Oxford definition is.
'A thing used or serving to make something look more attractive but usually having no practical purpose, especially a small object such as a figurine'
I think of something made of wood, glass or china, that collects dust, doesn't do anything and fills a space.
I don't see a horse as any of the above, they are not a thing and they are not something you would buy to make the field look pretty.
A non ridden horse isn't an ornament. It's likely a companion for another horse and a companion for the owner.
To me this is still a pet, maybe a pasture pet.
So question in the title, why do we use this term?
As an aside I came across this article. It concluded after 131 horses that subjective observation by vets could only agreed 51% of the time! So this is going to rely on owners having access to objective machines?
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.2746/042516409X479568
'A thing used or serving to make something look more attractive but usually having no practical purpose, especially a small object such as a figurine'
I think of something made of wood, glass or china, that collects dust, doesn't do anything and fills a space.
I don't see a horse as any of the above, they are not a thing and they are not something you would buy to make the field look pretty.
A non ridden horse isn't an ornament. It's likely a companion for another horse and a companion for the owner.
To me this is still a pet, maybe a pasture pet.
So question in the title, why do we use this term?
As an aside I came across this article. It concluded after 131 horses that subjective observation by vets could only agreed 51% of the time! So this is going to rely on owners having access to objective machines?
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.2746/042516409X479568