How to read a horse’s body language

In this case you may also see the horse stamping their feet as well as kicking at their stomach dropping their head looking at their hindquarters or attempting to get down. Tail swishing when ridden can be a sign of discomfort or anxiety.
Swishing their tail rapidly
When a horses tail swishes quickly from side to side or up and down they are irritated in pain or aggressive. This may be a warning sign that your horse is about to buck kick or bite.
Clamped down tail
A fearful or stressed horse will clamp down their tail tightly and may also lower their hindquarters. If your horse clamps down their tail when youre riding they may be fearful or in pain so assess the situation they might feel that you have punished them or asked too much. You may have frightened them and youll need to build their confidence back up.
Tail held to one side
A tail held like this can often be a sign of back pain in a horse.
In all of the above scenarios if you spot any of the behaviours associated with pain in your horse have your tack fit checked by a master saddler and ask a vet to examine your horse for any potential physical problems.
Body language a horses warning signs
When a horse is anxious or sees something new their posture becomes upright and their head and tail raised. For example if a horse notices a dog in the hedge they may alert fieldmates to the potential threat by looking straight at it pointing their head or body in its direction and adopting a very upright stance. Their head and tail will be held high ears tightly pricked and muscles tensed. Their movement may be stiff and jerky to signify to their friends that they are anxious about the intruder.
These postural signals may be seen by other horses from miles away and are clear indicators that something threatening requires their urgent attention. On closer inspection we might see that the horses eyes are open wide clearly showing the sclera whites of the eye with a tense neck and facial muscles too. We may also see flared nostrils sniffing towards the source of interest and the horse may blow or snort. If theyre particularly frightened their muscles may quiver or tremble.
Feeling relaxed
When a horse is relaxed they will usually slightly lower their head and neck while their body posture and muscles will