Do Horses & Humans See Eye to Eye?
Learning about how your horse sees can improve performance and communication.
“Why My Favorite Horse Would Love to Be a Breyer Model” Essay Contest
As part of Breyer Animal Creation’s 75th anniversary celebration in 2025, Breyer is throwing a “Why My Favorite Horse Would Love to be a Breyer Model” essay contest. The contest is open to essays (maximum 250 words) about real horses and ponies of all breeds, types, and abilities—whether they’re a show ring champion or a…
Genetics Plays a Role in Horse Behaviour
Horses are bred for specific work or sports, but individual horses may have temperaments that make them ill-suited to the roles they were bred for. The resulting mismatch can be bad for horses and people. In search of answers, Colorado State University professor of animal sciences and animal-behaviour expert Temple Grandin is collaborating with Paul…
Relaxed Horses are Better at Learning New Tasks
Equine scientists at Nottingham Trent University wanted to see how the level of arousal in horses—the extent to which they might be excited or stressed for instance—affected their performance in a cognitive task. As part of the study a group of 20 horses was given a choice of two targets, with the correct one resulting…
Can animals really smell fear in humans?
Many animals have a good sense of smell, but can they smell chemical signals that indicate a person is fearful? In a horse study, published in 2023 in the journal Scientific Reports, researchers had participants watch clips from a comedy one day and a horror movie the next. After the participants watched each video, the…
Foals With Extended Turnout Less Likely To Experience Injuries Later In Life
Scientists in the United Kingdom wanted to learn whether there was a correlation between turnout practices and rates of musculoskeletal injury and disease in horses. They hypothesized that the ability to move at will in large areas would modulate the youngster’s behavior and tissue development, possibly leading to fewer issues later in life. Were they…
Human/Horse Heart Math: Does it Add Up?
There’s a growing social media chatter about research conducted at the Heart Math Institute on shared electromagnetic fields between horses and humans, which purportedly explain why we feel good around horses. Intrigued about the science behind the connectivity, peacefulness, and overall exceptional feeling that horse enthusiasts consistently experience around horses, Research and Equine Psychologist Antonia…
Slow Hay Feeders for Horses: Pros and Cons
Horses have evolved over time to be trickle feeders, consuming small amounts of forage throughout the day with no prolonged fasting periods. However, feeding some groups of horses free-choice hay can lead to problems such as obesity when the hay is too rich for them. Learn why a horse might benefit from a slow hay…
Is Harmony on Horseback Measurable?
There are many elements required from both participants in the attainment of harmony, such as clear communication and mutual trust; however, in terms of rider technique, considerable importance is placed on positioning and use of the pelvis. To coordinate their movements, the rider’s pelvis must move in synchronization with the horse’s back in a forward…
Study Shows Relationship Between Horses’ Facial Expressions And Pain Is Complicated
Equine pain scales, which include facial expressions, can successfully assess moderate to severe orthopedic (bone/joint) pain in horses at rest. However, they can be less accurate in cases of mild to moderate pain in resting horses. Researchers in Sweden aimed to further explore facial expressions of resting horses induced with mild to moderate orthopedic pain.