Equine Behavior
God made the horse from the breath of the wind, the beauty of the earth and the soul of the angel......
May they forever run with our hearts........
-Bonnie Piper-
May they forever run with our hearts........
-Bonnie Piper-
Equine Body Language Chart -Your horse cannot communicatewith words, but you can tell a
great deal about what he’s feeling by observing his stance and his most expressive body parts.
Pecking Order In Herds - All animals that live in groups a "pecking order". Pecking order is the order of dominance. The pecking order starts with the most dominant animal that is the leader
What Is Your Horse Saying? - The horse usually holds his head high while exhaling through the nose with his mouth shut. The strong exhale creates a vibration or flutter sound in the nostrils. The snort lasts about 1 second. The snort can be heard up to 30 feet away.
Safety Basics - Always wear safe clothing and use safe equipment. Always wear a helmet when you are working near horses, and always wear boots or hard-toed shoes to protect your feet should you get stepped on. Many injuries can happen when you are handling a horse from the ground, so wear a helmet even when you aren't riding
Equine headshaking is a behavioral problem that causes considerable frustration for veterinarians, riders, owners and horses themselves. It is considered to be one of the most poorly understood conditions affecting riding horses today. In many cases, the horse is unridable, the cause is unknown, the prognosis is poor and the condition is incurable . Although this is true, continued research has provided some explanations and insight into this disorder. Read more about Headshaking in Horses
Bad Habits Chart
Equine Senses
Horses in the wild rely on their senses-sight, hearing, touch, smell,
and taste-for survival. Sight and sound warn of danger, and taste and smell identify
safe or bad food. Domestication has dulled their response to some ot these (for
example, they may not run away every time they see a car), but their senses are
just as acute as ever. When a horse reacts to something that we haven't noticed,
it is often attributed to ite "sixth sense." It is really the horse's extremely sharp
senses working together to process information that we have missed.
SIGHT
Field of Vision
A horse's eyes work independently of each other. Each covers a
wide field of vision over a full semicircle. There is a small overlap
and a "blind spot" directly behind. Try not to approach a horse
from behind, because you will startle it.
Seeing Straight Ahead
A horse makes little use of stereoscopic vision for judging
distances as we do, so a one-eyed horse can still judge
distances. A horse loses sight of a fence as it takes off,
so it has to trust in its rider knowing that it is safe to jump.
HEARING
Use of the Ears
Horses use their sense of hearing a great deal, moving
each ear independently to pick up sounds. Talking to a
horse is a good way to let it know that you are there
and not a threat.
Preparing to Flee
When a horse hears a sound, such as a dog barking, it
lifts its head, looks toward the source, and assesses the
significance of the noise. It may not turn its whole body
because it would then be less able to run away from
the danger.
TOUCH
Sensitivity
The horse has an acute sense of touch over its whole body.
It can detect the presence of a single fly and whisk it away with its tail
with unerring accuracy. Do not be surprised, therefore, if your
horse is startled if you touch it with no warning.
Whiskers
The whiskers and the long hairs around the eyes are
important for sensing nearby objects. When whiskers are
trimmed, (for horse shows, for example)
the horse loses some of this extra sense.
SMELL
Obtaining information
Smell enables a horse to detect undesirable items in its food.
It is also important in social interaction; horses greet friends
or identify strangers by touching muzzle to muzzle.
Scent Analysis
This action, known as flehmen, may involve "smelling"
with the sensitive membranes inside the lips, as well as
the nostrils. It is usually seen in sexual activity, so it may
detect pheromones, the sex hormones released into the air.
Many horses will do this when they come across an
unusual smell or feed for the first time.
TASTE
Favorite Foods
Horses like salty and sweet things but not bitter or sour
ones. Many horses like peppermints, but these are not as
good for their teeth as carrots and apples, which
they seem to like just as well. Feeding these treats
is a good way to reward your horse.
Look back at man's struggle for freedom.
Trace our present day's strength to its source,
And you'll find that man's pathway to glory
Is strewn with the bones of a horse.
-Unknown-
Trace our present day's strength to its source,
And you'll find that man's pathway to glory
Is strewn with the bones of a horse.
-Unknown-
"In riding a horse, we borrow freedom."
- Helen Thomson
- Helen Thomson