Do horses actually enjoy being touched, or does their experience depend on having the choice to engage – the freedom to say yes, or no?
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When food is involved, we often assume horses have no self-control. But research suggests that some horses are surprisingly good at waiting for a better reward.
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A new study has tested whether a calm human can stand in for equine company during brief separations, and found the effect was limited at best.
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Concerns about over-rugging horses have frequently focused on temperature, but a new study shows rugs also change horse behaviour.
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Research into road and sea transport suggests that vehicle movement can trigger motion-sickness-type responses alongside measurable stress changes in livestock, including horses.
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Many horse people sense it. Now, recent research provides more evidence that yes — when a companion horse dies, many horses exhibit grief-like responses that can last for months.
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A recent study interviewed riders, trainers, and coaches from the UK, Canada, and the US to explore what equestrians think about performance horse welfare — and why some practices that compromise welfare are still defended.
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New research has shown that horses display different facial expressions and behaviours depending on whether they are anticipating a positive or a negative experience.
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I’m sure we all know some horses that become upset if their feed isn’t served on time, but maybe that’s with good reason.
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Research has found that horses moved from group housing to individual stabling showed changes in their white blood cell counts and plasma cortisol levels.
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I’m sure most horse owners will realise their horse is keen to approach some environments, and reluctant to approach others, but this preference is not often considered as part of a training plan.
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A horse’s “no” can be easy to miss — it might show up as hesitation, tension, resistance, or avoidance. Some horses hardly ever say no, often because past experiences have taught them that speaking up leads to increased pressure or discomfort.
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Do you own a horse to use / ride / breed from / compete and then sell on when they don’t suit you any more, or will they stay with you for life?
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"How these horses are kept and trained is so different to what a horse needs from an ethological perspective, there is always going to be a risk of these unwanted consequences."
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Are you aware of the subtle signs your horse might be trying to tell you there is something wrong? When horses feel stressed or experience pain or discomfort the signs may not always be obviously apparent.
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Stress can be defined as the body's reaction to mental or physical pressure. Some stress is useful in a horse’s life to protect them from potential danger and allows a horse to learn and adapt to their environment. However, too much stress can cause a negative impact to their health and well-being.
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I think we all know the answer is yes! However in 2009, Swedish researchers investigated this subject with a very clever study design and I have just come across it again.
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As a quick experiment I asked an AI bot to tell me what it thought about the dangers of misunderstanding horse behaviour, and how that would affect horse welfare and safety. The text below is what was generated. Really interesting and not a bad start!
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Equine behaviour consultant Alice Campbell has written a great article looking at the ethics of using dominance-based techniques to train horses.
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I often hear "If he didn't want to, he wouldn't do it”. It is clear many people don’t recognise the subtle (or even not-so-subtle!) signs of stress or fear in horses and they believe that if their horse didn’t want to do something there is no way anyone could make them, but it is not that straightforward.
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