UNDERSTANDING EQUINE
BEHAVIOR
Instructor: Dr. Jennifer Williams
Lesson Three
Language of Horses
Our first two lessons were probably the toughest lessons of this
class. They covered psychological terms
and included a lot of new terminology and concepts. If you haven’t had a psychology class before,
you may need to review those lessons a few times before moving on.
You may think I’m crazy for including psychology in a horse behavior
class, but those lessons are important.
I believe when you understand how horses (and other animals, including
humans) learn, you become a better trainer.
As you apply the concepts, you’ll find you think about training in a
different way. And you may discover that
your horses learn more quickly and retain knowledge longer.
Previous Lesson Summary
The first lesson covered a type of associative
learning that involves voluntary behaviors called operant conditioning. Lesson
2 covered another type of associative learning that involves involuntary
behaviors called classical conditioning. In classical conditioning, the unconditioned
stimulus produces an unconditioned response.
During the acquisition phase,
the trainer uses either trace
conditioning or delay conditioning
to help the horse create an association between the conditioned stimulus and
unconditioned stimulus. Once the horse
creates the association, the conditioned stimulus produces the conditioned
response.
Once the horse is classically conditioned, he may learn stimulus generalization in which
several similar stimuli can serve as the conditioned stimulus or he may learn stimulus discrimination in which one
stimulus serves as a conditioned stimulus while similar stimuli do not.
Classical conditioning appears to play a significant role in the
development of phobias.
Classical Conditioning Review:
A
large, dark-colored dog chases your horse through a pasture fence, causing him
painful injuries. The next time he sees
a large dog, he takes off running even though the dog isn’t chasing him. Before long, he bolts whenever he sees a dog
of any size or color.
Can
you identify the conditioned stimulus, unconditioned stimulus, conditioned
response, and unconditioned response?
Has the horse begun to use stimulus generalization or stimulus
discrimination? Scroll down to the end
of this summary for the answers.
Lesson 2 also covered non-associative
learning in which the horse reacts to a single event without reinforcers. Sensitization
happens when a horse reacts more quickly or more strongly to a stimulus
each time it is presented. Habituation occurs when a horse reacts
less quickly or strongly to a stimulus each time it is presented, and during desensitization a horse becomes less
fearful or responsive after repeated exposure to a stimulus he has learned to
fear in the past.
Non-associative Learning Review: Which type
of learning is taking place in each of these examples? Scroll down to the bottom of this summary for
the answers.
Scenario 1:
A horse you are working with is terrified of hoses lying on the
ground. To help him overcome his fear,
you put a hose across the ground at the far end of his paddock. Once he stops snorting and running in fear,
you move the hose closer to his feed and water buckets. Each day, you move the hose a little closer
until your horse is no longer bothered by the sight of the hose lying on the
ground and calmly walks past it.
Scenario 2:
You need to teach your horse to move his body sideways when he’s
standing in cross-ties so you can move around him safely. At first, you have to push hard on his sides
with your hand to get him to step away from you. Each time you ask him to move sideways, you
are able to use less pressure until finally he moves sideways with just slight
pressure against his side.
Scenario 3:
You are training a horse for cowboy mounted shooting competition. When you first expose him to the sound of
gunfire, he jumps. You continue to fire
the gun, however, and each time he reacts less strongly. Over a few training sessions, he no longer
even flinches when you fire a gun.
Finally, we discussed clicker
training. Clicker training combines
classical conditioning and operant conditioning.
In the first phase, the trainer uses classical conditioning to charge the clicker by clicking and then
presenting the horse with a bit of food until he starts to look for the food
once he hears the click sound.
The trainer then uses operant conditioning in which the sound of the
click is now a secondary reinforcer
to signal to the horse that he’s performed the right behavior.
Review Answers:
Classical Conditioning Review:
Conditioned stimulus: initially it was the sight of a large, dark
colored dog, and then the horse generalized to all dogs.
Unconditioned stimulus: the dog chasing the horse through the fence
Conditioned response: Fear that caused the horse to bolt away from
the dog.
Unconditioned response: Fear and pain
(from running through the fence)
The horse used stimulus
generalization. Initially he bolted only
from large, dark-colored dogs, but he then began to bolt whenever he saw any
dog.
Non-associative Learning Review:
Scenario
1: Desensitization
Scenario
2: Sensitization
Scenario
3: Habituation
The Language of Horses – Verbal Communication
Non-horse people often think of farms as serene places full of quiet and
relaxation, but those of us who work or live on a horse farm know better! Horses
squeal, whinny, and “talk” throughout the day.
Over time, it becomes easy to tune those noises out and forget that
they’re one of the ways horses have to communicate both with each other and
with us. When we take a minute to listen
to the horses in our care, they convey a lot of information when they do
vocalize.
The snort is generally an alarm call that says the horse is worried about
something. When snorting, the horse
stands straight and still. His head and
tail are elevated and his ears point toward the worrisome object or noise, and
the whites of his eyes may be visible.
He’s alert and ready to flee from a potential predator.
When a horse snorts, he pushes the air out of his nose while his mouth
is closed. This makes a loud noise that
lasts less than a second. Sometimes
snorts sound pulsating because the horse’s nostrils flutter.
Since the horse faces the source of his alarm, the snort alerts other
horses of the presence and direction of a potential threat. When they hear a snort, they’ll raise their
heads, turn toward the potential threat, snort, and prepare to run.
Example: While in
the barn, I heard one of my pasture horses snort. I ran outside to find my horses running– with
a strange horse chasing them. I caught
the strange horse and discovered that my neighbor’s stallion had escaped and
jumped into my pasture. If I hadn’t
listened to my gelding’s concerned snort, I wouldn’t have known the stallion
was out there and I would have ended up with a couple of bred mares.
Although modern, domestic horses
rarely need to worry about the threat of mountain lions or other predators like
their feral counterparts, the snort still serves a purpose. It alerts the horse’s handler that he’s
spotted something out of the ordinary.
It may be a dog creeping through the pasture or an object half-hidden in
the grass alongside the arena fence.
The horse is telling you that
something’s worried him, and he may be preparing to bolt or spook.
When loose horses snort, it is a good
idea to check out what has them worried.
It may be something minor like a plastic bag caught in a tree, but it
may be something that needs your attention like a dog harassing your
horses.
When a horse you are riding or handling snorts, remain calm. This helps assure him that no threat
exists. He may then relax and move on
without spooking.
Example: On a
recent trail ride, my mare Freckles suddenly stopped, raised her head, and
snorted. I looked in the direction she
was staring and discovered a couple of deer watching us. I remained calm and felt Freckles relax
underneath me.
In the wild, stallions also snort when
challenging another stallion. They face each other and often pin their ears.
One stallion issues the challenge by
snorting, and often the other stallion turns and runs: ending the
challenge. But if the second stallion
snorts as well, the fight begins.
The stallions may bite, kick, and
strike each other until one gives in or is defeated.
Domestic stallions and geldings also
snort to issue a challenge. When one of
your horses challenges another, quickly separate the two to prevent a fight.
The
blow is often confused with the snort, however they convey different
things.
The blow tells you that the horse
feels good and may be ready to run or play.
The horse stands straight with his head and tail elevated. You don’t see the whites of his eyes and his
body does not appear tense or rigid as it would during the snort.
To create a blowing sound, the horse’s
mouth is closed and he sends air through his nostrils. The blow is less sharp and guttural.
Often, he’ll blow, toss his head and take off running and bucking. “Blowing” can be contagious – if one horse
in a herd blows, other horses may blow before the entire herd runs across the
pasture together.
Example: My horse
Elvis is playful in the pasture. I often
walk outside just in time to see him run, buck, and slide to a stop. He then throws his head into the air and
emits a loud blow. He looks for the
other horses before prancing away.
If your horse blows while you are
riding, he’s telling you that he’s excited and feeling good. He may be ready to gallop or buck. If he’s near loose horses, he may try to run
to join them. Get his attention by
circling or performing half-halts, and remind him that it is not time to
play.
The
squeal tells you the horse is
angry or defensive. Squeals are loud and
vary in length from a tenth of a second to several seconds.
A horse’s mouth remains closed while
squealing and he often arches his neck and pins his ears. Squeals are loud – and can be heard more than
100 yards away. When a horse squeals,
he’s saying “Back off! Or “Leave me alone!”
Mares that aren’t ready to breed often squeal when approached by a
stallion.
A horse that is eating may pin his ears and squeal when another horse
approaches his food. If the approaching
horse ignores the squeal, the eating horse may then bite or kick.
An injured horse may squeal when you brush over a sore spot or tighten
the cinch. If you ignore the squeal, the
horse may escalate and bite or kick you.
Listen to your horse when he squeals:
move him away from other horses to protect both you and your horse. If your horse squeals when other horses
aren’t around, check him for signs of pain:
ill-fitting tack, lameness, brushes, or a sore back.
Example: My mare
Freckles hates it when other horses invade her space. When she feels crowded, she pins her ears,
raises her head, and squeals loudly. If
the other horses don’t back off, she follows the squeal with a series of
kicks. When she’s out in the pasture, I
can do nothing. If she squeals while I’m
riding her, however, I move her past the other horses so she doesn’t start
kicking and hurt someone.
The
nicker is a friendly sound horses use to communicate with a close
companion.
Most of us love to hear our horses
nicker. That greeting makes us feel more
connected to our horses and proud that our horses recognize us and want to
communicate with us.
When nickering, the horse’s mouth is closed, and he pushes air over his
vocal cords to make the soft, pulsating sound you hear. Nickers can only be heard about 20 to 30
yards away – they’re meant to communicate with a nearby horse. A greeting nicker is used to say hello to a
companion – whether human or equine.
When approaching a mare, stallions use
courtship nickers. When he’s nickering
at her, he’s flirting – telling her he’s interested and watching her reaction
to see if she’s ready to breed. A
courtship nicker generally has a lower pitch than a greeting nicker.
While he knickers, the stallion approaches
a mare with his head high and neck arched.
Different stallions have different nickers – some are long while others
are short, and behaviorists believe this is so that mares can differentiate
between stallions.
Mares use a maternal nicker to tell
their foals to come closer or to stay nearby.
This nicker is generally softer than either the courtship or greeting
nicker. A mare with a newborn may nicker
whenever he’s more than a foot or two away from her, but as the foal ages, the
mare allows him to move further away before nickering.
Foals respond to the nicker by moving
closer or whinnying to their mother, and foals instinctively respond to their
dam’s nicker from birth. Foals can
distinguish their dam’s nicker from the nicker of other mares.
Example: I fostered
a mare, Twizzler, for the rescue I operate
(Bluebonnet Equine Humane Society). Twizzler was
pregnant when she was removed from negligent owners, and a few months later she
had a colt named Easter. For the first
day of Easter’s life, Twizzler nickered often to keep
Easter close. But before long, she
stopped nickering at him. She wasn’t a
great mother, and she didn’t seem to care if he went off on his own. Listening to Twizzler’s
nickers gave me insight on her relationship with Easter. Because Twizzler
didn’t seem inclined to call him back to her side or protect him from others, I
kept the two in a paddock alone where he couldn’t wander far or get hurt by
other horses.
Occasionally, horses nicker when they’re apprehensive or nervous.
A nervous horse is tense and may pace or circle. His ears move rapidly, and his head is
elevated. Often the pitch of a nervous
nicker is lower than that of a greeting nicker.
Horses may nicker nervously when they hear unusual sounds such as the
ping of hail hitting the metal barn roof or they may nicker when a strange
animal approaches their pasture.
The
whinny, also called the neigh, is the loudest and longest call horses make. It may last several seconds and can be heard
more than a mile away.
The horse’s mouth is open when he
whinnies, and he quickly forces air over his vocal cords to make the
sound. He often stands straight with an
elevated head and neck.
When whinnying, horses are saying “Where are you?” or “I’m over
here!” Lonely horses often whinny
frequently, trying to locate equine companionship. A
horse that is separated from his companion will whinny to him: my horses whinny whenever I take one out to
ride without taking the others along. Horses in new situations with strange
horses may also whinny: most of us who
show have seen a young horse in the arena for the first time constantly
whinnying for his barn-mates.
Each horse has a distinct whinny. I can identify each of my horses by his
whinny, and one of the first things my non-horsey husband learned about the
horses was the distinct sound of each horse’s whinny. Our old mare Fire had a high-pitched whinny
that sounded like a scream, Elvis has a low, loud trumpeting whinny, and Jawhari’s whinny is high-pitched like a young foal.
Example: As you get
to know the distinct sound of each horse’s whinny, you’ll know when someone’s
in trouble, worried, or separated from the others. One morning, I heard Elvis and Freckles in
the barn. I ran outside to check on everyone and found that my horse Chips had
opened his stall gate and set himself free. He was wandering about our property
and Freckles and Elvis were calling to see where he was.
The grunt is a short, low pitched noise and the
groan is a longer version of the grunt.
These sounds indicate that the horse is in pain.
If your horse groans when you get in the saddle or ask him to canter,
schedule a veterinary appointment to determine the source of pain. If your veterinarian cannot find a source of
pain, then your horse may just have developed a habit of groaning during
work. I’ve met horses who have been
thoroughly vetted who continue to grunt after each jump – it seems to be a
habit they’ve developed.
Example: My barn is
located close to my bedroom window, and one night I heard the distinct sound of
a horse groaning in the barn. I
grabbed my flashlight and headed out to check on the horses. Elvis was lying on
the ground and groaning. I got him to his feet and discovered that he was colicking. While I
didn’t want to get out of my warm bed, I’m glad I listened to his groan. We were able to easily treat the colic.
The sigh happens when a horse takes a deep breath and releases it slowly through
his nostrils.
It isn’t technically a vocalization as no air moves past the vocal
cords.
A sigh still indicates your horse’s state of mind: it means he’s relaxed and calm. A horse may sigh during a massage as an
indication he’s relaxed or he may sigh as sign of boredom when you repeatedly
drill him on a lesson during training.
If your horse sighs, pay attention.
If he’s bored with the lesson, it may be time to move on to something
else.
Example: My horse Jawhari is very expressive with his sighs. If I take too long getting him ready for his
ride, he tells me he’s exasperated with me with a sigh. If he’s bored while we wait for our turn in
the show ring, he sighs.
If you’ve been around a farm long, I’m sure you’ve heard each of these
sounds. Now you should have insight into
how the sound is created and what it means.
As you work with and around horses, listen to the sounds they’re making
and consider what they’re communicating to you.
The Language of Horses – Non-Verbal Communication
While the horse’s verbal
communications are important and shouldn’t be ignored, it is only one means of
communicating with us.
Because people evolved to talk and
developed a rich verbal language, we often overlook subtle, non-verbal
communication. These subtle cues are
important because they convey much more information than verbal cues do.
Tuning into your horses’ non-verbal
communication allows you to tailor your training to fit your horses’ unique
needs.
Even if you aren’t aware of the term
“non-verbal communication’, you probably know and recognize at least a few
non-verbal cues.
Example: One of the
first things most of us learn when we start interacting with horses is that a
horse is angry when he pins his ears.
Example: When a
horse cocks his hind hoof, he may soon kick out.
Can you think of any other non-verbal cues? Do you know what your horse is saying when
the skin around his muzzle is tight or when his ears hang out to the sides?
Horses have a plethora of non-verbal cues, and if you learn to recognize
them you can react to their thoughts, fears, and needs before a situation
escalates. It makes you a better
horseperson, keeps your horses calmer and happier, and keeps everyone safer.
To pick up on their non-verbal communication, you’ll have to pay close
attention to the horses in your care.
Unless a horse is very scared or angry, non-verbal communication is
usually a very subtle signal conveyed through a single area of his body. I think of it as a whisper.
If the human he’s trying to communicate with doesn’t “listen”, his cues
get more obvious. Finally if the horse
still doesn’t feel like he’s heard, he’ll attempt to communicate with obvious
signs from several body parts. I think of
this as a scream.
When you listen and react to your horse’s subtle cues, you keep
situations from escalating. When the
horse feels he must “scream” to be heard, you’re likely to get hurt.
Example: I once
fostered a mare who hadn’t been handled well in her life. She was covered in scars and old wounds, and
she was terrified of humans. My job was
to gentle her and teach her that not all humans were cruel. In the beginning, I spent a lot of time in
her stall trying to get near her and touch her.
When I entered her stall, she raised her head. That was her whispering, “I’m scared of
you.” When I gave her time to settle
down, I could move closer to her. If I
was in a hurry and ignored her whisper, I next saw the whites of her eyes. That was her second attempt to communicate
her fear. One day, I ignored her and
pushed in closer to her. She snapped her
teeth nearly biting my arm. That was her
way of screaming “Leave me alone! I’m scared!”
I was lucky I wasn’t injured, but it was a good reminder that I needed
to listen to my horse’s subtle signals to keep myself safe.
Communicating with the ears
Novice horse owners quickly learn that when a
horse’s ears are back and close to the neck (pinned), he’s is angry. They also soon learn that when a horse’s ears
are forward, he’s alert and paying attention.
There are other ear positions to
recognize.
Ears out to the side:
·
If a horse
has his head down while his ears hang to the side, he’s probably relaxed and
may be sleeping. He’s not aware of
what’s going on around him. Talk to him
as you approach him. Otherwise you may
startle him and he may react by whirling around and kicking you.
·
If a horse
holds his ears out to the side while awake, he may be in pain. This is especially true if he also shakes his
head or flinches when you touch his ears.
Check his ears for ticks or growths that may cause him pain.
Ears back:
·
When the ears
are turned backward, but not held close to the neck, your horse is listening to
something that’s going on behind him and deciding whether to run away or to
check it out.
·
When a
horse’s ears point backwards and he begins swishing his tail, pinned ears may
soon follow. If you are handling or
riding a horse that is using these signs to tell you that he’s irritated, put
him to work to distract him from whatever is irritating him.
Rapidly swiveling ears:
·
This horse is communicating that he’s
anxious or alert. He may be trying to
locate the source of a frightening sound or smell, or he may be overwhelmed by
too many stimuli in his environment.
This is a sign that you need to calm your horse down or remove him from
the situation and work through his fears or anxiety. If you ignore this sign, your horse may spook
or bolt.
Communicating
with the head
Your horse can communicate his mood and thoughts through the position
and movement of his head.
Elevated head:
·
When your
horse’s head is elevated, he’s also standing straight and still and looking
into the distance. He’s trying to figure
out if whatever he sees or hears is a threat he should escape, something he
should investigate, or something he can ignore.
If he decides he needs to escape, he’ll spook or bolt, so refocus his
attention elsewhere to prevent that from happening.
·
If he raises
his head and hollows his back, pins his ears, or wrings his tail while you are
riding, he’s probably in pain. Check
your tack for protruding nails or screws, and make sure your saddle fits. If the behavior persists, schedule a vet
visit to check for back pain.
Lowered head:
·
When your
horse lowers his head and his ears hang to the side, he’s relaxed and may be asleep. Approach him cautiously and make sure he’s
awake and alert before touching him.
Otherwise he may startle and kick you.
·
If he lowers his head while you are
grooming him or he’s receiving a massage, he’s relaxed and feeling good.
Shaking head:
·
When a horse
shakes his head from side to side while his ears flap, he is probably being
harassed by flies or other bugs.
·
When the
horse shakes his head up and down, it can be a sign of Equine Headshaking
Syndrome (ESS), a condition in which the trigeminal nerve fires
abnormally. If this behavior persists,
have a veterinarian examine your horse.
While ESS is not curable, it can be managed.
Snaking head:
·
A horse
snakes his head when he moves it and his neck from side to side, often a bit
lower than he normally carries it. This
is an aggressive movement often used by horses when fighting or by a stallion
when trying to herd an uncooperative mare.
A horse who snakes his head at you may be preparing to bite or strike –
this is one of those signs you need to pay attention to immediately. Try to ascertain what’s causing your horse’s
aggression and try to change the situation.
This may mean focusing his attention elsewhere, moving him out of the
area, or moving away from him.
Communicating with the forelegs:
Because horses kick with their back legs, we tend
to pay more attention to them and ignore their front legs. That’s a mistake, though, as their front legs
can communicate a lot if we pay attention.
Splayed front legs:
·
A horse
splays his front legs when they’re out to either side, and he’s often leaning
back a little bit. This is normally a
sign that something’s scared him and can indicate he’s seconds away from a
spook or bolt.
·
A horse that
is very weak due to malnutrition or a neurological disorder may also splay his
front legs to help him keep his balance.
If you find your horse standing with splayed front legs and unwilling or
able to move, call your veterinarian immediately.
Pawing:
·
When pawing,
a horse raises his front foot, reaches it out in front of him, and then digs it
into the ground. If a pawing horse is
standing on a soft surface, he can quickly dig a trench or hole. Bored or impatient horses paw when tied. He’s trying to tell you that he’s tired of
standing around and he’s ready to go!
·
Stressed
horses may paw in the trailer or at feeding time. Many neglected horses start pawing at feeding
time: they’re worried that they won’t
get fed, and that creates anxiety and stress.
Pawing then becomes a habit or stereotypy, and they continue pawing at
meal times even long after the neglect ends.
·
Pawing to
indicate anger is rarer, but it is a signal you need to listen to: it is often combined with pinned ears and is
more forceful. If the horse is loose,
this kind of pawing often precedes a charge or attack. If the horse is tied or in hand, angry pawing
may precede a bite or strike. If you are
around a loose horse that begins to paw, get out of his way and make sure
you’re not between him and the target of his anger. If your tied horse begins to paw in a
forceful, angry manner, move other horses away from him. You may also want to correct him with a sharp
‘No’ and then refocus his attention by moving him out of the area or putting
him to work.
Stomping:
·
Horses stomp
with a front leg to indicate irritation.
It may be something minor such as a fly they’re trying to dislodge.
·
Your horse
can also communicate frustration or anger when he stomps. If you don’t deal with his frustration, he
may resort to stronger signals such as a strike.
Striking:
·
When a horse
strikes, he makes a forceful, forward thrust with a front leg. An aggressive horse may strike at another
horse or human who is irritating him or in his way, and a defensive horse may
strike to defend himself, his mares, or his territory. Both types of strikes are equally
dangerous. If a horse strikes you, the
least you’ll walk away with is a bruise, but you can also suffer a broken
bone. If the horse rears and strikes
your head, you’ll be lucky to wind up with a concussion since a strike to the
head can kill you. Fortunately horses
rarely strike without giving warning: a stomp from a front hoof, wide eyes,
elevated head, or pinned ears. Those
signals are all the whisper “I’m angry” or “I’m irritated”. It is so important to heed the earlier
communication so that you can change your horse’s focus or prepare for
worsening behavior.
Communicating
with the hind legs:
Most horse people are quickly taught
to pay attention to the horses’ back legs as a kick from a hind leg can break
bones, and many of us have heard of a story of someone who was killed when
kicked by a horse. These early lessons
overlook the many ways the position and movement of a horse’s hind legs can
communicate.
Cocked leg:
·
When a horse
cocks his leg, he rests the tip of the front of the hoof on the ground, and he
drops his hip. When combined with a
lowered head, this is the sign of a relaxed horse. You may see him occasionally shift his
weight, straightening one back leg and cocking the other one. Since the horse may not be paying attention
to what’s going on around him, make sure you talk to him as you approach him
and don’t touch him until he’s aware of you.
·
If you see your
horse rapidly shifting weight from one back foot to the other, he’s trying to
tell you that he’s uncomfortable. Check
your horse’s legs for heat, swelling, or injuries and check his hooves for
injuries. Then schedule a lameness
examination with your veterinarian.
·
Horses also
cock a hind hoof when they’re irritated or defensive. In that case, his head will be elevated, his
ears will be back, and he may even be looking back over his shoulder to keep an
eye on the perceived threat. If you
don’t heed these warnings, your horse may then kick out. The best thing you can do then is steer clear
of his back end and move him forward and away from whatever is bothering him.
Raised leg:
·
Your horse
may raise his back leg off the ground to signal irritation: it may be something like a horsefly buzzing
around or it may be that he’s irritated with a horse or human behind him and is
threatening to kick. Like when he’s
cocking his back leg in irritation, his head will be elevated. He might stare at whatever is bothering him
with his ears pinned, and he may even snake his head back and forth in
warning. This is one of those times you
want to move him away from whatever is bothering him and refocus his energy by
putting him to work.
Tension or trembling:
·
Many people
overlook this subtle communication. It
can be a sign of a horse who is weak or whose health is otherwise
compromised. If you fear that’s the
case, call your veterinarian immediately.
·
Trembling
often indicates fear. It is a sign that
you need to slow down, reassure the horse, and work through whatever scares
her.
Example: We have a
mare right now that was badly abused in the past. The first time the farrier came out to trim
her hooves, her back legs trembled as soon as he began to walk toward her. The closer he got to her, the harder she
trembled. She nearly fell, and I worried that something was physically wrong
with her, but she showed no other signs of health problems. A horse who is so scared or nervous that she
trembles is one who is on the edge of either running away or fighting to
protect herself. With this mare, we had
to back off and work on handling her front legs. Over time, the farrier could approach her
back legs. It took several sessions
before she stopped trembling so badly.
Communicating with the mouth, lips, and nostrils
Although horses don’t speak to us with words, their mouths can tell us
quite a bit about what they’re thinking and feeling.
Gaping mouth:
·
If his mouth
gapes open, his teeth are visible, his ears are pinned, and you can see white
around his eyes, he’s angry and probably seconds away from biting
something. This is one of the times you
need to move yourself or the horse you are handling out of his way immediately
to avoid being hurt.
·
If his mouth
gapes open while being ridden, he may be in pain: check the bridle and bit fit and have a
veterinarian check his teeth to make sure he doesn’t need a float.
·
If a horse’s
mouth gapes open while he’s eating and he is stretching his neck out, he may be
choking. You need to call the
veterinarian immediately.
Slack mouth, drooping lip:
·
If your
horse’s lower lip droops while he’s standing in a field or in his stall, he’s
probably relaxing or even asleep. This
is one of the times you should approach him cautiously and call his name to
avoid startling him.
·
If your
horse’s lip droops while he’s awake, it may signal that he’s sustained an
injury to his mouth or is suffering from a neurological problem. Call the veterinarian for an exam.
Chewing:
·
It may look a
little funny to see your horse chewing when you know he’s not eating, but this
is a good sign when you are training him.
It means he’s relaxed and thinking: and when he’s relaxed and thinking
he’s learning.
Clacking teeth:
·
A foal or
young horse clacks his teeth when he raises his neck, sticks his head forward,
curls his lip back to show his teeth, and clicks his teeth together. If you haven’t seen this before, it looks
comical. However this is an important
foal behavior: it lets the foal tell
other horses, “Hey! I’m a baby, please
don’t hurt me!” It is most often done by
foals and weanlings, although more submissive yearlings will also use this
behavior occasionally. Normally they
stop by the time they’re two or three years old.
Flehmen:
·
Flehman is another
of those behaviors that looks really funny but serves an important
function. When a horse smells something he’s
unsure of, he raises his head, curls his upper lip, and breaths in and blows
the air back out. This allows him to
push the scent particles through a structure in his nose called the vomeronasal
organ (VNO). The VNO allows horses to
sense different chemicals in the air, often pheromones emitted by sexually
receptive horses. You most often see
stallions use flehmen when they’re determining whether a mare is in heat and
ready to breed, but all horses perform flehmen behavior when they smell
something unusual and they’re trying to get more information.
Flared nostrils:
·
A horse’s
nostrils are flared when they’re wide open, and sometimes they quiver. This often happens when they’re nervous or
startled, and it is one of those quieter types of communication that can turn
into something more serious if you don’t listen to your horse.
Tight, pinched, or pursed mouth or muzzle:
·
This is a far
less obvious signal than the others mentioned, but it is important to “listen”
to. It is one of those quietly “whispered”
forms of communication that means, “I’m worried”, “I’m stressed”, or “I’m
scared”. When you notice the tension
around your horse’s mouth, help him work through the stress or fear so he won’t
have to resort to “louder” forms of communication such as biting or running
away.
Communicating with the eyes
The movement of your horse’s eyes not only tells you what he’s thinking,
but it tells you where he’s focusing his attention.
Whites of the eyes showing:
·
If you see the
white area around your horse’s eyes while his ears are pinned or he’s wringing
his tail, he’s angry. This is a strong
signal that he’s probably about to go on the offensive: charging, biting, or
kicking. You need to be cautious while
diffusing the situation by either removing the source of his anger or getting
yourself out of the way.
·
If you see
the whites of your horse’s eyes while he’s also trembling or snorting, he’s
scared. This isn’t a subtle sign,
either. By the time he’s worked up
enough that you see white around his eyes, he’s very upset. You’ll need to reassure him or distract him
to prevent a spook, bolt, or other defensive move.
·
Exceptions: some horses, especially Appaloosas, Pintos,
or horses with a lot of white on their face, show white around their eyes all
the time and some horses easily show the whites around their eyes without being
terrified or angry. This is where
knowing your horse and what’s normal for him will come in handy as you try to
interpret his communication.
Rapidly
moving/darting eyes:
·
This somewhat
subtle communication normally means your horse is scared and looking for a way
to escape. If you fail to listen, he’ll
probably spook or bolt. If he can’t flee
and feels trapped, he may react by biting or kicking in an attempt to get
free. If you can find what’s scaring
him, remove him from the situation or calm him down to keep yourself safe.
Tension around the eyes:
·
Like tension
around the muzzle, this is a more quiet or subtle sign of stress, fear or
discomfort. You may see this tension in
a wrinkled upper eyelid or tightness at the corner of the eye. This is an early sign that something’s not
right for your horse. If you pay
attention and pick up on this cue and adjust your training or handling
procedures, you can avoid bigger problems.
Communicating
with the trail
Too often we tend to think of the tail as only a device
for swishing at flies or something that enhances our horse’s looks, but your
horse also uses his tail to communicates with you – if you’ll listen.
Rapidly swishing:
·
Some people
call this rapid movement of the tail from side to side or up and down
wringing. It is a loud warning sign that
the horse is angry or irritated, and it often precedes a kick or buck. If the horse is next to another horse,
separate them. If you are riding him
when he starts swishing his tail, check over your equipment to make sure
everything fits properly and that no sharp edges or protrusions are causing him
pain. If he continues rapidly swishing
his tail under saddle, have your veterinarian check him over: make sure that neither his teeth nor back
hurt and make sure he’s not showing any subtle signs of lameness.
Raised tail:
·
A raised or
flagged tail is often a sign of excitement.
A lot of horse people still mistakenly believe that only Arabians or
Arabian-cross horses flag their tails, but the truth is that any horse will do
this if he’s excited enough or spooked enough.
A horse who is so excited that he’s flagging his tail probably isn’t
paying much attention to you. It is a good
sign that you need to put him to work and regain his attention as excited horses
are more prone to spooking, bucking or bolting.
Tail clamped close to the body:
·
This is a
sign the horse is nervous or stressed.
He may also tuck his hindquarters underneath him or squat with his hind
end. This is the time to reassure your
horse.
·
If your horse
clamps his tail when you are riding, it can also be a sign of pain or
discomfort.
Communicating
with the body:
Some of the communication attempts that your horse
sends your way involve either all or most of his body (instead of a specific
body part.) Often these signals are
subtle and require that you tune in to your horse.
Tension:
·
Tension means
that your horse is nervous or stressed. When his body is tense, you see rigid
muscles, tightness across the back or stiffness in his movement. Listening to him now can prevent bigger
issues in the future: if he’s scared or
stressed you can work him through the problems with some desensitization or
training. That’ll help prevent him from
feeling that he needs to bolt or buck to get your attention.
·
Tension may
mean that he hurts. If you don’t think
stress or fear is the problem, check for back pain, lameness or bad teeth. Fix those problems now before your horse
resorts to bucking or rearing.
Trembling:
·
Trembling is
almost always a sign of fear. Extremely
nervous horses may tremble when exposed to something new, but I see it most
often in horses that were abused in the past and are very frightened of being
handled. This is one of those signs that
can lead to a stronger reaction if ignored:
something like biting, kicking or bolting. When your horse is trembling, stop whatever
you are doing and give him a few minutes to calm down. When he’s calm, slowly
reintroduce the thing that scared him.
Be quiet and calm with him, and he’ll pick up on your behavior and grow
braver. Working with a horse that is
this scared or nervous takes a lot of time and patience. These kinds of horses need experienced
trainers to help work through their fear.
Touching you:
·
Often when a
horse reaches out to touch us, our first reaction is to push his nose away –
especially if we’ve been bitten in the past!
You can pay attention to his body language, though, to see if he’s
thinking about biting. If he is, his
ears are probably back or the whites of his eyes are showing. You may also see tightness around his eyes or
muzzle. If that’s the case, either push
his nose away gently (don’t smack or hit him) or move out of his reach.
·
Sometimes
horses touch us with their noses because they’re curious and they want to check
us out. I see this most with young
horses or horses who haven’t been around people much. They may blow or snort a little when they do
this, and they often stand a ways back and stretch their neck to reach
you. When I’m dealing with this kind of
horse, I don’t want to scare him off so I let him sniff me/check me out, but I
keep a close eye on the rest of his body.
If his posture changes from one of curiosity to one of aggression or
fear, I move out of his way.
·
And sometimes
horses reach out to touch their handler for reassurance. When the horse needs reassurance, they’ll
often have tension around their eyes and the whites of their eyes may
show. They may snort and stand poised to
flee. If you push the nervous horse away
or even worse if you hit him, the horse will become more nervous and
distrusting of humans. This is the time
for a little petting and reassurance. It
is also the time to assess the situation and see if you’ve asked the horse to
give you more than he is mentally ready to give.
Example: I recently
worked with a nervous and high strung filly who hadn’t been handled
before. After a day or two when she felt
comfortable with me, she would reach out and gently touch me with her muzzle if
something scared her. That was my sign
to slow down, let her get used to something new, and give her a little reassurance. If I hadn’t paid attention to her and known
her, I might think she was being pushy or wanting to nibble and pushed her away
or even slapped her to discourage biting.
That would have just made her more nervous and might result in her
acting out by bolting from things that scared her.
Swinging rump/hindquarters:
·
When a mare
swings her hindquarters from side to side, it may mean she’s in heat and trying
to get the attention of any stallions that might be around. If this is the case, she’ll have her tail
raised to one side, she may urinate a little, and she’ll move her rump just
slightly from side to side. This
behavior causes problems for nearby stallions, and it can even set geldings on
edge. If a mare that you are working
with shows signs of being in heat, keep her away from stallions and give
geldings plenty of space. It may be
harder to keep her attention while she’s in heat, but putting her to work and
getting her feet moving may help give her something else to think about.
·
More frequently,
a horse who is swinging his rump from side to side is warning another horse or
human that he’s about to kick. In that
case, his ears will probably be back, he may be wringing his tail, and his body
will be tense. That’s the time to move
him away from the object of his anger and put him to work.
Learning the language of horses takes time and attention. To learn, you’ll need to spend time watching
horses in groups, alone, and while being handled and trained.
Pay attention to their body language, and watch what happens when their
handler doesn’t respond to their quieter communication. Over time, you’ll notice the subtle
communications from your horse and you can tailor your training and handling
routine to meet his needs. When you
respond to quiet communication, your horse won’t feel that need to resort to
the louder communications such as kicking, biting or bolting.
Assignment:
Spend 30 minutes observing horses in a pasture and another 30 minutes
observing a horse being ridden, handled or worked on the
ground. Keep a log of the behaviors you
see the horse perform and what you believe that those behaviors are trying to
communicate.
If you do not have access to horses for observation, you can watch
videos of horses instead. (Although watching
live horses in person is the best way to learn about horse behavior).
Log
format (the below information is required).
Date:
Time:
Location:
Description
of horse/horses:
Description
of behavior – What the horse is trying to communicate
Please send essay to Dr. Williams equinebehaviorinstructor@gmail.com
Be sure to include your full name and email
address on the document – not just in the email.