Horse Body Language Chart – Amazing Facts Explained!

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Last Updated on January 25, 2023

Do you ever wonder what your horse is trying to tell you? Horses try to communicate with us in many ways, but it can be difficult to understand what they mean. Using a horse body language chart is a great way to learn more about the subtle signs our horses use to tell us what they are thinking and feeling.

Horses may not be able to speak to us, but they can tell us how they feel through body language.  Sometimes obvious, sometimes subtle, horses use their bodies to communicate with us and to communicate with other horses.

How Can A Horse Body Language Chart Help Your Relationship With Your Horse?

You might be wondering why it is necessary to understand horse body language – after all, surely our horses love spending time with us humans? Horses are generally very kind-natured and forgiving, but they are constantly trying to send us signals to say how they are feeling. A horse emotions chart can help us pick up these subtle signs that your horse may be nervous, uneasy, frightened, or uncomfortable.

On the flip side, you can also learn to recognize positive emotions, such as signs that a horse trusts you or when a horse is feeling relaxed and confident. This will be hugely beneficial when training your horse or introducing it to new situations, as you can better understand when to give your horse more time and reassurance.

Horse Body Language Chart

Horses use all parts of their bodies to “speak,” but the easiest areas to decipher are their ears, legs, muzzle, and tail. To help you understand equine communication, we’ve broken our horse body language chart down into these key areas.

Horse Body Language Chart: Ear Positions

Horses’ ears are by far the most expressive part of their body in terms of communication. There are at least seven horse ear positions that can tell you what a horse is thinking and feeling.  The chart below shows these positions. 

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• Ears Forward

The first position shown is “ears forward but relaxed.” This indicates that the horse is paying attention to whatever is in front of him.  He is interested, but not concerned. He may be watching the horses around him, or looking for the source of a sound he heard. He is paying attention to something, but not on high alert.

• Ears Turned Back

The second position shown is “ears turned back but relaxed.” This is similar to the first one, except that the horse is paying attention to whatever is behind him.  This could be a rider on his back or a horse behind him. Again, he is interested, but not worried. He is listening to some kind of sound coming from behind him, but he is not worried that he needs to run from it.

• Ears Pointed Stiffly Forward

The third position shown is “ears pointed stiffly forward.” This is a high-alert position.  If a horse looks like this, he is concerned about something in front of him. He is weighing the options of staying or running, depending on how scared or nervous he is.  This could be caused by contact with unfamiliar objects or sounds, or by behaviors of horses around him.

• Ears Pointed Left And Right

The fourth position shown is “ears pointed left and right.” This is the behavior of a relaxed horse.  He isn’t paying too much attention to any one thing, but he is still aware of what is going on around him.  He is content and unbothered.

• Ears Stiffly Back

The fifth position shown is “ears stiffly back.” This position is similar to the third position, “ears pointed stiffly forward.” It is also a high-alert position, and the most common actions to result from this position are kicking and bolting.  The horse is paying close attention to something going on behind him. He is either annoyed or angered by it or scared and nervous about it.

• Droopy Ears

The sixth position shown is “droopy ears.”  This is the position of a horse at rest; not only relaxed but close to or already sleeping.  My horse will frequently fall asleep in the cross-ties during grooming, and his ears will flop to either side like this.  A horse’s head will frequently hang lower when his ears are in this position, as he is fully relaxed and resting.

• Ears Flattened Against The Neck

The seventh position shown is “ears flattened against the neck.”  This isn’t a position of high alert, it’s a position of anger.  Frequently used in aggressive situations with other horses, the horse will most likely bite, kick, or otherwise lash out if he is demonstrating this position.  He is angry about something and is ready to fight.

Horse Body Language Chart: Legs

The legs of a horse are not just used for standing and moving – they also communicate with them too! In the same way that we use our arms and hands to wave and gesticulate, horses will use their legs to show their emotional state and warn other horses about how they are feeling.

• Stomping

An action that often scares people new to horses is stomping.  Horses lift and stomp their hooves quickly on the ground. The most common reason for this action is to get rid of something that is irritating them, such as flies.  Horses use the stomping motion to get rid of flies that bite at their legs.

A very angry horse may also stomp, but this will be accompanied by other signs of bad temper such as the ears being pinned flat back. Entire stallions are very communicative with their forelegs and will stomp their feet to scare off a potential rival male.

• Pawing

Pawing is a similar action to stomping, but it involves a front-to-back motion and uses less force to hit the ground.  Horses frequently paw the ground out of impatience or boredom. My horse paws the ground when he is in the cross-ties, waiting to go for a ride.

• Resting One Leg
  

Another common leg position is to find a horse standing with three legs on the ground, and one leg cocked.  Think of when we stand with our weight on one foot and relax the other one.  When a horse has a leg cocked, he is relaxed, possibly on his way to falling asleep.  

Find more information about your horse’s moods and body language in this chart by Equus magazine.

Horse Body Language Chart: Muzzle And Facial Expressions

Whilst horses cannot talk, they do use their muzzle and facial expressions to communicate with us in many ways! This starts right from birth when a newborn foal and mother will nuzzle each other with their muzzles. Watching your horse’s face can tell you a huge amount about how it is feeling.

• Drooping Lip

My favorite body language position that horses show is the drooping lip.  When a horse’s bottom lip is limp and drooping down from his muzzle, this is a sign that he is completely relaxed and trusting of his situation.  He is most likely close to falling asleep.

• Chewing

When a horse chews (and isn’t eating) this means that he is thinking or processing something.  It is a good sign when a horse is in training; he is learning and thinking about what is being asked of him.  During training, the horse is often chewing on the bit. This often means that the horse enjoys his job and is ready to work.

• Grinding Teeth

Often confused with chewing is grinding teeth.  When a horse grinds their teeth, it means nearly the exact opposite of chewing – the horse is anxious and stressed, and does not like the situation it is in.

• Flared Nostrils

Flared nostrils can simply be a sign that a horse has been working hard, and the nostrils are flared to get a higher oxygen intake while breathing. A horse on high alert will also flare its nostrils, and this is often accompanied by a snorting sound.

• Extended Upper Lip

One of the cutest facial expressions you will see is when a horse extends its top lip in response to a pleasant sensation. The best time to see this is when you are grooming your horse and finding a good itchy spot to scratch!

• Tight Mouth

If your horse’s mouth is tightly closed, with tight, pinched lips, it is likely to be a sign of stress or fear.

Horse Body Language Chart: Tail Movement

Tails are not just for swishing flies away – they are also a good communication tool!

• Relaxed, Gently Swishing Tail

A calm and relaxed horse will hold its tail in a relaxed downward position, occasionally swishing it to dislodge flies.

• Rapidly Swishing Tail

A horse that is swishing its tail excessively is a sign that it is agitated, stressed, or in discomfort. A horse will often swish its tail and squeal when first greeting a new horse.

• Tail Tucked In

If your horse is stood with its tail tucked tightly under, it is normally demonstrating feelings of apprehension or fear. This can also be a sign of discomfort or ill health.

• Tail Held High

Have you ever seen your horse flaunting around the field with its tail held high in the air? This is a sign of high spirits, and your horse is having fun!

Conclusion

Horses may not have words to speak, but they can communicate with us through their body language.  Their ears, legs, tail, and muzzle will give signs and signals as to how they are feeling and what they are thinking. Learning to recognize and interpret these signals is the key to becoming a sympathetic and effective horse trainer.

We would love to hear your thoughts on our horse body language chart! Do you find it fascinating trying to figure out what your horse is trying to tell you? Or maybe you’re wondering what it means when a horse bows to you. Leave a comment below and we will get back to you!

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