# Survey for Equine Archaeology Project



## Avna (Jul 11, 2015)

following....


----------



## Reiningcatsanddogs (Oct 9, 2014)

1)*In your experience with horses, how would you describe the key differences between navigating on foot and navigating on horseback? How does traveling on horseback help or hinder you?
* On foot, I might be able to take a more direct route, climbing a rocky cliff for example, however that gets exhausting over a day of doing it. Much quicker on horseback. 

2)*How do you experience the landscape differently on horseback? What can you see that you can't see on foot? Have you ever gotten lost on foot in places that are familiar to you on horseback or vice versa? 

I can see farther out ahead, including obstacles like canyons, prickly pear, animals in the grass. I have never gotten lost either on foot or horseback in an area that was familiar. I have however gotten lost (following the leader) on horseback in an area that neither my horse or myself knew and the horse knew which way to go.


3)How have you noticed your horse navigating, both in familiar and unfamiliar landscapes? To what extent do you allow or trust your horse to navigate? Are there situations in which your horse is a better navigator than you are and vice versa?
*
I have seen my horse (former working stallion) "smell" his way home; as in sniffing out his own tracks when we finish a circuit on the trail, he is not shod. This has happened in an unfamiliar and even occasionally in a familiar place. We were out riding once and left a mare back at camp who was calling to the other horses out on the trail. Any time I wasn't paying attention and talking too much, my horse (a he) would mosey on off the trail and even attempt to go through impassible brush in a direct bee-line towards the calling mare. Friends of mine tell stories about riding their horses out to the bars, being too drunk to even remember going home and the horses knowing the way. 

As far as always knowing the fastest way home, I trust my horse entirely. As far as always knowing the easiest or safest way home, not so much. (we ride a lot of wooded, rocky, hills).

Good luck with your project, sounds very interesting!


----------



## Kpearson (Apr 13, 2017)

Thank you very much for your reply! And good point about sniffing out the way back--this could be a useful avenue of research in the field, as the "smellscape" might actually be a very important navigational factor in a place where visual landmarks aren't so distinct. Much appreciated!


----------



## seabiscuit91 (Mar 30, 2017)

*- In your experience with horses, how would you describe the key differences between navigating on foot and navigating on horseback? How does traveling on horseback help or hinder you?*
Biggest key would be speed/miles covered. While there may be terrains that may suit a human and not a horse as we can grip and climp over/few things, I think travelling horse back will help more than hinder. As even if you have to go around a tougher spot, in a lot of cases it would still be quicker on horse back. 

*- How do you experience the landscape differently on horseback? What can you see that you can't see on foot? Have you ever gotten lost on foot in places that are familiar to you on horseback or vice versa?*
You can definitely see a lot further. Also knowing that they can sense and see a lot farther can help your own senses. I've definitely felt a bit lost out in the woods, but my horse always has known the way home.

*- How have you noticed your horse navigating, both in familiar and unfamiliar landscapes? To what extent do you allow or trust your horse to navigate? Are there situations in which your horse is a better navigator than you are and vice versa?*
Definitely situations where they are a better navigator, they know where they've been, have a great sense of direction. In unfamiliar situations, they can seem more alert and taking more in, which helps again. They are so sure footed (or so many are) that you can really give them all your trust to take care of both of you I think.

I hope this helps somewhat


----------



## Avna (Jul 11, 2015)

I believe my horse perceives odors far more than I can understand. She also hears better than I do, and sees movement, especially distant movement, better than I do. She definitely will follow her own tracks back the way she came. 

When going across country I give her the direction but she picks the ground. Same with going up, down, or over something tricky or steep. Speed is more of a conversation -- sometimes she might want to go faster than is safe, and sometimes I do. It's a team effort and the more difficult the country, the more I rely on her to keep us both safe.


----------



## walkinthewalk (Jul 23, 2008)

OP, you might consider Googling "horse Trekking in Mongolia". There are too many links for me to post. You could research them for contacts and perhaps get some first hand information regarding riding on the Steppes.

From a personal standpoint:

1. The view is better from atop a horse and I can cover more ground.

2. I never went anywhere on foot - no hiking for me. I've been temporarily misplaced on my horse a few times. Didn't matter which horse I was riding, I gave them their head and we either got home or back to camp.

3. All of my horses have or had a good GPS but some were better than others. Trust was always a two-way street. Sometimes I would drop the reins and say "have at it", sometimes I would rein up a little bit and say "you have to trust me on this one".


----------



## Kpearson (Apr 13, 2017)

Thank you all very much for the replies so far!! I really appreciate your taking the time to help out with my project.

I'll be conducting ethnographic interviews with nomadic horsemen as well as spending time riding local horses with a gps tracker during my summer fieldwork, so I'll have a chance to explore these questions on the ground in Mongolia as well. However, it's important to have good comparative data to guide the development of that project (and it's also interesting to see some of the universals of horsemanship), so all your responses are very helpful


----------



## Avna (Jul 11, 2015)

I've done a lot of backpacking and have to say my horse has a far better sense of direction than I ever did. It is also a lot more pleasant to be carried than to carry. Still you do trade the intimacy of moving slowly at ground level past the tiny flowers and moss for a grander view, animal companionship, and more speed and ease.


----------



## loosie (Jun 19, 2008)

Interesting subject! Keep us posted on your research please, will you??



Kpearson said:


> especially those who regularly ride long distances in areas similar to the Central Asian steppe,


I haven't done long rides in that sort of environment, generally bush & mountains here, generally no longer than day rides, & mostly on trails we have maps of. But...


> In your experience with horses, how would you describe the key differences between navigating on foot and navigating on horseback? How does traveling on horseback help or hinder you?


Got to be more aware of little things in the environment on foot I think, navigation-wise, whereas I leave that up to the horse for the most part on trails. 


> How do you experience the landscape differently on horseback? What can you see that you can't see on foot? Have you ever gotten lost on foot in places that are familiar to you on horseback or vice versa?


Can see further. If you're quiet, you're far more likely to see wildlife from the back of a horse - they run from human footsteps, but aren't too phased about hearing a horse coming IMO. The only time I've got lost on foot was not in a familiar place. I walked through the bush for hours, getting worried & hot & thirsty(was only meant to be about an hour to where I was going) before finding myself... back where I started!! Huge shock! That wouldn't have happened on a horse. I used to go out regularly on my horse & just explore for hours, no care for where I was exactly. When it was time to turn back, I'd just give my horse his head - he knew exactly where home was, even if we were on a totally different track(or no track) & he'd never been there before. Only thing with that was, on the odd occasion we'd come to a fence...





> How have you noticed your horse navigating, both in familiar and unfamiliar landscapes? To what extent do you allow or trust your horse to navigate? Are there situations in which your horse is a better navigator than you are and vice versa?



I don't know if horses have 'built in compasses' like birds, or whether sense of smell or such are the biggest factors. My own horses(2 grown up wild) like to sniff the ground a lot in unfamiliar places, though I haven't generally found others to do this so much. As per above, I will trust my horse to navigate home for the most part, and they're definitely far superior to me at it! If I were lost in the bush on a horse & he didn't have a 'home' to head to, I'd still give him his head, as our best chance of finding water.


----------



## newtrailriders (Apr 2, 2017)

What a neat thread!

[*]In your experience with horses, how would you describe the key differences between navigating on foot and navigating on horseback? How does traveling on horseback help or hinder you?

I can go through tall grass on my horse, which I would never walk through on foot. In the great plains, the grass is sometimes taller than I am and I would get hopelessly lost walking through it. On the great plains, Indian tribes were able to hide entire camps in enemy territory by setting up in a low area in a tall grassland. 

Also I could travel through 2-3 foot deep snow on horseback, which I was unable to travel through on foot. Mud, as well. Gravel - not so much.

[*] How do you experience the landscape differently on horseback? What can you see that you can't see on foot? Have you ever gotten lost on foot in places that are familiar to you on horseback or vice versa? 

I can definitely see further from the top of my horse.

When we were heading out on a group ride we lost the trail, so I just gave my horse his head, and he found the trail immediately.

[*]How have you noticed your horse navigating, both in familiar and unfamiliar landscapes? To what extent do you allow or trust your horse to navigate? Are there situations in which your horse is a better navigator than you are and vice versa?

Riding in deep snow, I had to trust my horse to find the best footing. She'd decide whether to plow through drifts or go around them and made good decisions.

I've ridden past a line of trees and not known somebody was behind them until my horse saw them.


----------



## mmshiro (May 3, 2017)

When I just started riding at my current barn, I went out on the trail with three other riders, among which my instructor and a slower rider. About halfway, my horse (who really doesn't like being on his own) started to pick up the pace and acted generally nervous. Because of the slower rider, my instructor told me to ride ahead. I had no clue where I was, but she assured me that he knew the way home. So I gave the horse control over steering, and I took care of gas and brake.

He got me home. He also got me home along a different route than the other riders ultimately took. They, as it were, encountered a pack of six coyotes along their way home, whereas I saw none. That made an impression on me.

Should you always trust your horse? Depends on the qualifications. An Icelandic - no doubt, especially one that grew up in the Highlands. But I also rode a TB that would find the only rock on flat ground to step on and stumble, and I rode a Hanoverian (the same as in the story above) who would find the only patch of snow/ice on a dirt road while cantering and go down with me.


----------

