The horse sees a broad band of the world to the sides and back of his body, but it is narrow. His vision is poor above and below the level of his eyes. Sights directly to the horse's side but on the ground or in the air are difficult to see unless he cocks his head. Equine vision also creates blind spots.
Horses use two-forms of vision, monocular and binocular. Monocular vision allows the horse to see on both sides of his head, meaning the left eye and the right eye work independently and see different views. Binocular vision allows the horse to use both eyes together to see directly ahead.
Horses, with their monocular/binocular vision, may also see objects larger than they really are. You may appear to be ten feet tall to a horse! Horses have much better night vision than we do. This is possible because of the tapetum, a highly reflective area in the back of the eye.
Can a horse see directly in front of them? Horses eyes are located on the side of their head, so they have a wide range of vision. They can see almost 360 degrees and have blind spots only immediately in front and immediately behind their bodies.
Horses are also communicative and expressive, much like people. They can display different attitudes and emotions, which makes them relatable to humans. In the company of people, horses can display happiness, stress, trust, worry and many other moods. They're even able to make complex facial expressions.
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.
If a horse is grazing in a field and they come towards you when you are around you can be sure they like you. Horses that follow your movements in their presence show they are focused on and give you 100% of their attention. If your horse follows you around when they see you, they consider you as a friend.
Some report you should use soft eye contact when dealing with horses, meaning you can look at the horse but also keep a wide field of view. Other trainers indicate hard contact is preferred to establish your dominance over the herd.
In some cases, such as with a fearful horse, they may stare at you to try and assess whether you will hurt them or if you are a predator that will eat them. A horse that's being defensive may turn their face to you, raise their head, and stare at you to try and intimidate you.
Never look a horse in the eye
This common misconception comes from a very basic and old idea that horses are prey animals and because of that fact, they cannot tolerate the peering eyes of a predator. Many novice trainers and some more advanced trainers stick to this principle. But they are misguided.
A horse may also be very happy to see you if they trot over to you from the pasture when they see you coming. These are two common ways that horses show they are excited and eager to see you. Horses will become very relaxed when they are in the company of someone they love and trust.
Horses don't sleep all night like we do.
Instead of falling into a deep sleep every night, horses typically spend their nights alternating between rest and activity. They might take a short snooze standing up, graze for a while, and then stretch out on their side to get a few minutes of deep sleep.
Bottom line: riders who move WITH a horse are “lighter” than people of the same weight who “ride like a sack of potatoes.” There is a popular misconception that big people should ride big horses. The reality is that smaller horses can carry a higher proportion of their own weight than bigger horses.
Researchers confirmed that horses can smell specific odors in human sweat that reflect emotions like fear and happiness, which could open doors to a whole new way of understanding emotion transfer from human to horse, they say.
Allowing You Near While Lying Down
A true sign of trust and love, as horses are vulnerable when lying down and allowing you near is a big gesture. Horses are vulnerable when lying down, so if your horse allows you to approach and touch them while they are lying down, it's a clear sign that they trust and love you.
New research confirms earlier findings suggesting that horses have cognitive self-awareness, which enables them to recognize their own reflections.
Have you ever been nudged by a horse? Horses use body language to communicate with humans (and other horses), and one of the ways they do this is through touch. Nudging is a way for a horse to get your attention, which can signify affection or impatience.
Potentially, when horses have limited or no opportunity to form attachments with other horses, jealous feelings might arise in relation to a human owner if a horse feels those bonds are being threatened by a usurper.
Some horses have been reported to gradually become more anxious when a mirror is left in their stable. Some have become aggressive and repeatedly attacked the mirror if it is not removed, even when they have never shown signs of aggression previously (I know of several who have injured themselves as a result of this).
Hugging is one way humans can show love to horses, and it has a similar effect to grooming or massage. Horses like to be hugged because it is a gesture meaning love and affection. This is because hugs mimic the physical touch horses use to show care toward each other.
The great thing is, most horses actually love when humans pet them. They will stand quietly for hours as you run your fingers over their soft hair.
With time and training, many horses have excellent memories and a strong bond with their human friends. This means they will remember you even when you've been apart for a long time. Horses can also hold negative memories of a person when they've experienced abuse or trauma.
Some horses visibly enjoy it, while others might find it annoying or even scary. Whether or not your horse enjoys it usually depends on a few things. How/when they were trained and conditioned and the relationship with the rider. Also, their health status is a big factor.