Every time people use horses, they exercise psychology, because their strength is no match to that of horses. If we don't use superior psychology, we may find horses using us to achieve objectives that are not consistent with the intended goal. Such a situation results in owner dissatisfaction and a spoiled horse whose value may dangerously approach those packed in cans for dog and cat food. Modern horse psychology attempts to anticipate probable behavior of horses under different conditions and establish those conditions that encourage responses consistent with goals of the horse handler.
Horses have poor vision Generally speaking, horses see poorly.
The horse adjusts its range of vision by lowering and raising its head, much as a human does with trifocal glasses. Such a visual arrangement is most convenient for grazing and watching for enemies at the same time, but it is a real handicap in judging height and distance. As a horse approaches a strange jump, it lowers its head, then raises it to appraise the height of the jump. Horses taken from a brightly lit area for loading into a trailer may lower their noses to the floor of the trailer, then raise their heads rather high for loading. In addition to smelling the trailer for identification, they may be trying to find the head position that gives them the best possible vision.