A horse’s hormonal response to sudden acute pain shows itself as an increased heart rate, trembling, sweating and, if possible, flight. Repeated infliction of pain (eg, ‘needle fear’) will provoke a ‘fight’ response. The degree of response does not necessarily correspond to the degree of tissue damage or pain. How Read more…
The activity that adult horses practice appears to influence behavioral and physiological responses to different stimuli, thus impacting equine welfare. Do horses respond? A new study shows, for the very first time, that horses respond to human emotional cues by integrating the emotional value of the voice they hear with Read more…
“Horses do have a homing instinct, but home may not be where you parked your trailer,” says Aadland. “In snowstorms and in flatter parts of the country, horses have saved lives by getting people home. Do horses really know their way home? Wherever they are, horses can orientate themselves on Read more…
Horses are flight or fight animals. If confronted with a threatening situation, they prefer protecting themselves by running away from the danger. If running away from a threat isn’t an option, horses can protect themselves by biting, striking, rearing up, bucking, or kicking. How do horses protect themselves from the Read more…
Horses can experience stress from a variety of environmental and social factors — from their training and feeding schedules to their interactions with other horses in the pasture. Different horses may show stress in different ways, and some horses respond better to stressful situations than others. What makes a horse Read more…
9 signs of depression in horses A lack of mobility. Indifferent and unresponsive to humans and other stimuli in their home environment. Loss of appetite. Stereotypies (vices) Lack of sleep. Unwillingness to work. Increased fear, anxiety, or spookiness. Reduced blood cortisol levels. What do horses do when they are depressed? Read more…
How to Help Horses Who Get Scared Keep him relaxed. Your horse is a lot like any of us: the more relaxed he is, the less likely he’ll get scared of small things. Desensitize him. Teach him to focus on you. Don’t make a big deal out of it. Keep Read more…
Horses often react quickly to what they perceive as danger. As a prey animal, a horse’s natural instinct will be to run from danger. Horses can and will bolt or run away, bite, kick and strike with their legs; horses react quickly giving the handler little time to react. How Read more…
Most horses are trained to slow down at the sound of a whistle (a low pitch soothing whistle) and at the “whoa”. What words do you say to a horse? When you’re ready to talk to your horse, use short words, like “whoa,” or “trot,” so your horse can understand. Read more…
On arrival at the new barn, put him into his stall with some hay and water (a small paddock if he will be at pasture) and let him get used to the sights, sounds and smells for a few hours. Once he has settled down you can take him out Read more…