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Category: Horse behaviour

Home / Horse behaviour
Horse anatomy Horse behaviour

Horse communication points & how to use them like a horse

Your horse is full of pressure points that he regularly uses to communicate with other horses. It’s incredibly beneficial for you to know what these points are and how to use them for more effective communication with your horse. Let’s first talk about volume. This is similar to how you …

Horse behaviour

Understanding your horse: an overview of the equine senses

To see the world from your horse’s point of view, you literally need to know how your horse takes in the world. We, humans, evolved to be hunters and gatherers. This meant getting good at chasing down prey that could run away very quickly, and learning how to tell what …

Horse behaviour

Tapping into your horse’s psyche: why it’s important for you to understand how your horse sees the world

To really understand your horse, you need to understand the world he lives in, how he sees things differently than you, even when you’re looking at the same thing. Your horse lives in a world of hay and grass – food is a top priority in life for your horse …

How to introduce a horse to the herd
Buying a horse Horse behaviour

3 ways to introduce your new horse to the herd

Getting a new horse is super exciting (doesn’t matter if it’s your first one or your fifth one), but getting the new member to join your already existing herd can result in some tense moments. Horses are herd animals and you should always strive to have your horse live in …

Foal doing flehmen
Horse anatomy Horse behaviour

The lip curl: that one thing your horse does that looks funny but actually means something

The flehmen response is a behaviour in which your horse curls back her upper lip exposing its front teeth, inhales with the nostrils usually closed, and then tyically holds this position for several seconds. The nostrils of your horse flare to draw more scents into the long, cavernous nasal passages that are …

Horses depend on their sense of smell with their life
Horse anatomy Horse behaviour

Did you know that your horse depends on her sense of smell with her life?

When you disturb your horse’s sense of smell, like overwhelming it with a very strong scent, her social interactions are radically altered. As prey animals, horses need to be able to detect even the slightest scent of danger on the wind to stay safe. Horses are also quick to note …

Horses use body language to communicate with each other
Horse behaviour

Do you know why body language is so important when talking to your horse?

Horses are highly social creatures and communicate with each other quite a bit. If you watch closely you can observe this constant interplay of communication, energy and body language passing between horses and rippling through a herd. Horses use a wide range of expressions, gesticulations and movements to communicate in …

Do you know when your horse is in pain?
Horse behaviour Horse training

Do you know when your horse is showing you that she’s in pain?

As a flight animal, your horse’s body will inherently strive to hide any signs of pain for as long as possible. A little pain doesn’t usually result in big changes and it can be really difficult to spot. It’s important that you know your horse well and can spot the …

Horses and their sense of balance
Horse anatomy Horse behaviour

What difference does your horse’s sense of balance make to riding?

The sense of balance is crucial to your horse and it is important for anyone working with horses to understand how it affects behaviour. Immediately after birth foals being practising to stand. The sensory receptors, called proprioceptors, in the muscles, joints, tendons and skin sense the position of the body …

What you need to know about horse's eyesight
Horse anatomy Horse behaviour

Stop underestimating how important your horse’s sense of vision is for her everyday life

Eyesight (vision) is the most important sense for your horse. For a prey animal, the constant, vigilant monitoring of the surrounding environment is crucial for survival. Horses are very sensitive to motion and will usually react by trying to get as far away as possible from whatever suddenly entered their …

The sense of touch in horses
Horse anatomy Horse behaviour

Do you actually know how important the sense of touch is to your horse?

It’s a common misconception that horses have a thick hide (almost like an elephant), when, in fact, horses have very sensitive skin. Yes, it’s thicker than human skin but it is also loaded with nerve endings. Horses can feel a tiny little fly landing on them and then shake the …

Horse listening with ears pricked
Horse anatomy Horse behaviour

A good rider knows to watch the horse’s ears, a great rider knows what the ears are saying. Which are you?

Your horse has excellent hearing and continuously swivels his ears towards different noises in the environment. He has a large field of vision and doesn’t need to turn his head in order to see things around him (like we do). By paying attention to which way the ears are pointing, …

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