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This isn't so much an Arab thing or even a horse thing, but more of a 
perception thing.  We get so busy doing our chores around our animals 
that we forget that they are very capable of perceiving threat, fear 
and confidence in our bodies from cues that we don't even notice.  My 
pack of terriers is murder around someone who is afraid of them to the 
point of possibly striking.  Someone who is simply anxious gets 
different treatment.  I study my visitors' actions carefully before 
they come in....and, come to think of it, there are a whole bunch of 
people who just don't come anymore, not that it is a loss. <G>

We humans are also very capable of these reactions, as I was reminded 
by a friend who went trail riding with me.  This friend suffers from a 
fear of the fellaheen, fear of their strangeness and a very negative 
reaction to them.  The few times I rode with her, we had all sorts of 
problems with bratty kids throwing stones and such, problems that I 
never have when I'm alone.  I like the fellaheen.  They are people 
living in difficult situations and working hard to make ends meet.  I 
respect them and they respect me.  I don't think that they are angelic 
and I have no illusions regarding the innate goodness of humanity, but 
to me they aren't "STRANGE".  It's worth it to pay attention to our 
animals' response to people.  They've often noticed something that we 
haven't.

Lest this seem to be an excuse for horses misbehaving around vets, I 
should add that I expect my horses to be absolutely cooperative for the 
vet...and they are 99.9% of the time.  If your baseline is a kind, 
cooperative horse, you need to pay attention to the things that swing 
it off the baseline.

Maryanne
Cairo, Egypt

On Thursday, Jun 12, 2003, at 21:03 Africa/Cairo, Lysane Cree wrote:

> She has never been so upset about a stranger trying to
> touch her, although she is wary. She has not pitched a
> fit when the farrier has come over to trim her
> although she is occasionally a little funny about
> picking up one of her legs. Only a vet gets this
> reaction out of her. And we could see the changes from
> one minute to the next - vet tries to touch her she
> pitches a fit, I try to touch her she quiets down and
> stands still. Vet tries again, she jumps back, rears
> and hits her head. I approach again, she quiets down
> and stands still.
>
> I am surprised that none of the vets out there have
> commented on the issue.
>
> Lysane
> and Mae West Holliday
>
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