Losing interest in things is one of the key signs of depression in humans and horses alike. Horses may become withdrawn, expressing disinterest towards their handler and activities which once excited them. Even in their home environment they won't seem relaxed, often seeming distant and on edge.
Horses feel both their own feelings and yours, too. Horses feel anger, jealousy, sadness, loss, joy, happiness, “the blues,” and are capable of developing very deep bonds with the right person.
“I'm Depressed”
“They take on a sort of 'fixed' posture, standing still for several minutes in a characteristic pose with their weight shifted to the front, the neck horizontal and low but stretched out, and especially their eyes open and ears unmoving,” she says.
Signs of depression in horses:
Stands facing the stall wall for periods of time while exhibiting a withdrawn posture (neck stretched out level with back, lack of eye and ear movement, eyes open, fixed gaze)
Horses exhibit higher heart rates when separated from a human, but don't show any preference for their owners over complete strangers, the team discovered. Swedish researchers started their work with the theory that positive reinforcement training on a horse was more likely to lead to them forming a strong attachment.
They will accept you as their leader and do what they are told, while not running over or cramping you. Sometimes they may even follow you around. Sometimes horses will blow air in your face through their nostrils to show you they love you, like they do with other horses.
All animals, including humans, feel more comfortable when they have a routine. It gives them a sense of security and helps to minimize stress. For horses, a daily routine might involve turning out to pasture in the morning, being brought in at night, being fed twice a day, and getting ridden or worked with once a day.
It really depends. They may show signs of sadness, much like when they leave a favorite herd mate. On the other hand, if you weren't that close they will likely have no emotional response to being sold. If they do appear sad, it's only time before they get comfortable in their new home and let go of those feelings.
“Some studies suggest that [after the death of a herdmate], horses show signs of anxiety, cessation of feeding and social withdrawal,” Mendonça says. “Therefore, it is important to consider horses' needs when they are facing a situation of loss before asking them to complete or perform their daily tasks.”
People emit a particular chemosignal while experiencing a specific emotion that induces the same emotion in another person who smells that odor. Chemosignals are chemical signals the human body gives off, primarily through sweat. Now researchers have found that horses also can smell human emotions.
The findings indicated that horses care capable of detecting when a human is expressing and projecting positive feelings towards them and is likely to reciprocate those positive feelings.
Many horses do seem melancholy after separating from an owner with whom they had developed a strong bond. However, after a few weeks in their new home, they are likely to become more accustomed to their new surroundings. However, a horse will not forget an owner with whom they have a strong connection.
Horses can read human emotions, too, often in uncannily accurate ways; alerting us to our sadness or nervousness, sometimes before we've even consciously registered it. As Herman Melville wrote in Redburn, "No philosophers so thoroughly comprehend us as dogs and horses."
So how do you get your horse's respect? A horse's respect is earned by moving his feet forward, backward, left, and right, and always rewarding the slightest try. Think about respect from your horse's point of view. When horses are thrown together out in a pasture, it's natural for them to establish a pecking order.
Play a Radio
Playing a radio softly in your barn can help to break up the silence during the day. Some horses appear to find music soothing. If you choose to play a radio, select a station which offers a soothing music, such as classical music.
The sound that a horse makes is called a neigh. A horse's happy neigh is sometimes a greeting to other horses. You can use neigh to talk about the noise your horse makes, also known as a whinny or a bray.
A horse experiencing an emotional meltdown will likely have its head high, its tail up or stiff or swishing; a distressed expression in its eyes and on its face; tense and perhaps shaking through its whole body (“on the muscle”); calling out, shaking its head, stomping and fidgeting; rearing; searching right, then left ...
Affection in Horse Terms Kissing and hugging are human ideas of affection. Horses do "spar" (play fight) and bite at the lips, but that's even more of a reason not to kiss them there. Keep your horse's lips away from your lips. You don't want him to think you're playing and be bitten.
Breathing on you, licking, and kissing are all ways a horse may be trying to tell you how much you mean to them. They also may grasp you with their lips to pull you in, and then lick. Don't be afraid if a horse lays a wet one on you, it's just because you are greatly appreciated!
Apples and carrots are traditional favorites. You can safely offer your horse raisins, grapes, bananas, strawberries, cantaloupe or other melons, celery, pumpkin, and snow peas. Most horses will chew these treats before swallowing, but horses that gulp large pieces of a fruit or vegetable have a risk of choking.