ASK AN EXPERT
drawn further apart, or out to the side, or pulled back. If a horse is pinning their ears, it could indicate either anger or aggression, but it can also indicate pain. Often, pinned ears are just a feature of that particular horse’s temperament, especially if the behaviour is transient. For example, some will do it when they’re groomed around the rib cage. As an owner, you would need to investigate further to ascertain whether the behaviour is due to temperament, or the cause lies elsewhere. In a calm, contented horse the ears are pretty mobile. Led or ridden, their ears should be moving: two ears forward, one ear back, that ear forward, another ear back and so on. If a horse is on very light aids and you use the left rein, the left ear should even move back a little in acknowledgement. If they’re on
ASK AN EXPERT
Dr Andrew McLean: Facial expressions DR ANDREW MCLEAN, CEO of Equitation Science International, explains how a horse’s ears, eyes and lips can speak volumes.
F
irst, it’s important to recognise that the areas of the brain involved in pain and stress are one and the same. Pain is a form of stress, and other than cortisol, which in stress has a much broader level of expression than with pain, there’s very little difference in the hormonal responses. Another point to consider is that like humans, some of whom have more facial lines than others, horses’ facial
expressions also differ. So when you’re looking for facial indicators of pain or stress, you have to allow for the uniqueness of that particular horse. Once you know the horse, their expressions become easier to recognise. There are now more than a dozen studies on the facial signs of pain in horses. A horse expresses pain through their eyes, ears and lips. Ears tell you a lot, especially when the ears are
It's important to recognise that the areas of the brain involved in pain and stress are one and the same. really strong aids they tend not to do that. Ideally, you really want ears that are listening – flipping backwards and forwards – a good sign that your horse is happy. While a horse with its ears pricked forward might look good, particularly in photos, it’s actually often the first stage of alarm. It’s not really indicative of a happy moment; it’s an interested moment in which the horse is judging the depths of its safety. Or, they could also be looking for something, such as their food. Either way, pricked ears aren’t necessarily a sign of calm; the ears of a relaxed horse are generally looser. The eye can tell you a very great deal if you look closely. For example, a horse in pain, or perhaps acting aggressively, will often show the white of their eyes. More E Q U E S T R I A N H U B . C O M . AU | 19
