A horse doesn't talk, but it constantly shows how it feels. Anyone who reads those signals notices sooner when a horse is tense or in pain. This guide covers the nature of the horse, body language, stress, pain, and how a horse learns. Details on weaving, spooking, and groundwork are in separate guides.
A Herd Animal and a Flight Animal
Horses are by origin flight animals that lived in small groups on the steppe, writes the Sectorraad Paarden (Dutch Horse Sector Council) in its Gids voor Goede Praktijken (Guide to Good Practices, 2025). Surviving is easier in a group, and that calls for fast, subtle communication. A flight animal keeps watching its surroundings: hearing and smell are well developed, and the horse can look around without moving.
Company is a basic need. The Guide calls keeping a single horse undesirable and sums up the needs in three Fs: freedom, feed, and friends.
Horses also have a natural fear of new things, according to the Merck Veterinary Manual. Spooking is therefore normal behavior, not disobedience. How to help a spooky horse step by step is covered in training a spooky horse.
Reading Body Language
Horses communicate with ears, tail, posture, and sounds, writes the LICG (Landelijk Informatiecentrum Gezelschapsdieren, the Dutch national pet information center). One signal says little: look at the whole picture and at what just happened. A relaxed horse has a relaxed mouth and nose. When the ears go back and the muscles around the nose and mouth tighten, the horse is getting grumpy, writes Stigas, the occupational safety organization for the agricultural sector.
| What you see | What it can mean |
|---|---|
| Ears forward | Usually in a good mood and attentive (Stigas) |
| Ears pointed slightly back | The horse hears a sound behind it (Stigas) |
| Ears limp, out to the side and back | The horse is a little drowsy (Stigas) |
| Ears flat against the neck, tight nose and mouth, swishing tail | The horse is angry: be careful (Stigas) |
| Ears flattened back, lips retracted, rapid tail movements, threatening to kick | Signs of aggression (Merck) |
| Head and neck lowered, tail clamped, turning away | Submissive behavior toward an aggressive horse (Merck) |
| Plenty of rest, rolling, self-grooming, play, resting side by side | Fits a positive state of mind (Guide to Good Practices) |
Speak to a horse calmly as you approach and don't suddenly appear beside it: it may startle, warns Stigas. If the ears go back, stay alert.
Recognizing Stress
The British Horse Society (BHS) distinguishes acute stress, such as a plastic bag that makes a horse spook, from chronic stress caused by long-term factors such as being kept mostly in a stable or being in pain for a long time. Under stress a horse chooses flight, fight, or freeze. When it freezes, the horse suddenly stops, alert, with head and neck held high; under saddle, that is a horse that refuses to go forward past something frightening, often followed by shying away.
Possible signs according to the BHS are a change in character (more reactive, withdrawn, or aggressive), unexplained weight loss, stereotypic behavior such as box walking, windsucking, and crib biting, tooth grinding, repeated yawning in a stressful situation, tension around the muzzle, and poorer behavior under saddle. A high pulse and respiration rate with no obvious reason call for the vet. Horses are stoic as prey animals and sometimes show no signs at all.
According to the Guide to Good Practices, stereotypic behavior mainly arises from chronic stress, because the horse cannot perform enough natural behavior. More on this in stable vices: weaving and cribbing.
Recognizing Pain
A horse can hide pain when potential predators are nearby, and humans count as predators, writes the LICG. A horse that stands alone hides pain more readily. Often it is the absence of normal behavior, a different posture, or poorer performance that points to pain. Signs the LICG lists:
- a dull impression and little interest in the surroundings;
- moving less, restlessness, a hanging head, or a stiff posture;
- reduced appetite;
- looking at or kicking at the painful spot;
- standing in the stall with the hindquarters toward the door and the head in a corner;
- flared nostrils, tooth grinding, groaning, swishing the tail without flies, sweating, or not wanting to be touched.
According to the LICG, "disobedient" behavior under saddle is also often the result of pain. So check the basics first, advises the BHS: saddle fit and teeth. If the concern remains, see the vet.
Pain sometimes shows in the face too. The Horse Grimace Scale looks at six features: ears stiffly back, squeezed-shut eyes, tension above the eye, tense chewing muscles, a strained mouth, and strained nostrils (Dalla Costa et al., 2014; LICG). That scale was developed in stallions after castration and is mainly meant for acute pain. A small 2025 study of horses with dental disease found such scales unreliable for long-term pain. A smooth face therefore doesn't rule out pain.
Pain can't always be told apart from fear or stress: according to the LICG, a new environment or a lack of roughage can also produce restless or frustrated behavior. If you're unsure, read when to call the vet.
How a Horse Learns
According to the BHS, horses learn through positive and negative reinforcement. Negative here doesn't mean bad, but that something is taken away: the leg aid stops as soon as the horse moves forward. With positive reinforcement a reward follows, such as a treat or a scratch on the withers.
The Merck Veterinary Manual describes how to reduce fear:
- Habituation: the horse gets used to something harmless through repeated exposure, without a reward.
- Desensitization: you show the horse the scary thing in a dose so small it doesn't become afraid, and build up slowly.
- Counterconditioning: you teach the horse to show calm behavior instead of the fear response, for example standing quietly in exchange for a reward.
- Flooding: exposing the horse for a long time until it stops reacting. This is far more stressful and can make things worse.
The International Society for Equitation Science (ISES) adds: give each signal one meaning, work in small steps, keep sessions short, and release pressure as soon as the horse responds correctly. According to Merck, punishment is hard to apply correctly and can increase fear or aggression. The Guide to Good Practices writes that punishment can make a horse needlessly afraid and that a training aid exists to clarify an instruction, never to punish.
According to Merck, the term dominance fits horses among themselves and not humans and horses; ISES also advises against taking dominance as a starting point. How to apply this on the ground is in groundwork with your horse and natural horsemanship.
When to Get Help
Call the vet about a sudden change in behavior, signs of pain, or behavior that becomes dangerous. According to Merck, the vet first rules out a medical cause and then goes through the behavioral history; a video of the behavior helps. Many behavior problems are influenced by medical conditions, writes Merck, so vets can offer the most complete care. If you bring in a behavior specialist without veterinary training, ask about their background and training. With aggression, keep the safety of people and horse first.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does my horse spook at things that have been there for a long time?
A flight animal constantly watches its surroundings and naturally fears new things. If your horse suddenly spooks much more than before, have pain ruled out too.
What does it mean when my horse pins its ears flat?
According to Stigas and Merck, flat ears go with an angry or aggressive horse. Look at the whole picture and keep your distance.
How can I tell if my horse is in pain?
Watch for behavior that differs from normal: eating less, a hanging head, a stiff posture, restlessness, or a tense face. Horses often hide pain. If you're unsure, call the vet.
May I punish my horse when it does something wrong?
The Guide to Good Practices writes that punishment can make a horse needlessly afraid and usually backfires. Merck calls punishment hard to apply correctly and risky.
In Short
A horse is a herd animal and a flight animal, and much of its behavior follows from that. Read ears, mouth, tail, and posture together. Stress and pain are hard to tell apart, so ask the vet to look when in doubt. A horse learns through rewards and the release of pressure; punishment and flooding often make things worse.
Sources (verified November 2, 2026): Sectorraad Paarden: Gids voor Goede Praktijken (2025) · LICG: Pijn herkennen bij paarden · LICG: Paard · Stigas: Checklist Gedrag van paarden (November 2024) · British Horse Society: Equine stress · British Horse Society: Horse fitness · Merck Veterinary Manual: Behavior Problems in Horses · Merck Veterinary Manual: Diagnosing Behavior Problems in Horses · Merck Veterinary Manual: Treatment of Behavior Problems in Horses · ISES: Principles of learning theory in equitation · Dalla Costa et al. 2014: Horse Grimace Scale (PLoS ONE) · Sidwell et al. 2025: Horse grimace scale in dental disease (Veterinary Record)
See also: Training a Spooky Horse · Stable Vices: Weaving and Cribbing · Groundwork with Your Horse · Natural Horsemanship · When to Call the Vet · Glossary A to Z · Level: Getting Started · Level: Considering Your Own Horse