Following on from my previous blogs about horse signals
today I wanted to look more at how they use the rest of their bodies.
How they hold their bodies also tells us a lot about how they are feeling. Generally the more elevated ie: the taller
they are standing, the more excited they are!
As a horse becomes increasingly stimulated the body grows taller and
more impressive. They hold their heads
high and the tail up. Certainly Chesney
seems even bigger when he is excited and Tommy demonstrates this often. However, once a horse reaches a gallop the
body becomes sleeker to help them move faster - they are no longer appearing
impressive but may still be excited.
A horse which is drowsy, bored or submissive will have his
head and tail low with the body almost sagging – making them appear smaller -
the opposite of an excited horse. If you
watch a group of horses you can see that these body signals are understood by
the others in the group. They respond
accordingly.
Horses have 3 main body signals which are easy to identify
and interpret.
The 'body check' is when a dominant horse is asserting
himself and saying 'I am in charge' - they move to impede the movement of the
other horse by swinging their body across the front of the other. This stops
the other horse from moving forward and so they have to retreat or stand and
express submission! If they choose to
stand up for themselves and walk forwards they are challenging the dominant
horse's superiority. Using the 'body
check' is a great way for a horse to reassert his dominance without
fighting.
The 'shoulder barge' is a stronger version of the 'body
check'. The superior horse will make
contact with the other horse as he pushes into it.
The 'rump presentation' is a defensive display. The horse swings his rump to face the other
and is basically saying 'stop annoying me or I will kick you' . This is often used before kicking out which
will happen if the other horse ignores the initial signal.
These horses have
both swung their rumps around. The one
on the right also seems to
be lifting his leg as a warning, whilst the other has his ears flat back.
be lifting his leg as a warning, whilst the other has his ears flat back.
Horses also use their legs to signal to their companions. Lifting a front leg is a threat, a milder
version of the leg strike which is used (usually in the wild) when horses
attack each other. It is a clear signal
to a companion to stop whatever it is they are doing. This is different to when a horse paws the
ground. Pawing was originally used to
investigate the ground and horses use it now before they roll. They will often paw the ground if they are
frustrated and prevented from moving forwards eg: when tied up!
The back leg lift is again a threat, but this is generally a
more defensive move. Telling their
companions that if they are not careful a full kick will follow. Often used after a horse has turned their
rump to face another, as described above.
Mares will often use this back leg lift to warn their foals that they
are being a nuisance.
If a warning is
ignored a full kick will follow!
Horses also knock and stamp to signal their threatening mood. They will lift and lower their hind leg and make
a tapping sound on the ground (knocking) or the same movement with a front leg
is called stamping. Horses often use these leg signals to indicate their
irritation - some will do it when they are tacked up .
Horse signals are their way of talking. Noticing and understanding their signals can,
not only improve our relationships, but can also help to keep us safe -
avoiding a kick. If you get the
opportunity to watch a group of horses in the field take the time to watch how
they interact and 'talk' to each other.
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Until next time!
Jo
