Hello,

What's New

Learning- Equine Body Language; What is Your Horse Telling You?

The truth is there are hardly any instances where there was NO forewarning of what was to come. It may just seem that way if you aren’t reading your horses’ body language.

The primary way a horse communicates is through body language.

Ever noticed how the lead (more dominant horse) barely has to do anything to get the other horses to move their feet? Most of the time that horse will just look at the others and they will move.

This is because the other horses are reading his body language, and it says “you better move or I will make you move!”

The same can be said of horses whether you are doing ground work or whether you are riding. They send clues through their body that help us humans to know what they are thinking!

Let’s look at some of the warning signs of discomfort in regards to body language;

-Tense ears

-Tight/Clenched Jaw and/or Tongue Displacement

-Wringing/Clenched Tail

-Blank or Staring Eye

-Flared or Tight Nostrils

-Shallow or Irregular Breathing/Holding Breath

-Short/Tight Stride

How good are you at noticing tension in your horse when doing groundwork? What about when you are riding?

Start paying attention to these subtle clues about what your horse is telling your through his body language and you’ll learn another layer about about what your horse is trying to tell you.

Happy Trails!