Horse Behavior

There is a long standing bond between humans and horses. This is an old relationship, as they were used in battles in ancient times, for loading goods, in sports and for recreation. They are herd animals and used for agricultural purposes and means of transport also.

Horses also have their moods like us humans. They also have emotions like fear; they are affectionate towards other horses as well as humans. They get pleased when they are loved by their owners. Their moods change from time to time. They are quiet sensitive to touch. The weather also swings the mood of the horses. They have very strong sense of self-preservation. There is a trust which is built between humans and horses with the positive interaction.

People who train horses should learn how to train horses in a better way as it is not an easy job to relate with horses. If horses are not handled with proper care or if abused or even if handled with ineptitude then a horse will ignore the training and will try to bite, kick, refuse, nip or challenge the trainee in other ways. They are known to interpret the body language of humans or other creatures. Some of the common behaviors of horses which will help in learning to understand them and relate with them are:

• Communication with horses: Humans are verbal but horses don’t use words. Horses communicate with the help of eyes, ears, tail with other horses and with people. Your horse will recognize about your mood with the attitude of your voice. They express their feelings with the help of ears.
  If it is in a good mood it will point its ears in forward direction. If something is bothering it or if it is in a bad mood then both ears will be pointing backwards and it may be ready to kick or bite.
  To command a horse, you don’t have to learn any particular language. Your horses will slowdown if the volume of your pitch is slow and when your voice is hard and loud then the speed will increase. This is how the horses depend on the body language. They have a better vision in the dark then others.
• Tail of horses expresses feelings: This helps in expressing the feelings. When the horse is excited then it will raise the tail high and when frightened, it will tend to accommodate the tail between the legs. Tail lashing is done when it is annoyed and irritated.
• Facial gestures of horse: Horses also show worry wrinkles above the eyes. Notice the long nose and the tight mouth means anxiety and fear. When your horse is learning something new then its mouth will be tight and at the moment it will understand then it will be relaxed and start chewing.
• Sleeping posture of horses explains its behavior: They can sleep in both standing and laying down position. When they lay down they feel relaxed. And when they sleep as standing position then they give rest to their legs as well as to muscles.

The several horse behaviors will guide you in dealing with them effortlessly. Owners require ample of patience and alertness to understand his horse behavior properly. It is significant for owner to take out some time for his horse to understand it and its behavior accurately.