2Conker
Well-Known Member
also in Latest News: Michael Morpurgo falls from my grace.......Saturday The Times, Review section 25.02.12.
He writes a wonderful piece on how and in what way horses may communicate their sensitivity and awareness of a human’s emotional condition, and the support it can give. (There are many such stories.) He then proceeds to ruin the whole thing by: a. stating the obvious “there’s an emotional connection between humans and animals” and b. doing what he’s accusing others of - anthropomorphising and intellectualising the relationship, labelling it ‘sentimental’ and horses very beautiful....very courageous in certain circumstances, But I think they’re rather stupid”.
I’m not sure I’d hear David Attenborough make such a comment. I suspect he would respect that each animal evolves with attributes intended for survival and reproduction. In the case of domestic animals from farm animals, to cats, dogs, parrots and horses they have been coerced into whatever humans have wished from them. Mostly ignoring their natural instincts, and it’s the animals who have made the major adjustments (dogs are very good at this!) . It’s our lack of understanding of horse communication and motivations that seems to keep this myth alive. I wonder what Martin Clunes thinks! Cheap shot Mr Morpurgo,
He writes a wonderful piece on how and in what way horses may communicate their sensitivity and awareness of a human’s emotional condition, and the support it can give. (There are many such stories.) He then proceeds to ruin the whole thing by: a. stating the obvious “there’s an emotional connection between humans and animals” and b. doing what he’s accusing others of - anthropomorphising and intellectualising the relationship, labelling it ‘sentimental’ and horses very beautiful....very courageous in certain circumstances, But I think they’re rather stupid”.
I’m not sure I’d hear David Attenborough make such a comment. I suspect he would respect that each animal evolves with attributes intended for survival and reproduction. In the case of domestic animals from farm animals, to cats, dogs, parrots and horses they have been coerced into whatever humans have wished from them. Mostly ignoring their natural instincts, and it’s the animals who have made the major adjustments (dogs are very good at this!) . It’s our lack of understanding of horse communication and motivations that seems to keep this myth alive. I wonder what Martin Clunes thinks! Cheap shot Mr Morpurgo,
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