I Happen To Like Smelling Like Horse
June 3, 2008
As I was leaving the therapeutic riding facility where I volunteer last night, I caught the tail end of an interesting segment about smells on the John Tesh radio show.
If you’ve never listened to John Tesh, he’s all about providing the latest news and tips that affect our lives. Sometimes it’s what do if you get fired from your job, dating advice, cooking advice, what breads to avoid, anything you can think of. My favorite tip ever from the John Tesh radio show is to stick my head in the freezer if my eyes tear up while cutting onions. (Try it sometime, it really works! Instant relief.)
Well, as I got in my car, John was explaining that studies show that we don’t like or dislike certain smells because of their aroma but because of the context in which we think of them. For example, those of us in North American like the smell of wintergreen. Here, it’s used to flavor gum and other candies. But most people in the UK hate the smell of wintergreen. There, it’s used to flavor medicine. See how context affects our sense of smell?
This got me thinking about the smell of horses. I walk into the barn and stop to take in a big drag of horse, hay, and manure. MMMMM. A few hours later, I barely walk in the door before my husband exclaims, “YOU STINK!” and plugs his nose.
This got me thinking about why us horse people love the smell of our equine friends, and our non-horsey counterparts often don’t.
When I smell horse, I associate it with things like
- early summer morning rides
- competing successfully in horse shows
- hitting the perfect jump spot
- kissing a soft equine muzzle
- scratching Penny while grooming
- riding, showing, working, and playing with my mom, sisters, and friends
- a horse breathing gently on my cheek as he sniffs me up and down
- a soft fuzzy foal with too long legs who wants to be scratched
- riding in summer horse camps
- serious and silly conversations while cleaning stalls with friends
- riding bareback and feeling like one with a horse
- making friends from different grades, schools, and even countries
- teaching kids and seeing them be successful on horseback
- the unmatched feeling of truly clicking with a horse
- galloping across an open field
- my childhood
- large, liquid brown eyes full of trust and love
- shiny coats after a good grooming
- years spent learning more about working with these majestic animals
On the other hand, my hubby probably associates
- picking up poop
- hauling water buckets
- hauling hay
- getting bitten
- and sore leg muscles
with the smell of horses.
No wonder he doesn’t find it quite as pleasant as I do.
What does the pungent aroma of horse bring to your mind?
Posted in Horsin' Around, Women and Horses
June 3rd, 2008 at 8:30 pm
Nice post Jackie, of course I’m partial to your list, especially the early morning rides, galloping in the hay field and of course giving Penny a good scratch. I wonder what your Dad associates with horsey smells…maybe “happy wife”, that could be a good thing. :~)
June 4th, 2008 at 12:40 am
Okay, I admit it. I’m a horse sniffer. I bury my nose in my horse’s neck and inhale as deeply as possible to get a good, long whiff. It reminds me of the very first horse I knew as a child, an ornery gray mare named Venus. To me, horses have always symbolized hope and freedom. Horses smell a heck of a lot better than my dogs’ breath.
June 4th, 2008 at 8:07 pm
I think you have covered almost all of the wonderful reasons we like the ‘horsey smell’ the only addition for me would be that it just reminds me of how lucky I am to even have a barn let alone horses that allow me to be their friend and sometimes I am in awe of these huge magnificent creatures just playing with my hair or licking my hands, or rubbing their heads on me, it’s just a happy smell to me.