Awareness of the outside world. Scalzi coined the phrase, “The failure mode of clever is ‘asshole.’ ” Whatever. I would like to posit that this is true for men. If you are female, the failure mode of clever is silly. Ask me how I know.
~~~
Milton. Outlast. Bordering on miracle cure. He lets us touch his ears now. Like, actually reach up and rub them. Not just sneak up from the side to check for ticks. Have his problems in the past been rooted in stomachaches?
Rodney. Gastroguard. Has been on Outlast. We finally interpreted the minion messages and realized it wasn’t working. After one dose of Gastroguard, the change is night & day.
Same breed. Same living conditions. Same exercise regimen. Same hay, feed & grass. Wildly different requirements. I don’t think I will ever understand horses.
Nor will I understand what on earth my horses have to be stressed about.
Onwards!
Katherine
Virtual Brush Box 
Like humans, horses differ from individual to individual. Some humans, speaking for myself, maintain a set range of stress no matter what the exterior circumstances are. After a “crisis cluster”, I relax, recover and then find myself looking, actually looking , for my next stressor. I think addict is the wrong word but it is close.
As I age, I am less tolerant of stress so I am trying to lower the level but it’s fighting a lifetime of a crisis management lifestyle.
Does that sound familiar to anyone else? Milton? Rodney?
Joan
Perfectly said. We will probably guess forever, about what stresses horses, and most other creatures as well. As for the word “silly”, although I think of it with laughter and light-hearted moments, it can be an insult, unfortunately. MM
I’ve never in my life had a fussy eater. Even my dogs will eat whatever I feed them. One horse will eat anything you give him. Anything. I think he came from a background where he knew what hunger was, so he’s just thrilled to have access to hay 24/7. Sometimes I swear he looks at me and thinks, “OMG! There she is with more hay!” The other horse might be less thrilled with the hay we’re feeding, but he’ll eat it with less enthusiasm just so you’ll know. They both get the exact same grain and balancer, but slightly different amounts. (And by amounts I mean like barely a handful each.) They are out 24/7 with some pasture during the summer that they tend to ignore during the day, but seem to enjoy after dark. Are they stressed? I don’t think so. Even when my hubby leaves to go horse camping the one left behind only hollers a couple of times, then gets on with life as usual. Supplements consist of a small scoop of a hoof pellets three times a week. Do they have tummy aches? I don’t think so. Am I out there looking for issues? Also no. If their tummy hurts then they better be flat out on their side or I’m going to miss it. Their poop might change a little depending on seasonal changes in forage, but we don’t even fuss when feeding new hay. We just put it out there and let nature take it’s course. One gelding is a little “moodier” than the other, but he came that way and we’ve had him almost his entire life. He’s very, very consistent and you always know exactly where you stand with him. The other gelding is also consistent. He’s more affectionate, but also wound much more tightly. Although they are both 24 year old Quarter horses their pedigrees are very different, and that shows up in many things like personality and work ethic. (Think: ranch type vs cutting type) I’m thankful every day that they seem to be happy and healthy, but they are still very different horses who process life their own separate way. Kind of like people.
Ah genetics… endlessly fascinating. Same with how previous life experiences shape living creatures.