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Horses don’t have a language of words that we can understand, but that doesn’t mean they don’t communicate with each other and with their human caretakers. One way to understand what a horse is saying is to pay attention to his body language. If you’re an experienced horse owner, you may know the answers to the following questions; if you’re new to the horse world, you might be surprised at what you can learn from watching your horse.

1. Your horse lies down, rolls, gets up, lies down and rolls again, and gets back up. Is he starting to get colicky, or does he just have an itchy spot that he’s trying to scratch? What to notice: Usually, a horse that gets up after rolling will give his whole body a good shake.  Horses that are lying down and rolling because of discomfort usually don’t shake. It’s all right if the horse doesn’t roll all the way over from the first side, choosing instead to lie down again on the other side.

2. Your horse always cleans up every bit of his feed ration. Today he took one bite and then backed away from the feeder. Is he just not hungry for some reason? What to notice: He may be telling you that he has a mild bellyache (colic); or that he’s developing gastric ulcers; or that there’s something wrong (moldy, rancid) with the feed, even if it looks and smells acceptable to you; or that there’s something strange (mouse, leaf, fuzzy caterpillar) in his feeder; or that his mouth hurts (cut, sharp tooth, something jammed between his teeth). If he’s always been a good eater, it’s unlikely that he’s simply not hungry. If you can’t find the problem fairly quickly, ask your veterinarian to help.

3. Your horse often rests a rear leg when he’s just standing around. Today he’s standing with a front hoof tipped up, rather than a rear hoof. Is he just trying out a different way to relax? What to notice: Many healthy horses stand with one rear leg relaxed, but if the horse keeps its weight off a front leg, this almost always signals pain or lameness.

4. Your horse usually moves along willingly as you ride on the trails near your barn. Today he keeps stopping and stretching out as if to urinate, but he doesn’t produce any urine. What’s going on? What to notice: While it’s possible that he just doesn’t want to urinate in a particular location, it’s more likely that this behavior is a sign of back pain or muscle discomfort. Try getting off and letting the horse stand for a few minutes. If he urinates, he’s probably fine. Otherwise, lead him back to the barn and get a veterinarian to check for discomfort. Chronic back pain may be easier to detect than muscle cramping caused by a metabolic problem, but if the problem recurs, your veterinarian may suggest checking with an equine nutritionist for suggestions about changing your horse’s feed.

5. Your horse loves to splash around in the water trough and always drinks plenty of water. After having a tank heater installed and checked by a professional electrician, you notice that your horse approaches the water trough hesitantly and then jumps back as soon as his lips touch the water. Is he playing some kind of game? What to notice: Even if you used a licensed electrician to install the tank heater, a phenomenon called stray voltage could be giving your horse a mild shock when he drinks. Some horses don’t let this bother them, while others will completely refuse to drink. Because water is vital to the horse’s health, it’s important to get this resolved. Try moving the tank to another location in the field, or use another type of heater.  

6. Most of your horses are grazing, but one is over in the corner of the field, walking around in little circles. Is he practicing a new dance move? What to notice: A few circles might mean your horse is trying to reach a fly or scratch an itch. A longer period of circling could signal a neurologic problem, especially if the horse shows other signs like stumbling, poor coordination, pressing his head against a stationary object, or standing in an odd position. This type of behavior can be caused by injury, disease, or poisoning, among other things. Ask a veterinarian to check the horse, and be extremely careful in leading and handling any horse that may be unsteady on his feet.   

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