The primary reason horses and humans communicate at such a high level—and in real-time during very speedy sports—is because we allow the horse to use her own natural form of communication with us. In return, we offer that same form of communication to her. When we apply body language to horses, they reply with similar…
Stabling is commonly used to manage domesticated horses despite research indicating that it can negatively impact horse welfare, but its effect on their affective state — that is, their underlying emotional state — has yet to be quantified. Stabling has been linked to significant impacts on the horse’s physiological health, as evidenced by the increase…
Equine behavior experts discuss how and why horses change ranks with changing herd dynamics—and how those changes may impact overall wellbeing and behavior. Your horse’s position in the herd may affect his overall disposition and interactions with you. Tips are provided to help your horse transition to new settings.
A new citizen science project hopes to unearth the genetic roots for certain equine behaviours, which may help to match horses with the most appropriate discipline for their temperament.
Rosa Verwijs, senior lecturer in equine behaviour at Writtle University Collegeifferent speaks about how unwanted behaviours can be caused by a lack of forage, such as stress, anxiety, aggression and resource-guarding. These might be displayed, such as abnormal oral behaviours, door-kicking, difficulty in handling and poor performance under saddle.
Horses used in equine-assisted interventions appear to become more sensitive to touch than riding school or mixed-use horses.
A basic tenet when studying animal emotions is that negative emotions will trigger an escape or avoidance response, whereas positive emotions will trigger an approach. By gaging whether a horse will approach or avoid a person or a situation, for example, we can infer something about how it experiences that person or that situation. One…
Traditionally, leadership in horses has been understood as a function of dominance, embodied in the myth of the “lead mare”: the highest-ranking individual in a group will be the one leading it. Thanks to a growing body of scientific evidence, we now know that this is incorrect.
Show jumping is an equestrian sport that requires horses and riders to navigate a course of obstacles, including jumps and fences, within a set time frame. It’s a sport that requires precision, skill, and an understanding of the physics and biomechanics involved in horse and rider movement. This article explores the science behind show jumping…
Many dogs really love what they do and show great enthusiasm for it. They can barely contain themselves before running an agility course or doing scent work. Do horses love their jobs? A study conducted in Germany with 18 warmblood horses attempted to answer this question.