In the laminitic or recently castrated horses they used in their studies, they noted a tendency for most horses in pain to flatten their ears and tense or strain parts of their face: the muscles over the eye orbits, above the eyes, and mouth, the nostrils, and chewing muscles. She and her team recently developed the Horse Grimace Scale, which allows people to check for pain-related facial expressions. ECAWBM, of the Department of Veterinary Medicine at the Università degli Studi di Milano, in Milan, Italy.įacial features can also reveal pain, she says. And in general, a horse in pain might seem grumpy or show defense behaviors toward humans or other horses.Ī horse in pain might also reduce his activity level, carry his head below the withers, display a fixed stare and rigid stance, and be reluctant to move, says Emanuela Dalla Costa, DVM, PhD, Dipl. If he’s got back pain, he could be “ girthy,” showing aggression when you are saddling him. A horse in discomfort due to colic often kicks or bites at his abdomen, paws, and lies down and stands back up. If he’s in pain, he might show guarding, meaning he’s protecting the painful area, she says. That body language is often the first sign that something is off, even before he loses his appetite.” “He might stand off from the group as if he doesn’t want to interact with anyone. “A sick horse probably wouldn’t be very bright or alert,” says McDonnell. Here are seven things your horse might be telling you:Ī horse that’s ill or in pain might display classic physical expressions of discomfort. Even if the horse isn’t making an effort to “talk” to you, he’s still sending critical information that you need to be able to read. It doesn’t matter if some of these aren’t intentional communication. While each horse is different, with our sources’ help we’ve come up with common things your horse might be communicating to you through body language. Horse people need to know how horses communicate and especially how their own horses communicate.” “Spend some time doing nothing but observing your horse in the field. “I recommend that every horse person observe horses,” she says. It also comes from spending lots of time simply watching your horse. Good “listening” comes from knowing the science behind equine body language, says Rachele Malavasi, PhD, of the School of Ethical Equitation, in Moncigoli Di Fivizzano, Italy. Second, we have to read the cues without projecting or, worse, guessing. “It’s surprising to see how some people, regardless of their background with horses, don’t notice that body language is happening at all, while others seem to pick up on it intuitively,” says McDonnell. To understand equine body language, first we have to be aware that there’s communication to start with-which isn’t always a given. If a horse swishes his tail, is he agitated or happy? If he half-closes his eyes, is he squinting in pain or relaxing? If we can tap into that “horse language code,” we can find a plethora of useful information. These are prey animals, and subtle communication can mean survival in a world where any kind of noise could draw attention from predators. McDonnell, PhD, certified applied animal behaviorist and founding head of the equine behavior program at the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine’s New Bolton Center, in Kennett Square.Īnd it makes sense, she says. “This is just how they’ve evolved, and it’s how their body language has evolved, as well,” says Sue M. It’s through seemingly subtle movements-of the ears, the nostrils, the eyes, the mouth, the tail, the feet, or even just shifting weight or tensing up-that they convey information to each other. While vocal communication between horses has its place in herds, we know most of their daily communication occurs via body language. On the contrary, when humans make an effort to learn to read their horses, they can create pathways toward a stronger and safer interspecies relationship. So this is not a one-sided or imaginary conversation.
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