If you’re new to horses, some of their natural behavior may seem strange or worrisome to you. Here is a list of 6 common horse behaviors to help you distinguish what is normal from what is not.

Lying down: Horses spend most of their life standing up and even sleeping standing up. When a horse is lying down it can look like something is wrong, but the horse is probably just napping, sun-bathing or resting. If the horse frequently lies down, is agitated (getting up and laying down again several times in a row) and rolling a lot, that would be cause for concern and you should call your vet. But if the horse looks comfortable and happy, then they are merely resting.

Licking and chewing: Horses lick and chew for a number of reasons. When they’re relaxed, release tension, or understand something. Trainers watch for the lick and chew response to see if what they’re teaching the horse is making sense and if the horse is relaxed during the training session.

Flehem response: This is when the horse curls its upper lip back, exposing the front teeth and holding the pose for several seconds. It is usually associated with the horse smelling something interesting, although it has also been associated with the horse not feeling well. But for the vast majority of the time this is just the horse’s response to a smell.

Nose-to-nose greeting: When horses meet each other for the first time they usually press their noses together and breathe into each other’s nostrils. This is a sign of greeting as well as the gateway to figuring out who-is-who in the hierarchy.

Squealing: Horses will squeal at each other when they are first meeting to establish who is top horse. They may also squeal during a disagreement or a fight.

Cocking one hind leg: Horses sleep and rest standing up. They do this by cocking one hind leg. This a relaxed position and it means the horse is very calm and relaxed and probably asleep.

(photo taken from Pinterest)

“Their horses were of great stature, strong and clean-limbed; their gray coats glistened, their long tails flowed in the wind, their manes were braided on their proud necks.” – J.R.R Tolkien

~ Saddle Up