What Your Horse Is Telling You
Subtle changes in your horse's ears, eyes, tail, and stance can signal discomfort, stress, or pain.
By Debbie Elliot
7 Minute Read
Your horse doesn’t always make dramatic statements like bucking or rearing to show that they are uncomfortable or in pain. Subtle signs and small behavioral changes are indicators they are in distress, and that your actions need amending. By being observant of our horses’ moods and body language, we can build a strong human-equine partnership and be better caretakers for them.
“To assess a horse’s state of mind, you always have to look at the full picture, just like you do with people,” said David O’Connor, decorated Olympian and US Equestrian Chief of Sport. “Look at not only their facial expressions, but also everything from tail swishing to excessive sweating.”
O’Connor pointed out that some equine behaviors are prompted by sudden, short-term changes in the environment, such as a squirrel jumping into the arena.
“There’s a clear line between a horse bolting across the arena because a squirrel jumped out of a tree, to systemic tension through training that causes long-term discomfort,” he said.
“You can see anger in horses, you can see tension in horses, and you can see relaxation in horses. You have to always try to find out what the reason is for their discomfort and then figure out how to deal with it: Is it physical? Is it mental? Is it from outside influences?”
Eyes
There is an old age saying that the eyes are the windows of the soul. With horses, the eyes are the windows of their mood. A soft, calm eye shows they are relaxed and comfortable, whereas a hard, wide-eyed look is a sign of tension. “Take notice if their eye is getting wide, tight, or rolling up, as these can be signs of anxiety or fear,” said Dr. Christin Finn, DVM, VSMT, CVA, CCRT.
You can naturally see the whites (the sclera) of the eyes in some horses more than others, which is known as a whale eye. However, if this is not usual for your horse and you are suddenly seeing a lot of white, it could be because they are scared, anxious, stressed out, or on high alert.
“Epinephrine (adrenaline) makes you open your eyes wider, which can be a sign of excitement, but can also show that your horse is not completely comfortable,” said Dr. Katherine Houpt, Professor Emeritus at Cornell University in Ithaca, N.Y.
If the eyelids are closed or partially closed and the eye size is reduced, that can be an indicator that the horse is in pain. This expression is called “orbital tightening” or “eye narrowing,” making the eye look squinted or heavy-lidded. Tension can also cause the muscle above the eye to contract, prompting the underlying bone surfaces to be more visible.
“There’s a lot of things that people accept as normal and we are missing vital communication.”
Dr. Christin Finn
Ears
The ears on a happy, well moving, comfortable horse are forward or straight up, said Dr. Finn. If they are sideways, back, or pinning, then that is a tell-tale sign of discomfort or stress. “The ears are how horses communicate, and they don’t ever move them for nothing — there’s always a reason, whether it is a sound they hear or a concern they are feeling,” she said. “When you are riding, their ears are right in front of you and they are like a television screen of communication. The ears are always telling a story.”
Horses often pin their ears when having their girth done up, and instead of just dismissing them as being “cinchy” or “girthy,” Dr. Finn encourages people to look deeper into the reason, such as does their saddle fit correctly or is it pinching?
“People often expect a cinchy horse to whip around and try to bite them — everything else goes either unnoticed or unacknowledged as important — but there is so much more going on in the ears and the head that we have to listen to,” she said.
When you put on the saddle or when you mount, take a moment to observe your horse’s ears and see what messages they are trying to tell you.
“Do their ears do a momentary look back and then forward?” Dr. Finn asked. “There’s a lot of things that people accept as normal and we are missing vital communication.”
Tail
It is common to see horses swishing their tail at flies or other irritants, especially in the summer, and they are not necessarily stressed when they do it. However, anger or tension can prompt a more intense form of tail swishing.
“When they are frightened, they tuck their tails. When they are annoyed, they lash their tails,” Dr. Houpt said.
“There are nuances to it,” O’Connor continued. “I don’t know if you can totally put it into a place where there’s an absolute, but you recognize it when you see it, just like you do with people.”
An overly active tail when being ridden can be a sign that the horse is angry or uncomfortable, Dr. Finn stated.
“Whipping the tail or holding it very rigid is a sign of a frustrated horse,” she said.
Dr. Finn noted that there are some famous horses who compete at the upper levels who have active tails and appear happy, so you must be aware of behavior that is normal or abnormal for your horse.
Mouth
“Tightness in the muzzle where the lips become firm and the chin gets stronger shows the horse is uncomfortable,” said Dr. Houpt.
The upper lips draw back, and the lower lip creates a pronounced chin. Pain or tension can also cause the chewing muscles around the mouth to become more strained and visible.
Chomping on or fighting against the bit can be a sign of tension, especially when the horse is being ridden.
“Some people say, ‘My horse just does that.’ Well, that may be true, but they weren’t born that way,” Dr. Finn said. Actions like chomping come when a person inadvertently restricts a horse from expressing themselves out of a desire to have an obedient mount.
“Some people say, ‘My horse just does that.’ Well, that may be true, but they weren’t born that way."
Dr. Christin Finn
Excessive Sweating
Many horses sweat or foam a little (especially between the upper legs) on hot and humid days, but it is important to recognize the difference between heat-induced sweating and stress-induced sweating.
“When you see lathered sweat or foam profusely all the way across their neck and shoulders and down into their chest, then that is a red flag and should prompt a change in your behavior,” O’Connor warned.
Disassociation
Similar to people who have experienced trauma, horses can disassociate when in uncomfortable or stressful situations. “Horses can take themselves into another world to protect themselves, and show no expression or any type of emotion,” O’Connor explained. “It is an inherent behavioral response for them as they have grown up disassociating when things become uncomfortable and distressing. It is how they protect them-selves.” The difference is that it is not submission but self-protection.
Signs of disassociation can be subtle but usually involve a dull, apathetic, with-drawn expression. O’Connor compares it to a human who has broken a bone but doesn’t feel pain right away. “Our bodies have that powerful instinct to be able to shut themselves off from that type of pain or discomfort,” he said.
Body Tension
Aside from visually seeing your horse is distressed, you can physically feel it when in the saddle. Irregularity of gait is another indicator, especially if it results in tight, short, restricted action instead of the horse using their whole body.
“Become aware of distress signals when you are riding by looking out for anything that feels irregular, causes tension or is abnormal behavior,” O’Connor said. “You can feel it through their back, through your hands, and by knowing if they have accepted your aids or not.”
Horse Show Anxiety
It is especially important to monitor your horse’s behavior when boarding overnight at a show, as traveling in a trailer and being in a strange stall can cause undue stress.
“The not-so-subtle signs are if the horse doesn’t eat or drink — some people even bring their own water to the show to make them feel at home,” Dr. Houpt said. Other owners have security cameras on their horses to make sure they are sleeping. Any change in routine can cause sleep disruption, so make sure your horse is comfortable lying down in a new place.
When they are frightened, they tuck their tails. When they are annoyed, they lash their tails.”
Dr. Katherine Houpt
Yawning
Rather than being an indication of boredom or tiredness, a full yawn is actually a positive sign in horses.
A full yawn is often associated with a release of tension, said Dr. Finn. It involves a deep inhalation and exhalation and mobilizes the tongue, larynx, and hyoid — a complex of bones and muscles in the throat that suspends the tongue and supports the airway.
“We always want to ask ourselves, is it a full yawn or just a partial yawn? A true yawn is where you can see their tongue, and they are really opening their mouth, which means they are relaxed,” she stated.
Photos: Leslie Potter/US Equestrian, Isabelle Whiteside/US Equestrian