Horses tell us what they are up to through their facial expressions, head posture and body movements. This reveals fear or aggression in particular, and the rider or carer can react accordingly.

These are the most important features of horse language:

 

Ears laid flat backwards betray aggression and show that the horse wants to attack.

 

 

Flehmen, i.e. lifting of the upper lip, indicate that the stallion has smelled a mare. In geldings or mares, flehmen means that they have smelled something pleasant, in rare cases they flehmen because something particularly repulsive has entered their nostrils.

 

Lifting a front hoof and deliberately sparing it means that the horse has pain in the leg and does not want to put weight on it.

 

Standing on one hind leg means a relaxed posture or the horse is taking a nap.

 

Scratching with the front hoof tells the horse owner that the horse is hoping for a treat or wants to be let out of its box.

 

A horse that is constantly snapping at its belly is probably suffering from colic.

 

A lowered head precedes an attack and the horse is likely to lunge with its hindquarters.