When a horse walks away, it generally means discomfort, lack of trust, disrespect for boundaries, or a desire to escape a perceived negative situation like pain, fear, or boredom, signaling it doesn't want to engage or feels unsafe with you at that moment. It's a clear communication that you need to reassess your approach, your leadership, or the horse's physical or emotional well-being, rather than a sign of dislike, as horses are prey animals seeking safety and confidence.
If your horse turns away when you walk into the field or even when you enter their stall, they're sending you a message. Sometimes that message is subtle—turning their head away from the bridle, stepping out of reach in the cross-ties, etc. Horses don't operate with human-like grudges, but they do remember experiences.
It's pretty easy to tell if your horse is not respecting you. They will do things like not doing what you are asking them to do, turning their back end to you, pinning their ears back, or pushing into your space. Some horses can be dangerous if they don't respect you as the leader.
Conversely, a stressed horse will exhibit dilated pupils with visible sclera, tightly erect or pinned-back ears, a tightly closed mouth with a wrinkled chin, flared nostrils with movement, a tightly tucked or elevated tail, a tense posture with the head held high, and frequent movement or fidgeting of the feet.
An angry or very unhappy horse
A horse may give a series of warnings if they're angry and want you to stay away or go away. If you ignore these, they may bite. A mildly annoyed horse may have wrinkled, elongated nostrils and their ears held slightly back.
The "1-2-3 Rule" for horses is a critical guideline for monitoring a newborn foal and mare: the foal should stand within 1 hour, nurse within 2 hours, and the mare should pass the placenta (afterbirth) within 3 hours of birth; any delay in these milestones requires an immediate call to a veterinarian to ensure the health of both animals.
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 Horses may become withdrawn, expressing disinterest towards their handler and activities which once excited them.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.
The "3 Fs for horses" stand for Friends, Forage, and Freedom, a widely recognized concept in equine welfare emphasizing natural social interaction (friends), continuous access to fiber-rich food (forage), and ample space for movement and choice (freedom) to ensure a horse's physical and mental well-being. These pillars address core needs, preventing behavioral issues often rooted in confinement and unnatural feeding, promoting happier, healthier horses.
Symptoms of stress
Here are our top 5 tips to show your horse some love, with a few product recommendations to help you along the way!
Can Horses Dislike Certain People? Oh, absolutely! Horses, like people, have their own likes and dislikes. They're not shy about throwing shade if they're not fond of someone.
Much like other pets, horses use licking as a way to show their love! 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.
The most common cause of death in horses is colic, which refers to abdominal pain and is a leading cause of emergency veterinary visits, especially in horses aged 1 to 20 years, though old age becomes the top reason in horses over 20. Colic can stem from various digestive issues, including blockages, impactions, and ruptures, often triggered by management problems, diet changes, or parasites. In older horses, gastrointestinal diseases remain the primary culprit, followed by conditions like Cushing's disease, lameness, and tumors.
The "20% rule" for horses is a guideline stating the total weight of rider and equipment should not exceed 20% of the horse's body weight for welfare and performance, though many experts suggest a more conservative 10-15% is better for long-term health, with factors like horse build, fitness, rider skill, and activity intensity also crucial. It's a widely cited standard from sources like old Cavalry Manuals, but modern consensus leans towards it being a starting point, not a strict rule, requiring observation of the horse's comfort and fitness.
They need companionship of the same species. If you board, you only need one horse and it'll have a constant herd even if other horses move or sell or die. If you keep it on your own property you need at least one other horse with it.
Here's a quick summary of the top indicators of happiness in horses:
A 2010 study found that horses remembered how an individual human behaved towards them based on just one interaction, even as long as eight months later, and behaved better with handlers who used positive handling techniques, such as stroking or speaking in a soft voice.
Horses have shown they can remember their buddies for years, and that includes humans.
Absolutely without a doubt! We have many horses here in training and they can pick up on the tone of voice very quickly… OP, continue to talk to your horses and always praise them verbally. They definitely enjoy it and respond.
Generally speaking, mating is not painful for female horses. This is due in part to the fact that the mare will not typically allow the stallion to mount unless she is in the right stage of her heat cycle and ready to mate.
This finding suggests that horses form strong memories of conspecifics, able to recognise them even after a long period of separation. This finding also indicates that the mare-foal bond remains strong even when foals reach one year of age and when they have not seen their dam for a long time.