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Everything Horses and Livestock Magazine ®
Everything Horses and Livestock®
|
November 2017
|
EHALmagazine.com
28
How Do Horses Communicate with their
Ears?
Communication makes the world go around. The
exchange of information connects people to people
or places.
Such connections could serve the common good
or not. People use words, sounds, signs and be-
haviors to communicate their ideas, thoughts and
feelings to others, (positive or negative)
Animals communicate in much the same manner
minus the use of words. Horses “talk” to us in vari-
ous ways. As caregivers, we need to pay attention
and understand what our equine friends tell us.
Much communication come from the horse’s ears.
Equus Magazine January 2013 shares these
simple horse expressions of thoughts, ideas and
feelings;
1. Ears Forward - Alert, paying attention or inter-
ested in what’s in front of him.
2. Ears pinned back close to the neck - Angry and
about to bite or kick
3. Ears turned out to side - Relaxed or dozing and
not attuned to what is going on around him. Be
careful not to startle this horse as he may react by
kicking when abruptly awakened.
4. Ears turned back (not pinned) Listening to
something behind him and deciding whether to
stay or run.
5. Ears rapidly swiveling - Ears flicking back and
forth may indicate a heightened state of anxiety,
alertness or an overload of stimuli. Deciding to
stay, run or “blow up” cross his mind here also.
As always, pay attention to your horse’s behav-
iors. Learn how to reinforce positive behaviors and
how to reverse negative ones. If necessary see a
professional trainer. Consult your veterinarian to
determine normal and abnormal behaviors.
Check out the February 2018 Equifest Issue of
EHAL for a new question in
“What’s Under Your
Hat?”
~ Janice Pack