How to Tell If Your Horse is Unhappy [GUIDE]

It’s pretty clear that you always want your horse to be happy, but do you know how to tell if a horse is unhappy? 

It is widely accepted that horses can suffer from depression if their natural needs are not met, which can ultimately affect their performance in their respective discipline. Equally the following signs we are going to discuss are often signs of medical problem or muscular tension, these warning signs must be identified and dealt with as soon as possible. Below we have identified some of the most common signs of unhappiness in horses and what causes it.

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How to Tell if a Horse is Unhappy

Signs of unhappiness in horses can be broken down into essentially two types of signs; subtle signals and bigger behavioural symptoms. The smaller signs can be just as big telltale signs as the more grand visual signs, and will in most cases precede the bigger signals, so learning to identify them it’s a great skill to have.. Below are some examples of how to tell if a horse is unhappy.

Subtle Signs a Horse is Unhappy

As is the nature of a subtle sign, they can sometimes be hard to spot. Be sure to give your horse a concerted once over every so often looking for these signs. Subtle signs of an unhappy horse include:

• Increased blink rate or staring
• Wrinkles above the nostrils or eyes
• Tense chin
• Sucked-in cheeks 

These subtle signs evolved and remained subtle in order for the horse to communicate its distress with other horses, all without alerting predators.

Other subtle signs of distress include a higher frequency of distance-increasing signals, such as swishing of their tail, stamping a front leg/pawing the ground, triangulated eyes and turning their heads away.

Bigger Signs a Horse is Unhappy

As the word suggests, bigger signs of an unhappy horse are easier to spot and identify than the aforementioned subtle signs. Below are some examples of bigger signs of unhappiness in horses:

• Bucking
• Planting
• Frequent Spooking
• Kicking out 
• Napping
• Refusing to be caught
• Biting

These movements or signs are considered anti-predator behaviours that fall into the ‘flight/fight/freeze’ ethogram. These are the telltale signs that something is not right. Whatever the context any of these are exhibited by the horse, it is critical you assess what may have caused them and address the issue if necessary/possible.

Coping Mechanisms for Horses

Like most animals, horses have their ways of dealing with distressing situations. These behaviours are called stereotypical behaviours (commonly ‘stable vices’ ) repeated movements which don’t appear to have any function. Being aware of these means you can spot if your horse is distressed, as they will be exhibiting behaviour designed to help them cope with the situation. Stereotypical behaviours include:

• Weaving 
• Box walking 
• Wall-licking 
• Lip-smacking 
• Tongue sucking 
• Crib-biting
• Windsucking

All of these stable vices develop as a coping mechanism for the horse, all as a result of a fundamental need not being fulfilled at some point in the horse’s life. For example, if the horse is experiencing behavioural deprivation, they simulate the need being met through a stable vice, for example weaving and box walking simulate locomotion and windsucking/crib-biting to release the same physiological responses in the brain as mutual grooming (allogrooming).

At their core, stable vices have an addictive nature and once they learn the coping mechanism and experience the positive hormone release it brings, they will continue to use it to self-soothe in times of stress.

Possible Causes of Unhappiness in Horses

While there are plenty of different reasons a horse may be unhappy, it is important to assess their unhappiness from a logical standpoint. Take a step back and look at their day-to-day routine, training and general surroundings to help identify where the cause of unrest may be coming from. If you are seeing any of the signals described here to day talk to your vet and an ABTC Registered ATI, ABT or CAB.

Lack of Social Contact

Horses are social creatures that require interaction with other horses. A lack of this social contact is considered a significant source of stress for horses and can lead to behavioural issues that we mentioned earlier in this article. Of course, stress for horses should be avoided where possible as continued exposure can lead to physical and mental deterioration. 

Under Stimulation in their Day-to-Day

Under stimulation/behavioural deprivation can be one of the biggest causes of unhappiness among horses. Enrichment should play a vital part in their day-to-day routine and training. If your horse’s daily life doesn’t include activities that meet their natural behavioural needs or cognitive challenges this will increase stress levels or apathy. Not only does this make them unhappy, but it can also have a detrimental effect on the quality of training, due to reduced focus.

General Pain or Health Issues

Understandably, one of the first things any horse owner will think about if they consider their horse to be exhibiting signs of unhappiness is that they are in pain and this is often the case – behaviour is a symptom of what the horse is feeling.. If you believe them to be in pain or showing signs of health issues, do not hesitate to get a vet out to your yard. 

Want to Learn More About Equine Behaviour?

If you want to understand your horse a little better, why not take a look at one of our equine behaviour courses here at The NAC? We specialise in helping owners and those passionate about horses become experts on the topic of horses, giving them all the tools to successfully train out and identify any problem behaviour. 
For more guides like this one, visit our blog section. Here you will find all the latest guides and industry updates keeping you up-to-date on all things equine welfare.