Noticing Your Horse's Body Language

By Mary Gallagher

Last month I began this new series on noticing what our horse is telling us through body language. I shared my belief that learning to read the horse's head carriage, ear position, shoulder direction, eyes, feet activity, tail position, weight on the rope, and proximity to our personal space is essential in our development as horsemen and horsewomen. All these signs fit together like a puzzle, telling us what is going on inside the horse's skin. We can use this information to put together a plan for how we will communicate back to our horse, ultimately improving our training and enhancing our pleasure time together.



Reading body language can:

• tell us if a horse is in pain and where to look for it
• give a very accurate idea of a horse's personality and a wealth of insight if we are looking for a horse to buy
• go beyond staying "safe"; it helps us be better leaders
• help us to tune in and see a situation coming, and prepare our own body language toward the best outcome.

This month's case photo is of a mare visiting our Friday morning ground work class(more on that in a moment):
 

Here I see first the eyes and ears are not connected to me. Possibly she is gravitating toward her herd.  This horse tends slightly toward the emotional side; I see higher energy in how her neck and top line are developed (hollow in front of the withers and in the loin area). Her forehand weight is connected to the feel on the rope but the hind end is bracing, misaligned and driving away. There is not a true connection to the feet yet. Her tail position is slightly away from her buttocks, suggesting mild irritation. Though she seems to understand the connection on the rope, she is not connected mentally. Her comfort lies elsewhere in this moment.

I am in a power stance, but following her drift as I maintain a little resistance on the rope without losing the connection of the front end. My energy is mirroring her energy, plus calm assertiveness to keep me in the leadership role. I will let her hunt a little for her comfort, as I wait on the connection from the hind legs.

To experience learning to read your horse's body language first hand, join us on Fridays at 10:30 am. Lesson horses available, or bring your own! Email to let me know you are coming.

Do you have a photo of your horse behaving in a way you'd like to understand better? If you'd be willing for me to share it here, I'd be glad to have a look! Email me.

(Originally published March 2014)