resents and distrusts people with a passion that they still don't show. With an emotive breed like Arabs you have to get good if you want to be safe, but with an Icelandic one can blithely be very ignorant of just how bad things are. But either type of horse will suffer in the hands of someone not willing to attempt honest communication. Regardless of the horse, they only really thrive with someone who is willing to read their expression, see where their limits lie, respect them. Gently show the horse that they can expand their limits, and that their human is willing to offer them safe space and encouragement to do so. That collaboration can lead to something more for the horse, and that humans do not automatically equate tension and discomfort.