With the social license of equestrian sports under increasing scrutiny due to welfare concerns, being able to recognize what a pain-free, happy horse truly looks like is more important than ever. Although many top riders claim their horses are “happy” competing at elite levels, often anthropomorphizing qualities such as competitiveness, pride, or joy in the limelight, the growing body of research challenges many long-held anecdotal beliefs and highlights many misunderstandings of equine behaviour.

