Understanding the horse: behaviour, expressions and postures

A horse talks with his body. Before you touch him, learn to watch him: his ears, his eyes and his posture tell you whether he is relaxed, alert or worried.

In the exam programme

Explain the main features of the horse’s behaviour.Common module B
Recognise the horse’s main expressions and postures, and what they mean.Common module B
Observe the pony or horse and its behaviour.Common module A

Ponies and horses are equids, like donkeys and zebras: herbivorous mammals, which eat only plants. The word horse also covers the whole species, ponies included. Domesticated thousands of years ago, they have kept many of the reflexes of their wild ancestors.

Trait 1
A prey animal
In the wild, the horse is hunted by large predators. His defence is flight: at the slightest noise or sudden movement, he startles, shies away or takes off. If he cannot run away, he may defend himself by biting or kicking.
Trait 2
A herd animal
He naturally lives in a herd: he is gregarious. On his own, he worries and calls to his companions. That is why a pony happily follows the others and is reluctant to leave them.
Trait 3
A curious grazer
His stomach is small: he eats and drinks often, a little at a time, and spends much of his day grazing. Curious, he notices everything that changes around him — and is suspicious of it at first.

Remember

The horse is a herbivore who lives in a group and reacts to any sudden change, most often by running away. Hence the golden rule: never take him by surprise.

Reading his expressions

Attentive

Both ears pricked forward.

Relaxed

Ears relaxed, out to the sides.

Listening

One ear forward, the other back.

Angry

Ears pinned back, nostrils pinched.

Worried

Head high, ears stiff, the white of the eye showing, nostrils flared.

Dozing

Ears drooping, eyes half closed, lower lip hanging.

Fig. 1.3Six expressions to recognise

He is…	What you see	What you do
Alert, confident	Ears pricked towards you, neck stretched out, he reaches out with his nose	Talk to him and approach calmly
Listening	One ear forward, the other back: he is keeping track of two things at once	Talk to him so that he knows where you are
Relaxed, dozing	Ears loose or drooping, eyes half closed, lower lip hanging, sometimes a hind leg resting	Warn him with your voice before you touch him, so you don’t wake him with a start
Worried, on the alert	Head high, ears stiff towards whatever is worrying him, eyes wide, nostrils flared; he may whinny or circle his stable	Stay calm, talk softly, give him time; call the instructor if it goes on
Unhappy, threatening	Ears laid back, nostrils pinched, tail swishing; he may bare his teeth or lift a hind leg	Don’t go near him, and tell the instructor

What his posture tells you

Common mistake

Resting or threatening?

A hind leg bent and resting on the toe of the hoof, with the neck low and the ears soft: that horse is resting. A hind leg raised, the hindquarters turned towards you and the ears laid back: that is a threat to kick. Always look at the whole body, never at a single sign.

Watch before you act

Before you go into a stable or approach a tied-up horse, take a few seconds to observe him: what is he doing, what is he looking at, what mood does he seem to be in? Check at the same time that everything looks normal. A pony who has not touched his hay, who seems dull or very restless, who is lame or has a wound must be reported to your instructor straight away.

A word from the instructor

A horse who shies at a plastic bag isn’t being silly. His ancestors who didn’t shy ended up as somebody’s dinner — and left no descendants.

Ekidemy

The Galops^®, from the first step to Galop 7