Swaps1955

Review real studies of animal behavior like Lorenz On Agression and Horse Watching get to the heart of animal interactions and it is NOT based upon the emotions that sports riders superimpose on them. They run out of a conditioned response to fear. plain and simple.

Animals should be considered, as Ivan Pavlov wrote in 1927, "without any need to resort to fantastic speculations as to the existence of any possible subjective states." More recently, The Oxford companion to animal behaviour (1987) advises "one is well advised to study the behaviour rather than attempting to get at any underlying emotion."

Hey Humphrey: I couldn't disagree more. When two athletes of equal ability are matched it often comes down to the mental aspect as to who comes out on top. Take the case of Affirmed vs. Alydar. Many would argue that these horses had equal ability, but Affirmed seemed to exert his will to win to come out on top. This is a trait that can be attributed to humans as well

anthropomorphize again and again. Horses simply run some better than others