Is it right to refer to horses as "it" ?

[SpruceRI]

I hate hearing people refer to their animal as "it" because I think it makes the horse appear to be a commodity item rather than a living being, a team mate, a friend.

But then, all my equines are my pets, best friends, and love of my life, and I know other peoples' aren't.

 

[gekko]

I think too many people read too much into a single word.. To judge peoples personalities or level of horsesmanship by the use of a word, that is technicly correct anyhow, shows a rather warped sense of value judgement.........
.... and I'm making that call on the basis of a few more words, not just 2 letters!

 

[YorksG]

QR
The OP made the comment about the animals being machines which allowed the athletes to perform at the highest level, a truely abhorrent view point as far as I am concerned.

 

[kirstie]

Hmmm, yes I get what you mean mayflower.
I've never even really thought about it before tbh, and yes I suppose it can be seen as a negative thing to say. When I refer to my horse as 'it', it's normally along the lines off;

"Right, I've had enough, I'm sending it to the sales!"

Which I would never ever do, and am saying completely in jest and everybody knows I am messing about.
And for the very few horses that I would refer to as 'it', I think when you work in a yard full of horses, you get to know them and their personalities very well and can get very attached as I do.
But, when one or two of those personalities aren't perhaps so nice, after you've been head butted, kicked, barged, crushed, trampled, thrown off or bitten numerous times you don't feel so much affection.
I understand horses, and know that there may be many reasons for that behaviour, but still, I am human.
It's the same with people, we all have people that we don't like and don't always refer to in the nicest ways. I think it's the same with horses. Just because I call a horse it, doesn't mean anything really, other than I don't like it or have much time for it

I hope that makes sense and I haven't rambled on too much!

 

[TGM]

I agree that personally I did not like the context in which the OP used the term 'machine', but as I said above have heard the term used in a different way which I don't have a problem with.

 

[YorksG]

But if we accept that language informs thought and action, then the calling of a horse a machine suggests that the animal is as disposable as the monetary value it represents, rather than a sentient being. I am aware that this sounds a bit tree huggy

which I am not. Just think that we need to keep in mind that animals are not the same as machines. Having seen a number of people who do treat their horses as machines, I would rather people kept in mind that the horse is an animal.

 

[TGM]

I know several people who refer to their horses as 'cross country machines' but actually treat them as feeling, sentient beings. On the other hand, I know people who never refer to their horses as 'machines' but actually treat their horses appallingly and just regard them as modes of transport or means to attain competitive success.

Much better to judge people on the way the horse is actually treated than the language they use!

 

[YorksG]

On this forum though, the only method open to us to assess peoples attitude to their horses is their description and this means their use of language.

 

[TGM]

That's not actually quite true, as the forum gives the opportunity to post photos as well, which often are quite telling about people's relationships with their horses. I think the majority of users are also intelligent enough to weigh up all the information a poster gives, rather than focus on one specific term. For example, if you have followed a poster's worries about the health of their horse, whether they are schooling it correctly etc., you are not going to assume they are a horse abuser because in a report about doing a one day event they say that their horse was a 'total machine cross-country'!

As I say, it is all in the context!

 

[YorksG]

The original context of the term machine in this thread was to discuss the horse as a machine. There is a fair amount of research which suggests that language does indeed inform thought, rather than just being a reflection of thought. This suggests that continued use of a term will lead to the belief that, in this instance, the animal equates with a machine.

 

[TGM]

Oh come off it - I would guess that half the regular posters in the Competition Riders section have used the term 'XC machine' at some point and yet are still capable of realising that their horse has feelings!

I have already agreed with you that the context the OP used it seemed rather unfeeling, but went on to discuss the use of the word in wider terms and assert that there are many other cases where it is purely a 'figure of speech' used to convey the fact that the horse is a safe, reliable and consistent performer.

 

[SpottedCat]

QR: please don't venture into Competition Riders, I fear some of you are likely to rupture a blood vessel, someone has referred to a horse as 'it' and talked about another one being a jumping or XC 'machine'. Run, run for the hills, they are clearly unfit owners who care not a jot about their horses....

I call my horse 'horse' a lot, and I whistle him so I don't have to traipse across the field to catch him, and I sometimes use the word 'it' in relation to him, and I'd sell him if he didn't do the job I have him for....best all lay down in a darkened room before you pass out at my unfitness to own such a beast.

This is one of the funniest things I have read in a long time, I can't quite believe it has got to 4 pages long!! How can people possibly care this much about something so trivial?

 

[Annagain]

If we're going to take things literally I'd hate to think what some of you think James Brown is singing about in Sex Machine.

You could argue that people desribing their horses as "broken" implies that they think of them as machines. I'd never heard anybody use that term before coming on here, however I've never thought of it in that way and I really don't think anybody means it that way either.

 

[Weezy]

I use *it* all the time, I really don't think horses are bothered about it at all

 

[YorksG]

'Oh come off it' Language is important unfortuantely, to dismiss anothers view in that manner, obviously not having given any real thought to the process of language and thought described, helps to proove the point, IMO

 

[Aru]

[ QUOTE ]
What difference does it make if its a bloody racehorse! Its still not a bloody IT. Nothing to do with 'lifestock' horse blatently are livestock... and Im not being funny, duck but racehorses deserve some resepect. They are not just IT...

God its people like you who think its ok to shoot a perfectly sound horse at the end of its racing career! After all its only a bloody IT.

[/ QUOTE ]

I dont think its perfectly ok to shoot a sound racehorse at the end of its career for the record...
id they can be retrained then retraining and is the way to go..some racehorses make lovely pets

if their not suitable to be retrained then the owner has to make a choice as to where they go next...

I dont believe in keeping unsound horses alive personally unless they are a real pet and not in any pain..most of the racehorses iv come across aren't pets at least not to their owners anyway..to the grooms its a different story.But thats a whole different question altogether...


When i was on the yard i was told not to treat them like pets.They were there to do their jobs and there would be a high turnover so dont get attached...plus names are harder for everyone to rember and their racing names were way to long!

hence they all got all got called either 'it' or by their colour or number...ie bring out number 3 for some exercise..will you take up the Bay in 5 it hasnt been out yet...

but they all had different characters and quirks...
the bay in the corner bites, while the lovely chestnut with a blaze loves to have the forehead scratched and will lay a head on your shoulder for as long as you keep it up...
what difference did it make that they werent called Ginger and Brownie?
they were well feed,well cared for animals...


iv been at a showjumping yard that followed the same idea because they have a constant stream of horses coming in and out of the yard...
its just a more impersonal way of dealing with horses in yards that have a high turnover..its hard to keep track of and remember the names of loads of horses unless they are on the yard a while..and eventually you do run out of new names...

like i said before tho i know saying 'it' doesnt come across very well when writed down ...

ironicly when i first wrote
[ QUOTE ]
Depends on the horse..and whats been discussed ...if it was a racehorse or a case id never met then id be happy to call the animal it but if its someones pet or a horse you have a personal relationship then id be using he or she most of the time


[/ QUOTE ]
i was actually talking about a racehorse that id have bet on or wouldnt have a personal relationship with...

but i just wanted to point out im not a hater of the racing tb's..

they might have been called 'it' but they are lovely living breathing creatures that do deserve more than a few years training and a couple of sprints around the track ...

and i think their should be more opportunitys given to those horses to be retrained rather that sending them straight to the meat factory when they dont preform as expected.

...id love to adopt an chilled exracer when i have the facilities for one...
sorry if my original post came across differently

 

[3BayGeldings]

I've referred to horses as much worse things than 'it' in my time

 

[Nickijem]

[ QUOTE ]
I've referred to horses as much worse things than 'it' in my time

[/ QUOTE ]

PMSL! Me too!
I do try to call my horsey 'he' rather than it although I have never given it much thought really.

I do call children 'it' all the time though, much to my sister's annoyance. Like when she gave birth to her first son - my reaction was 'It's quite cute actually!'

 

[TGM]

Oh dear, YorksG, you do seem to have had a sense of humour failure! Language doesn't have to be used in the formal and stilted tones of the psychology textbook to be able to put a point across! I had considered the points you made and where I agreed with them, I was happy to say so, but, equally, expressed my disagreement with the other points based on the light of my own experiences.

(Actually, I know a lot more about language than you seem to think, but I don't want to bore the pants off the other forum users by drivelling on about it.

)