I’m going to be feeding late tonight because I have a late afternoon appointment. It’s okay because some experts say it’s good not to keep horses on a tight feeding schedule so they don’t anticipate food and get pushy at meal time. I’m thankful that my herd isn’t like that. They simply go to their bucket and wait. Except..when I’m late.
When I’m late feeding then they stand around like they don’t know what they’re supposed to be doing. I put my senior heart mare and her offspring in the pen because they eat well together. Then the other two who really do know where their buckets are just stand there like “now what?”. If they don’t see me dumping food in their bucket, then I have to wait and call them over before I feed the last horse, who is the lowest in herd pecking order and often gets pushed off her bucket if I don’t make sure the other two are eating first.
As an author who writes about horses, I think it’s important to know this. In so many stories, especially high fantasy, the horses are pretty much used like living cars, and something as simple as a change in water can throw them off their schedule. And yet, this isn’t mentioned. Of course, horses that travel a lot or are used for long distances, much like animals that travel for shows, often learn to get used to different water or different hay. Though to be honest, a lot of people who show horses also bring their own hay, and sometimes their own water, with them.
I’m also reminded that I, too, am a creature of habit. I have my writing routines, and when something happens, like an unexpected appointment, that could force me to deviate from them, then I’m going to struggle with getting words down on paper. I expect my breakfast at a certain time, just like we cook dinner at the same time every night. Some of this could be due to how my brain is wired, but also, I think it’s a good reminder that we all do better when we have our routines and our comfort zones.
I don’t worry about the horses being okay even though their routine will be disrupted, just like I know I can get back on track with my writing (look, a blog!) and other projects. I just keep it in mind and make sure that the horses in my story are as reflective of real horses as much as possible, and a lot of times that means sticking to routines both for writing and in horse care.
