Do you want to buy a horse? Horse trainers and experts recommend knowing how to talk to a horse. Horses understand languages. Horses recognize and remember words with few syllables. Their understanding of a word though, also depends on how the words are said in pitch and tone, and, what you are putting on or doing to the horse, like when you approach a horse while carrying a saddle blanket or with a currycomb in your hands. 

In 2009, Reuters reported that the Botai people on the plains of northern Kazakhstan approximately 5,500 years ago were the first civilization to domesticate horses. The Botai rode the horses and drank the mare’s milk. Another study confirmed that origain again in 2018 by using DNA that found modern Botai people “…may have tamed horses on their own, following something called the ‘prey path’ to domestication: hunting, then managing herds for food, and finally—riding,” according to a research study published on science.org. (1)

Kazakhstan lies with China and Mongolia on its east, Russia on its west, and Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan on its south. The northern Kazakhstan region comprises “broad plains with few to no trees and little moisture. It is a land of horses and cattle and wide-open plains.” (2) But Kazakhstan is also a land of “…mountain ranges featuring ridges, deep gorges, wide valleys, and virgin forests, which are complemented by more than 40,000 rivers and streams.” (2)

Much like U.S. geography, including Texomaland. Texomaland is decidedly horse country. I found 20 horse ranches near Texomaland that train and/or stable horses for different purposes, and sell horses. I see cowboys in western Texomaland every day that I venture out in my neighborhood, which is tiny. Since cows have not changed their nature, I suppose neither will their caretakers. Many of my rancher neighbors have pet longhorn cows. As goes the cow, there goes the cowboy. Cowboys prefer horses.

Seriously, How Do You Talk to a Horse?

For this section, I have to rely on experts and my research skills because I have never owned a horse. Horsemanship labels me a greenhorn. I did learn to ride horses and took lessons for two years. I got stuck with this one horse for six months that wanted to bite me every time I saddled him. I did not know one thing about horse talk. Me n’ him came to an understanding in a short time, and he proved a gentle ride for a greenhorn like me. Like children, livestock require stable homes. I traveled most of my adult life.

You are never too old to learn to ride a horse. However, horse talk ain’t dog talk. I found what I believe is really insightful and extremely interesting information based on facts on a blog by Miles Henry on horse talk. Miles writes blogs that answer questions that people are asking in their search engines about how-to-do-everything-horse.  

Miles, based on my research, is well-respected and well known on the national horse racing circuit in the U.S. Taking a cue from Miles, I researched his research. Depending on who you source, it is believed by horse behavior researchers that a horse can comprehend a total of 8, or 10, or 15 words—not exactly an exact science yet. Many research studies have shown that horses respond audibly to sound variation in pitch, intensity, and the pace of the sound and body language in the wild. 

Saddlebox.net claims, “Horses have an exceptional amount of awareness, which means they can understand situations much deeper than other animals. They are so in tune that they can pick up on others’ emotions through body language, voice, or just the overall “vibe” you’re giving off. Saddlebox is a subscription, homemade horse treat provider, online. The Saddlebox reviews do not appear fake, and a few of their reviewers from all over North America said that their horses know when their treat package is delivered every month. 

So Food is One Way to Talk to a Horse, What Else?

Horses are both prey and herd animals. Herds need leaders with good sense. The fastest horse is usually the leader because horses depend on their ability to run when threatened in the wild. A 2004 Rutgers University’s New Jersey Agricultural Station study found that, 

“A stimulus unnoticed by humans is often cause for alarm for horses; as riders and trainers, we commonly mistake this reaction for “spookiness” or bad behavior… The horse has a very fast response time. A prey animal must react instantly to a perceived predator to be able to survive.” (3)

There are specific verbal cues and words that horses respond to. Horses don’t understand the meaning of words, but they understand the sounds of the words. On the other end of this continuum, humans can also predict a horse’s behavior by understanding a horse’s body language. Humans train their horses with consistent words in consistent tones depending on the command the human wants the horse to obey using body language, too.  

In all the global cultures that domesticated horses, humans learned that about horse behavior at the same time the human was physically moving about preparing the horse for command. In 2018, the Kentucky Equine Research Staff reported the results of this study: 

“Speaking softly to your horse may increase the bond between the two of you, according to recent research.* Audio recordings of cheerful and angry human voices were played for horses, and their reactions to the different voices were documented. Researchers concluded horses prefer soothing tones to harsh ones.” (4) Horse training experts use spoken and body language to tame or train a horse.

Miles Henry advises, “Buoyant tones can urge the horse to be more active. Harsh, low-pitched tones might cause the horse to feel afraid, while gentle or cheerful tones will usually be associated with favorable situations. A horse’s memory might even be sensitive to the accent of your voice.”  (5)

Where Can I Ride a Horse in Texomaland?

If you have always wanted to ride a horse, check out the following video featuring Bill Bryk, a regular contributor to ouramericanstories.com, who learned to ride a horse at age 60. In 2023, except for a couple of riding stables near Lake Texoma, you have to trailer your horse so you and your horse can explore the backwoods of Lake Texoma and its region. You will not be disappointed if you do. 

Places to ride a horse at Lake Texoma include: 

• Big Mineral Equestrian Camp
• Eisenhower State Park
• Lake Texoma State Park
• Platter Flats Equestrian Camp
• Tanglewood Resort: Rocking A Ranch

Platter Flats Equestrian Camp

The Platter Equestrian Camp is located on Lake Texoma with 26 family campsites with electrical/water hookups, 37 equestrian sites with hookups, and 20 equestrian sites without hookups. It offers concrete pad for horse trailers and its 20 miles of trails are well marked. 

Big Mineral Equestrian Camp

Volunteers and the USACE help maintain the Big Mineral Equestrian Camp and its trails near Gordonville, Texas, where you can camp and ride horses along Lake Texoma’s shores through trees and creeks. It is primitive camping only.

Lake Texoma State Park

Lake Texoma State Park near Kingston, Oklahoma, with the Two Rivers Nature Center, offers trails and access to nearby trails for equestrian and hiking purposes.  

Eisenhower State Park

Eisenhower State Park offers 15 equestrian campsites with electric and water hookups and individual corrals in the upper loop of its Westpoint Campground. Its Cowboy campground is a primitive area for equestrian camping. Throughout the year, the park holds nature activities and research, picnicking, hiking, bicycling, fishing, swimming, boating, waterskiing, and wildlife observation. 

Tanglewood Resort

The Texas Trail Rides at Tanglewood Resort and Conference Center is the place to rent a horse, go on a guided horseback ride, or take riding lessons with experienced staff. This resort is well known to Texomaland locals and tourists as a wonderful place to spend leisure hours at Lake Texoma, but it is not a campground. It does not have equestrian services for horse trailers and horses. 

VIDEO HERE : https://www.ouramericanstories.com/podcast/inspiration/you-re-never-too-old-to-learn-to-ride-a-horse

(1) Damgaard, P., et al. (2018, May 9). The first horse herders and the impact of early bronze age ... - science. The first horse herders and the impact of early Bronze Age steppe expansions into Asia. Retrieved March 21, 2023, from https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.aar7711 

(2)  Geography.name. (n.d.). Kyrghiz Steppes. Kyrghiz steppes. Retrieved March 21, 2023, from 

https://geography.name/kyrghiz-steppes/#:~:text=It%20is%20a%20broad%20plain,to%20very%20few%20Kyrgyz%20people 

(3) Williams, , C. A. (2004, July 22). The basics of equine behavior. Equine Science Center. Retrieved March 21, 2023, from https://esc.rutgers.edu/fact_sheet/the-basics-of-equine-behavior/ 

(4) Staff, K. E. R. (2018, October 1). Handler's voice impacts human-horse bond. Kentucky Equine Research. Retrieved March 21, 2023, from https://ker.com/equinews/handlers-voice-impacts-human-horse-bond/#:~:text=Speaking%20softly%20to%20your%20horse,you%2C%20according%20to%20recent%20research.&text=Audio%20recordings%20of%20cheerful%20and,the%20different%20voices%20were%20documented. 

(5) Henry, M. (n.d.). Can a horse understand words? 9 equine verbal cues. horseracingsense.com. Retrieved March 21, 2023, from https://horseracingsense.com/can-horse-understand-words-equine-verbal-cues/