Read About Horse Behavior

Learn more about Horse Behavior to help understand why your animal acts the way it does. Understanding your horse will only bring the two of you closer.

Herding Instinct

The horse has not always been a domestic animal, and it was not designed to be a solo creature. Originally, horses traveled in herds, banding together to offer each other protection and companionship. Together herds would maintain a vigilance for danger and scour for food when scarce.

Horses communicate their feelings through their actions. A horse that chooses to remain isolated from company is exhibiting mental or physical stress. In cases like this, it is advised to contact your horse's veterinarian.

Nonverbal Communication

Nonverbal communication is about the only method a horse has to let you know how it’s feeling. Following is a list of ways that horses may use to communicate its mood to you.

  • The ears of a horse are one of the best ways to discern your horse’s mood. Ears laid back flat against its head means an irate animal, best to be avoided. But ears forward reflect a well-adjusted, happy creature.

  • Flared nostrils are also a sign of fear or anger. They are usually accompanied by a pulled-back upper lip and a raised leg and sometimes a compressed tail.

    Verbal Communication

    There is a wide range of ways a horse can communicate verbally. Here is a short list in order to help you recognize what your horse is saying.

  • Neighing is probably the most frequently used method of communication. It is a greeting, an announcement, or a way to find its pals.

  • The nicker is a friendly way for your horse to say hello to you or its friends.

  • Together with a glare, snorting is more of a defense mechanism for horses. Snorting is usually thought to be a way of communicating a dangerous situation to the herd.