Recognising Body Language When Working with Horses

Jan 14, 2012
Chris Thomas

A Horse's Ears can Indicate its Mood - C. Thomas

Horses best communicate via body language. An awareness of their external reactions can aid with behaving safely whilst around them and working with them.

Horses are gregarious animals, preferring to live with others rather than alone. When people choose to work with horses, they need to consider their role in the herd and how the horse views them.

Communicating Non-Verbally

The mood we're in can greatly impact a horse's reactions. Forms of excitement or anger may elicit a flight response in the equine, as they empathatically feel our moods, but can't understand why we're expressing such a temperament.

When working with horses, a calm and quiet approach may best gain their trust and confidence. Someone that charges into a stall with a lead rope, expecting that the newly weaned foal will face up to them and allow them to clip the rope to their head collar is likely to be disappointed.

Reading the Horse's Body Language

Horses are incredibly expressive. As a result, much can be determined from observing their:

Ears
Eyes
Legs
Body position

As well as communicating a possible reaction to our advances, the horse's body language can be a great indicator of health. A horse's ears can be pricked forward, showing interest in something in front of them. Likewise they can be pointed back, perhaps focusing on the person beside them.

One ear focused in your direction can indicate you have their attention, or only half of it. Ears pinned flat against the head are a warning and should be heeded seriously as the next response may be to kick, strike or bite. Because horses are a flight animal, their natural response is to flee. If this isn't possible, they can become defensive. An unobservant handler could get hurt if ignoring these signs.

The horse's eyes should be open and clear. Eyelids that are droopy (with the eyes half closed) may indicate sleepiness or something in the eye. If the whites of the eyes are prominent, this can be a warning sign that the horse is scared of it's current surroundings.

It isn't unusual for a horse that is relaxed to rest one of its feet. Because horses carry two thirds of their weight on their forelegs, the relaxed limb is more likely to be a hind leg. A leg that isn't bearing weight could indicate lameness or a readiness to kick.

The way a horse positions its body can assist the handler with determining how safe they are with that horse. A horse that turns its hindquarters towards you when you approach it, is either threatening or moving away from your advances.

If approaching an equine from directly in front of it, the handler should not be surprised when they near horse and it shies or seems to not notice your presence until the last minute. A horse's eyes are on the side of it's head; they cannot see directly in front of them. When approaching horses, doing so from the side by aiming for their shoulder can help avoid surprising the horse.

In all that we do with horses, our approach and body language should be considered with regards to how the horse may react. Likewise, the horse's body language can given an indication of how they may respond to us.