What's with the long face?
Thursday, March 10, 2011 at 11:55PM Despite popular belief among certain members of the Dairy Farming community, domesticated horses are very intelligent and emotional creatures. Even on the most basic of levels, horses have been seen to be capable of basic emotions: happiness, playfulness, fear, likes and dislikes.
Horses DO have brains that are capable of even complex emotions. A domesticated horse exposed to various situations and intelligences (humans) will observe and learn new behaviors over time.
Horses are more visual with their communication than vocal. Their faces have almost as many muscles for expression as humans do, plus the added bonus of highly mobile ears. The ears are the most important part of a horse’s expression ability. They are combined with other changes of face to create a set of very recognizable expressions.
Why is humanizing our favourite 1000lb four-legged important for horse owners, riders, and non-horsey people alike?
SAFETY. Should you ever encounter a horse, being able to understand what that horse is thinking could save your life, or prevent a trip to the emergency room. On the positive side, learning equine expressions will open the doors for confidence, further learning and friendship.
Positive Expressions
These are the expressions you want to see because they're the least likely to put you in the hospital, and a solid assurance that your horse doesn't hate life.
Fleet is a Happy Horse.Happy Horses will always have their ears pointed forward. Their muzzle (lips, nostrils and chin) will be relaxed. The eyes will be open and show no white around the upper eyelid (unless they are a Paint or an Appaloosa, who usually have white sclera [third eyelid] that is always visible).
Chex is Neutral.Neutral Horses are very similar to Happy Horses, with the slight differences seen in sideways, “loose” ears and sometimes eyes that appear half-closed. This expression is often seen when horses are eating hay or grazing.
Wisher is Focused during a high-speed Polebending competition.Another variation of Neutral Horses are Focused Horses. This one is usually only seen on horses during handling or riding. One ear is back, focused on the rider’s cues, and one is forward, focused on what’s in front. The flared nostrils serve a functional purpose, as the horse usually has this expression during exercise and flaring the nostrils allows for better breathing.
Wisher is Pretty! She is also an Interested Horse.Interested Horses are also called “Pretty Faces” for obvious reason. The ears will be pricked forward, the eyes brightly open and focused. The nostrils may be slightly flared to get a better scent of the situation. This one means you aren't being ignored!
Negative Expressions
Things become a little blurry after Interested Horses. Slight changes in the nostrils, arch of the neck, height of the head, and lips can turn what appears to a be a “good” expression into a “Give that pony some space!” expression.
Turbo, though adorable, is Nervous.Nervous Horses can turn into dangerous situations in mere seconds. This is the one face owners/riders dread to see. The ears will be tightly forward, the eyes wide and may show white around the upper lid. The lips will be tense, and the nostrils obviously flared. The horse may snort (a rattle sound) or blow (exhale very quickly). It is usually accompanied by lots of fancy, high-speed movement and human frustration.
Sugar Bear shows two moods: Obnoxious (left) and Happy (right). See the difference in his lip?Obnoxious Horses are often misunderstood by novice or inexperienced owners. An Obnoxious Horse is almost always dominant, and being unprepared to enforce polite manners can lead to some very dangerous, out-of-control, and even aggressive situations for anyone handling that horse. The only noticeable difference seen on the face of an Obnoxious Horse is in the upper lip. The upper lip will always be poked down with nostrils clearly defined. Add an arched, high-held neck to that and you’ve got Dominant Horse.
Gooser is Irritated with a glove on his head.The Irritated Horse is one of the most important, but most commonly ignored. An Irritated Horse has a 50/50 chance of either becoming a Nasty Horse or simply tolerating whatever is bugging them. The ears are angled backward, but not tight against the neck. The lips are tight and nostrils wrinkled with no flaring. The horse will usually elevate their head and neck and swish their tail.
Dixie is being a Nasty Horse to Fleet today!The Nasty Horse is the one who says “Back off, or I’m gonna mess you up!” The ears are pinned flat against the neck (nearly invisible!), the nostrils are very wrinkled and may be seen with bared or gnashing teeth. When the head/neck are raised above back-level, you’re getting warned. If that head and neck drop any lower while wearing this expression, get out of there before you meet an 1100-pound Rick James!
Sketchy Expressions
The “Sketchy” expressions are some of the weirdest and perhaps most humanoid faces you’ll ever see on a horse, and a true indication of just how intelligent (and nerdy) domesticated horses can become.
Ben is Playful. Horses are smart, but they don't understand physics!The Playful Horse is just being cute, silly, and having fun—until he tries to play with you! Take it from an author who knows: never, under any circumstances, try to “play” with a 1250lb animal who doesn’t realize your 150lbs can’t keep up! It’s all cute, goofy fun until you have a communication misunderstanding and somebody gets their collarbone broken. Playful horses will usually have sideways or forward-angled ears, half-closed eyes and wiggly lips with top lip extended. This is an invitational expression. Always turn down the invitation!
Jags Leo Rocket, a stallion, gives the camera an awkward Flehmen smile.The Flehmen Horse is a unique, but strictly horsey expression. The raising of the upper lip in this fashion is called “flehmen” and is commonly demonstrated by stallions (male horses who are intact). Some believe this expression is functional and allows the horse to get a better scent of interesting things (such as mares in heat). Horses also seem to do this when they are saying “Eww” to an unpleasant or weird smell or taste. Mr. Ed, the Famous Talking Horse, was trained to do this by sticking peanut butter under his top lip.
Gooser is giving me the Raised Imaginary Eyebrow look. What did I do now?The Raised Imaginary Eyebrow Horse is rare and the most highly intelligent horse in a stable. They are also the most arrogant, dominant and obnoxious horses. This expression has one ear forward, one ear backward, the head and neck turned. The inside eye shows whites, while the outside eye does not. The inside nostril is very wrinkled and the upper lip may be twitching, pointed, or pointed to one side. An exasperated sigh may be heard shortly after.
Wisher is Unimpressed with the length of this article.Unimpressed Horses are my personal favourites. The ears are as close to horizontal as possible, perfectly angled sideways. The eyes are half-closed, and one or both nostrils are slightly wrinkled. A loud sigh is heard. I got this picture from Wisher while flamboyantly attempting to get “Surprised Horse.”
Now you can proudly say “I speak a few words of Horse!” to your friends, relatives, and random acquaintances!
Check out this video of Expressions In Action. What conversations do you “see?”
Reader Comments (4)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QwNGJiwnM6c
Hahaha... he was harassing poor Ms Riley for like an hour! Thanks for the link, Mr. Lambevski.
I really liked this entry. It was fun to read. I never knew horses could have so many expressions, seems helpful to know. My only interaction with horses was doing summer riding lessons for about a week when I was about 15 or so. I was a little timid and scared of my horse. But, he turned out to be just old and gentle. But I think if I had been educated on a horse’s many expressions, maybe it may have made me feel more at ease brushing and cleaning such a large animal.
I was just curious if all the pictures in this entry are your horses.
Also, I liked that you had a picture for each expression.
Some of the comments under the pictures were pretty funny too (raised eyebrow and unimpressed). Haha. Can totally see it in their faces!
Thanks Stephanie!
Except for Chex, everybody's still on the farm. I own Gooser, ride Turbo and Wisher (sometimes Ben). My mom, stepdad and sister own the others.
I've been home with them for the last few days, and when the warm weather hits, the comedy from this bunch increases tenfold...