[RC] Re:[RC] reason for horse going towerds head light's? - ladurgin
There has been research reported in" Equus" and other places about horses eyesight lately. One of the things mentioned is that even though they do see better in the dark than us.(to them it looks similiar to dusk they said)---But their eyes do not adjust to sudden changes like ours do.Therefore the common situation of bringing horses into a bright barn from a dark pasture or trailer and them bumping into doors, etc. is because they found it takes their eyes about 15 minutes or so to adjust to bright lights from the dark.So they suggested you dim the lights or bring them into a dimly lit area first. (I have seen horses smack into a door when someone suddenly turned on bright lights more than once, same with trailers).
Your horse may have been having a hard time adjusting to the sudden headlights.
Behavior may also figure in. If you come to him in a dark pasture like I do with my truck headlights or a flashlight (I actually try to use a dim neon lamp when i go out after dark) to feed and blanket some nights, mine come towards the light looking for dinner. So may be a combination of temp. being blind , but also expecting a meal .(that's what it would be if my horses did that).
We have to ride a mile or so along a reg used 2 lane road. While i would rather not ride along it I have never worried much as my horse has no problem's with car's or even semi's blowing past him he is a very level headed guy who almost never even spook's. Anyways yesterday we took a little longer on our ride then planned and had to ride the road section back in the dark. I have never actually rode in the dark but figured as long as we were seen it was fine so we got out glow stick's. a car comes from in front of us (were in the right lane their is a very wide shoulder their) and Jasper moved towards the car. I give him hell for it put him back on the shoulder we go a way's more and We can see a car coming behind us then headlight's in front as well, as soon as the headlight's get closer in front of us he puts his self almost in the middle of the road every time I try to get him to move to the right he goes farther towards the light's.I jumped off and ran us to the right side just in time as the car's in both lane's who did not even bother to slow, blow by us. So my question is could the light's be blinding him? or is it maybe a training problem? Jamie
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