Keeping a Backyard Horse

Horse Body Language

I could write a whole new book on the psychology of a horse, but I'll touch on a few points here to help you understand your horse a little better.

When a horse meets a new horse for the first time, you might notice them blowing very hard into each other's nostrils. This nostril blowing is the way they meet and greet each other. You can do the same thing by taking your horse's face in your hands and blowing gently into his nose. You should expect him to blow back quite forcefully (beware of horse snot!). Then your horse will know your particular scent. And you can do this any time, not just when your horse is new to you. They'll appreciate that you can talk a little in their 'language'.

You may notice your horse doing a peculiar movement when she sees you coming out to the pen. Some horses will drop their head, then flip it upwards, making a circle in the air with their nose. This is the way horse friends will greet each other, and it's a way for your horse to tell you she's happy to see you today. If you have other horses around, you might see her doing this to them as well.

A warning sign that you need to pay particular attention to is the laid-back ears. It's one thing if your horse lays his ears back briefly, or if the ears are flipping from forward to back. But if the ears are laid back, almost to the neck, this is a warning! Your horse is telling you that he doesn't like whatever you're doing. Take a safe step away from your horse, and give him a moment to calm down.

Many horses will rest a hind leg with the knee bent, the front tip of the hoof resting on the ground. You'll notice this a lot when your horse is resting in the pen. But when combined with laid back ears, this is a sure sign that he's ready to kick! WATCH OUT! Be safe and back away from him for a few minutes. Watch a horse with other horses. Often, the laid back ears are the first warning, then coupled with the cocked or raised hind leg, a second warning. If the other horse continues its behavior, it will get kicked. This is also a way horses show dominance to one another.

The ears are highly expressive for horses, and different positioning of the ears can tell you a lot about their state of mind. What mom likes to call 'radar ears' is an indication that your horse has seen or heard something she's not quite sure of. The ears will be in an extreme forward position, aimed at whatever she sees or hears, and will be very stiff. The ears won't even turn at a sound or movement; the horse will instead turn her entire head. Keep an eye out for radar ears when you're riding; often it will alert you that your horse may be ready to startle. It may keep you from falling off.

Another ear position you may observe in your horse is what mom says is 'airplane ears'. You may notice this when your horse is standing up to sleep. The ears will stick out to the sides and look like your horse's head has wings. This is usually a sign your horse is content and sound asleep. But if you see this sign in your horse as she's walking around, eating, or any time when she's obviously awake, it could indicate a medical problem.

You may find yourself worried if you don't see your horse lay down and sleep. Horses have a special locking bone in the front knee joint that allows them to sleep while standing up. But if you do see your horse casually laying down, either with head upright and legs folded under her, or even stretched out on her side, this is an indication that she's comfortable in her environment. It's difficult for horses to get to their feet quickly, so they won't lay down if they're feeling unsure or threatened.

Horses can make a wide variety of noises, but most horses don't whinny as much as you might see on television. But this is a way that we use to communicate with each other over great distances. If you notice your horse standing at the corner of his pen, neighing over and over, you might think it's odd. But sometimes, if someone is riding close by, it might just be your horse talking to the other. We can hear hoof beats from a long way away.

But we make other sounds too, when we sneeze or cough, or just when we're happy. We make a short, abbreviated snort when we're real content. It's like a quick sneeze, but not so violent that it shakes our nose and lips like a sneeze does. This is a good indicator that we're very content. You might hear this noise when you're grooming your horse, and he's gotten very relaxed. It's a good sign of the connection you have with him.

There are many things that might scare your horse when you're out for a ride. This can be anything from a car coming up behind you, a plastic bag blowing in the wind, even wildlife jumping up out of the weeds or trees rustling loudly. It's your job as a rider to keep an eye out for things like this, so that if your horse does jump, you won't fall off. Often, it's best to just stop your horse and let him look at whatever has scared him. Eventually, he'll realize that it won't hurt him, and you can continue your ride.

Keep an eye out for misbehavior in your horse. I'll tell you a story of some bad behavior on my part. In the late spring of 2013, mom went away. I didn't know where she went or when or if she would ever come back. She was gone for a month and a half the first time, and my dad and their daughters were the ones feeding me and taking care of me. It upset my routine, and I wasn't as sure of them as I was of my mom.

When mom finally came back, she was mom but she wasn't mom. She'd had cancer, and she had lost all her hair, lost weight, and was very weak. She didn't even smell the same way that she used to. I was upset over this change, and the fact that she hadn't been there to take care of me. She left many more times after that, getting weaker and weaker every time she came back. It was during this time that I broke through the chain link gate and got into my feed.

I also broke through the window of my stall, eventually breaking the wood right off its hinges. I chewed on the wood gate leading from my pen to the yard, until I eventually broke through it completely. Dad found me grazing on grass in the front yard when he let the dogs out! I chewed on any wood in my stall that I could get my mouth on, and chewed bark off one of the trees in my pen.

When mom finally came home to stay in January of 2014, it took me a while to get used to the new her. Of course, it took her a while to get back to her old self, too. At first, she couldn't even walk down the stairs from the door to my pen, and she wasn't strong enough to carry even a bucket of water. The kids helped, or dad whenever he could.

As mom got back to normal, so did my behavior. The point of my story is that misbehavior in your horse could indicate some measure of anxiety. Horses, like dogs and babies, like their routine and can get upset when their routine is changed. Mom knew that I wasn't acting up to be mean or cause trouble, but because I was extremely upset about circumstances I couldn't understand. Be kind with your horse if he misbehaves; horses do have feelings, too.

I've already mentioned a bit about how the two halves of a horse's brain works, and you should keep this in mind when you're working with your horse. If you show her something, such as a plastic bag that she's scared of, show it to her on both sides. That way she sees it with both eyes.

Keep in mind that, while horses have very good vision, they cannot see directly in front of them, or behind them, without turning their head. When walking around a horse, it's better to do it around the front. But if you must walk behind, if your horse is tied, for example, either step very clear of the hind legs, or place your hand on your horse's rump as you walk behind him. Talking to him will also help. That way, he knows where you are at all times and won't be as likely to startle.