What is your horse trying to tell you?

Read the combination: ears, mouth, neck and tail

A single signal tells you little. The picture only appears once you read ears, face, neck, tail and the whole posture together, and weigh that against the situation and against what is normal for this horse. Below are a few examples of how the same individual signals can mean very different things.

The ears

Ears move fast and turn toward attention. Their position mostly tells you where the horse is focusing, not straight away how it feels.

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  Ears forward

  Both ears point forward, toward something in front of the horse. This shows attention, not automatically happiness.

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  Ears sideways or relaxed

  The ears hang loosely to the side. Often a sign of rest, sometimes of dozing, sometimes of not feeling well.

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  Ears turned back

  The ears turn back. This can be listening, concentration, doubt or the start of irritation.

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  Ears pinned flat

  The ears lie tight and flat against the neck. Usually a clear warning, but it can also belong with pain.

Head and neck

The height of the head relates to tension and attention, but only takes on meaning together with the face and the situation.

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  Head raised high

  The head goes up and the neck straightens. Often alertness or tension, sometimes just looking into the distance.

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  Head lowered

  The head drops to around or below wither height. Often relaxation or dozing, but sometimes dullness or being unwell.

Mouth and face

The mouth, lips and chewing show tension or relaxation. Some gestures, such as licking and chewing, are often misread.

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  Relaxed lower lip

  The lower lip hangs loose and sometimes slightly down. Usually relaxation or dozing.

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  Tense mouth

  The mouth and muzzle are tight and the lips may be pinched. Often tension, discomfort or pain.

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  Licking and chewing

  The horse licks its lips and makes chewing movements without food. Often after a tense moment, not simply submission.

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  Yawning

  The horse opens its mouth wide in a slow yawn. The meaning is nuanced: it can belong with relaxation, but also with tension or discomfort.

The tail

The tail moves for flies, but also with irritation, tension or pain. The way it moves and the context make the difference.

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  Tail relaxed

  The tail hangs loose and swings gently. Usually relaxation, but always read it with the rest.

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  Tail swishing

  The tail lashes sharply or repeatedly. It can be flies, but also irritation, tension or pain.

Sounds and breath

Horses make sounds with their breath. The sharp alarm blow and the soft, rhythmic snort do not mean the same thing.

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  Blowing

  A short, forceful exhalation through the nose, often sharp. Usually alertness or excitement at something new.

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  Snorting

  A soft, rhythmic, pulsing snort through the nose. More common in pleasant, calm situations, but not a simple happiness meter.

Body and maintenance

Everyday behaviour such as pawing, rolling, resting and sleeping is usually normal, but in certain combinations can point to discomfort.

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  Pawing

  The horse scrapes a foreleg over the ground. Often impatience or frustration, sometimes a sign of belly pain.

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  Rolling

  The horse lies down and rolls over its back. Usually normal comfort behaviour, but violent repeated rolling can be colic.

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  Rest and sleep

  Horses doze standing and sleep in short bouts. For real deep sleep they must lie down flat now and then.

Social behaviour

Horses are herd animals. Much of their behaviour only makes sense in the context of the group and the bonds within it.

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  Mutual grooming

  Two horses nibble each other over the neck and withers. This strengthens the bond and measurably lowers the heart rate.

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  Herd behaviour

  Horses are herd animals with fixed bonds and roles. Much behaviour only makes sense in the context of the group.

Defence, threat and fear

Threatening, biting, kicking, fleeing and freezing are communication or survival, not a bad character. Fear or pain is often involved.

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  Threat display

  A warning without contact: pinned ears, a stretched neck or a threatening gesture. Meant to create distance.

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  Biting

  From nipping and nibbling to a real bite. The meaning ranges from play and mutual grooming to defence, fear or pain.

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  Kick threat

  A raised or cocked hind leg as a warning. Usually defence or creating distance.

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  Flight response

  Jumping away, shying sideways or bolting. The horse is by nature a flight animal and reacts to what it perceives as a threat.

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  Freezing

  The horse stiffens and stands motionless. This is not always calm; it can be high tension or helplessness.

Stress and pain

Stress and pain rarely show in a single sign. It is about patterns and about change from what is normal. Behaviour alone does not diagnose.

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  Stress signals

  No single signal on its own, but a pattern: among others visible eye white, high head, droppings, sweating and not settling.

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  Pain signals

  Horses naturally hide pain. Validated scales exist for the face and for ridden behaviour, but behaviour alone does not diagnose.