Horse & Human Communication

Fear, pain or learned behaviors cause most horse "misbehavior." Horses are herd animals that look to a strong leader to keep them safe and comfortable. If given the choice between fight or flight, horses will most often choose flight; they will leave food for safety every time. By understanding how horses communicate, you can understand your horse’s behavior and get her to work not just for you but with you.

  1. Body Language

    • In a herd, when one horse notices something frightening, she lifts her head, tightens her muscles, raises her tail and holds her breath. Other horses will notice and do the same thing, looking in the same direction. If the lead mare senses danger, she will lead the herd to safety; if the lead mare drops her head and continues grazing, the other horses will too.

      Horses also observe human body language. If your horse is frightened, stand beside her, sigh loudly, relax your muscles and drop your shoulders. Horse trainer Julie Goodnight says horses mirror the emotions of animals and humans around them. If you are frightened when you approach a horse, she will sense it and be scared too. If you are confident and relaxed, your horse will feel safe and comfortable.

    Eyes

    • When the lead mare in a herd wants another horse to move, she looks directly at him, bares her teeth, flattens her ears back against her head and steps toward him. The other horse knows to hurry up and move. If you enter the pasture to catch your horse and walk toward her making direct eye contact, you’re telling her to get away from you, especially if you’re feeling tense.

    Ears

    • Your horse’s ears also indicate where her attention is. If they’re pricked toward you, she’s listening. If she has one ear forward and one turned back when you’re riding, she’s paying attention to you and to where she’s headed. When both ears are flattened back against the head, this indicates aggressive behavior.

    Position

    • Moving assertively toward a horse’s hindquarters, especially with direct eye contact, tells her you want her to move forward and away from you. Alternately, moving in the same way toward her head or shoulders tells her you want her to turn the opposite direction and move away from you. Relaxing and making soft eye contact will encourage her to relax and come closer to you.

    Physical Contact

    • Horses bond by grooming each other. To help strengthen your bond with your horse, you can groom or scratch him. According to horse trainer Jeri-Tallee Dawson, horses typically enjoy being scratched at the withers (the bone at the top of the shoulders where the mane ends), croup (top of the hindquarters), on the chest and under the belly. Your horse will show that she likes being scratched by stretching or arching her neck, stretching her upper lip or using her upper lip to scratch you back. Younger horses may try to return the favor by scratching you with their teeth, which should be discouraged.