Safe Ways to Pet Horses and How to Read their Behavior

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Safe Ways to Pet Horses and How to Read their Behavior

By watching this video you will learn the safe ways to pet horses and how to read their behavior. The creator of this video will give a lot of information not only about petting horses and why he needs to stay safe while doing it but also about subtle behaviors and signals that horses give.

Each of these tracks can add up to a safe or unsafe opportunity to get up close and personal with a horse. Recognizing that can keep you in good shape and also help the horse. We hope this video will be of great help to you!

Horse body language

If you are starting out in the world of horses, either because you want to learn to ride, because you want to work with horses or because your vocation is that of an equestrian veterinarian, you will have realized that their body language is a world.

In addition to sounds such as neighing, moaning, screaming and snoring, among others, horses, like other living beings, continually speak to us with their bodies. For this reason, in this post we are going to give you a series of keys that will help you understand the body language of horses so that you can detect some of their main emotions.

Keys to know if the horse is happy and happy

The horse's body posture tells us if the horse is happy and content. A confident, calm and relaxed horse is a healthy and happy horse, its body at first glance leaves no room for doubt:

• Your nostrils, lips, and ears are relaxed.
• When you brush him, he tilts his head slightly and stretches his neck. Also, slightly lift and move your upper lip. This is also an indicator that the horse feels safe with you, it is a way of "virtually" reciprocating the caress as you would with another horse when it scratches.
• His eyes are alive and his ears are relaxed, but he remains attentive to all the sounds around him.
• He gasps, it's a nice relaxed sound that can sound like "hrrrmph" indicating a calm and carefree state of mind.
• He plays and plays with other horses, especially if he is a young animal.

Keys to detect if the horse is in pain

• One of the main warning signs that the horse is in pain is the eyes. When the horse suffers from a disease, the muscles at the top of the eyes contract, making the eye appear smaller than normal and the gaze to remain fixed.
• The distance between the base of the ears is increased, since they are parted to the sides and slightly set back.
• The nostrils dilate.
• The facial muscles tighten and your chin is flattened by the contraction of the lips.
• Your heart rate increases and so does your breathing rate.
• Depending on the source of the pain, they may lie still, thrash around, look to the side, roll over, or lean their head against a wall.

Keys to know if the horse has rabies

It is important to know how to detect when he is angry to prevent him from attacking us. Here are some examples of body postures that will reveal to you:

• It wags its tail intensely, showing irritation.
• Kick the ground with your hands.
• He stretches his neck forward and his eyes widen.
• You can also place your ears back, flattening them at the back of your neck.
• Open your mouth as if you were going to bite. With that, retreat to prevent him from doing it.
• You can also turn your back and kick, or try to kick with your hands.
  In the case of mares, they emit a characteristic squeal that usually precedes the kick or slap.

Keys to know if the horse trusts you

His whole body appears relaxed, his lines are softened, his ears are slightly pricked, his eyes are half closed, and his general position is at rest.

Look for his caresses and bring your nose closer to his face to recognize him by smell, you can return the greeting by blowing slightly into one of his nostrils, as this is how they greet their friends.

• You can get close to him and he won't go away.
• He is able to lie on his side. You can get close to the horse and he will be calm.
• Respect your space. He allows you to set the pace and speed and will adapt to them without trying to dominate you.
• He neighs or makes a soft sound that sounds like he is telling you something.
• Try to get his attention by pushing or pinching his clothes. Faced with this behavior, care must be taken, as it can lead to dominance.

Enjoy This Video Tutorial About Horses

Source: Stable Horse Training

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