Many places have observation towers available for you to look at wondrous views. But there are other areas of observation that may not be that grande. Of course you have the towers at the airport which keep all air traffic running smoothly, and then you have children who get down on their hands and knees to watch ants hard at work. They are very fascinating creatures. They lift many times their weight, and it seems like they never have a day off, or anytime to play. I wonder what they do for fun? In Florida, they bite people. If all the ants in Florida got together, they could take over this state in one day.
My question is, how much time do you spend observing your animals? Most people don’t. Are you really aware of their likes and dislikes? Do you know what really concerns them? What’s normal for that particular horse, and what isn’t? I’m a very happy student of equine behavior. What I’m finding out is that I don’t clearly observe my dogs as much. I’ve dealt with prey animals my whole life, but now I’m learning how to observe the predators.
Many years ago I ran into one of my first instructors, while out riding. We stood and chatted for a while, and then he said to me “The whole time we’ve been speaking I’ve been looking over your horse.” He told me about his conformation faults, injuries that have left tell-tale marks, and I don’t remember what else. I was amazed, and interested. Why would he even care? However, forty years down the road I find myself doing the same thing. I evaluate horses conformation, old injuries, body language, and energy without even thinking about it.
I have no idea why I do this, but in many cases it has served me well when evaluating a prospective horse for purchase, training, or conversation with the owner. Maybe I do it just for fun, to see what I can pick up on, or maybe just to test my skills. Mostly, I’m unaware of doing it.
Sometimes you can catch something before it becomes a problem, or just have an answer before the question is asked.
It’s like figuring out a puzzle, even with some pieces missing, when no one asked you.
Actually it’s just Observation.