What Is My Horse Thinking?

by Kay Rice
View Biography

My daughter has kept horses for years and I have recently become interested in her hobby. The trouble is, I am scared by such large animals. Do you have any suggestions for interpreting how it feels about me? (Joseph Martinez - Arizona)

Horses indicate their feelings in a number of different ways, but the easiest way to judge how your horse is feeling as a beginner is to monitor what his ears are doing. Unhappy or agitated horses' ears will lie flat against the neck. If they are facing forward and pricking up, they are most likely interested in something and possibly feeling quite happy too. If the ears are simply lowered to the side slightly, your horse is either very relaxed or bored. This is also a sign of illness in some cases, especially in cases of overall lethargy.

More Horse Training Questions & Answers

Disclaimer: This service is meant to provide advice only and is not meant to replace an appointment with a registered veterinarian. Users should always seek a second opinion. Unfortunately we are only able to answer several questions per week so not everyone gets a published answer. And, unfortunately we can't answer by email.

Readers' Comments (Newest to Oldest)

loveanimals

New York

Silver Member

Added on Feb 15th, 2009
My 14-year-old gelding flattens his ears when I try to enter his stall while he is eating his evening hay so he is clearly agitated. But to make matters worse, if I don't go in strong and am not strong in putting on his halter, he will bully me. He has bitten me about 4 times in the last year. Once when I was giving him a fresh bucket of water and once when I was standing outside his stall on the aisle side of the stall guard. He seems to come at me for no reason I can think of and come at me he does. I really need some sound advice.