The Wells Fargo Horses at the 2014 Savannah St. Patrick’s Day Parade were set to impress, but things quickly took a turn for the worse. The horses got spooked and started acting out of control in front of the Cathedral. In the midst of the chaos, one woman stood out as a calming presence, quickly bringing the horses back under control. This goes to show how important it is to have a calm and experienced instructor around horses.
Horses are incredibly sensitive animals, and they can feel both negative and positive energy acutely. If you gain their trust, you can train them just as well as a dog. However, things can go wrong even with the most well-trained horses, especially in unfamiliar settings like parades. In this particular case, it looked like the second team had an issue with something by their feet, which caused them to act out. Fortunately, the situation was quickly brought under control by the handlers on the ground.
The audience’s reaction to the horses’ behavior was less than ideal, with some clapping and yelling, which only served to spook the horses further. However, it’s worth noting that this was actually a very controlled situation, especially when compared to some other parade disasters caused by runaway hitch teams. With everyone involved working together, the outcome was fantastic.
As one carriage horse driver notes, when horses get spooked, it’s often better to give them a direction to move in rather than ask them to stand still. This helps to dissipate their anxiety and fright. In this situation, the chain reaction caused by the front horses misbehaving also had an impact on the ones behind them. The cart handler and stable hands needed to be more attentive and focused on their actions, especially given the potential risks involved.
Overall, this incident is a reminder that horses are not machines, and even with the best intentions and training, accidents can happen. It’s important to have experienced handlers and instructors around them to ensure everyone’s safety. With a little bit of calmness and quick thinking, any situation can be resolved without harm to the animals or people involved.