While humans communicate using vocalisation
Horses mostly communicate through body language
It is our responsibility to learn and to listen to this language
There are many things to consider when looking at horse body language
Pay attention to ear position
Tail position
The nose and the mouth, the eyes
The overall body posture and behaviour
Many people assess how the horses feel by the position of the ears
The ears do more than just communicate it is also an indicator of where the horse's attention is focussed.
With ears facing forward the attention is directed ahead.
Ears to the side can indicate sleepiness or attention to the side
Ears back can be a sign of submission or fear
Moving on to the tail
High tail carriage can signal excitement
A lifted tail can indicate the horse is excited or fearful
Swishing tail is a sign of annoyance
The mouth and the nose provide information about the horse's emotional state
Snapping is an appeasement action
Licking and chewing can be an indication of a dry mouth and stress
A tight mouth can indicate feelings of fear, conflict and anger
A long long nose without a tight mouth can be an sign of pleasure
Wrinkly nostrils indicate annoyance or pain. The more wrinkly the nose the more annoyance or pain
Moving on to the eyes
Horses are social animals and rely on the capacity to live with others
They avoid physical violence and will use aggressive threats before resorting to attack
Head thrust is an aggressive threat where the head is lowered
The neck is stretched and the ears are flat back
This signals other horses to stay away or move away
Strike threat is another aggressive threat that is quick striking of the foreleg
Bite threat is where the neck is stretched and the mouth is open
Rump presentation is a mild form of kicking threat
It is important to look at your horse's body language in a holistic way
One thing can have more than one meaning