Horses’ blind spots

Nierva

Nierva

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Mar 13, 2023
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I’m not a “first timer”, but I feel like one sometimes! Still quite green when it comes to a lot of putting the theory into practice.

When I was a young teen, my dad gifted me a Monty Roberts book. I remember distinctly seeing a diagram showing where a horse’s blind spots are, i.e. directly to the front and back.

1) Perhaps a daft one, but, if horses cannot see directly in front of them, why do they turn their heads as if they were looking straight ahead at you when they hear you approach (if they’re at all interested and not just tucking into some yummy grass/hay that is, of course!) Why not just stay facing one or the other side, if that’s how they actually see us best?

2) Is the safest way to go around the back half when I can’t duck under the neck to place a hand on either side as I’m moving around and to stay close to the legs? I read recently that staying closer means they (hopefully?!) can’t do any damage if they try to kick. Is that true?

Thanks in advance! 🙂
 
Their blind spot is directly ahead but only immediately in front of them, they can see in front further away, so that’s why they look.

I wouldn’t place a hand either side as that encourages you to face the horse, put one hand on the rump and walk around with your side to them as close as possible. At that range a kick is generally more like a big shove and side on you are in a position to put your foot out to steady yourself if it happened. It can still hurt, and you can still get injured, it isn’t a safe thing to do but if you have to you need to calculate your own risks with the individual horse.
 
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I just had a quick google to find a picture of the blind spots
327AFE0F-17E5-4E8B-BA6E-343B810632A7.jpeg
IMO that white area behind is narrower, they only can’t see where their body blocks and can of course turn their head to move the green/blue areas more into the white and to look over their bum.
 
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Jessey said:
Their blind spot is directly ahead but only immediately in front of them, they can see in front further away, so that’s why they look.

I wouldn’t place a hand either side as that encourages you to face the horse, put one hand on the rump and walk around with your side to them as close as possible. At that range a kick is generally more like a big shove and side on you are in a position to put your foot out to steady yourself if it happened. It can still hurt, and you can still get injured, it isn’t a safe thing to do but if you have to you need to calculate your own risks with the individual horse.
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That makes a lot of sense! Thank you very much! 😀
 
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Jessey said:
I just had a quick google to find a picture of the blind spots
View attachment 117372
IMO that white area behind is narrower, they only can’t see where their body blocks and can of course turn their head to move the green/blue areas more into the white and to look over their bum.
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Another random thought/question that is sort of related and sort of not…yes, it’s good for anyone/anything to be able to turn their/its head. I was trying to choreograph a dance last week and stupidly tried to put a backwards roll in there (very cramped space and everything on carpet = I was stupid!) I ended up with a sore/stiff neck (again). Can that sort of thing happen to horses too, and is it common? When I was living in Spain and fell asleep on a train in an awkward position, a doctor friend described it as a “contractura de caballo” - like a really big area affected with the trapped nerve. Obviously that’s just an expression, but…I don’t know. Horses do have big muscles/long necks! 😱🤣
 
I guess it could happen, but they can’t tell us if they’re a bit ouchy. Generally you only see neck stiffness/injury from accidents like if they have run into something. During schooling we often work on suppleness and flexibility, which can be increased with exercise much like in humans.
 
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It is rarely necessary to walk round behind a horse. Ella is known to kick and I dont walk behind her,
This means that when picking out her feet before leaving the box, I need to walk between her and her hay net. I was warned with my old share when returning her to her box, never to get between her and her lunch.
I dont go for that. Stay safe, but I do oblige her to let me go round her head end.
 
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There was an interesting article in BHS magazine where they showed a picture of what a horse can see behind them. There was a person riding another horse behind the subject horse and the image the leading horse saw was split, so the leading horse saw half of the horse behind at each edge of its peripheral vision. I don't know how they know that!
 
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It’s the eye position, as their eyes are on the side of the head they see separate monocular images from each one. It’s gives them a wider field of vision to see predators.
Predators have eyes on the front both seeing very similar things and our brain combines the 2 monocular images into a binocular one, better for judging distance to get their prey!
 
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But how do they know what the horse actually sees? In the BHS example a predator coming from directly behind would look like two half predators coming from both sides. How do they know the horse's brain doesn't adapt the image so they actually see one predator behind them? In a similar way that the image we see reaches out retinas upside down, but our brain turns it the right way up for us.
 
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Given the accuracy with which they can kick something behind them then the set up clearly works.

I was taught that unless a horse is a known kicker it's safer to go behind them, staying very close and with a hand on them, than it is in front. A horse that means business will strike with a front and you also have teeth to watch, not to mention it can easily go over you. Mind you if the horse is good natured, and most are, you're safe doing either.
 
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millielockhart said:
Hi I used to ride but I've got one question I'm 11st 13lb and 5'1 5'2 and I'm 16 is that too heavy to rude thank you
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Jessey said:
This isn’t really relevant to this thread, why don’t you start a new thread of your own?
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This. We're already having a problem with weight being brought up on threads so if it's something you want to discuss please do as Jessey suggests and start a new thread. To me it seems rather odd to come on as a new member and start with a post that's unrelated to the thread but just happens to be something that has recently had a general warning issued about.
 
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carthorse said:
This. We're already having a problem with weight being brought up on threads so if it's something you want to discuss please do as Jessey suggests and start a new thread. To me it seems rather odd to come on as a new member and start with a post that's unrelated to the thread but just happens to be something that has recently had a general warning issued about.
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Sorry
 
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millielockhart said:
Sorry I didn't know I done it on this one and how do I do it I'm honestly so sorry I didn't know i feel bad
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Don't feel bad! At the top left of the page is a bit called 'Forums', press that, then select the bit of the forum your topic best fits into (or the Cafe if you are unsure), then there should be an orange button top right 'Post Thread' - and that will give you a blank page to start your own thread :)
 
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