How to Understand Them? A Review of Emotional Indicators in Horses.
Authors: Maurício Letícia Santos, Leme Denise Pereira, Hötzel Maria José
Journal: Journal of equine veterinary science
Summary
# Editorial Summary: Emotional Indicators in Horses The challenge of recognising and interpreting equine emotional states has become increasingly important, particularly as stabled horses frequently encounter management conditions that may compromise their psychological wellbeing. This 2023 review synthesised scientific frameworks for understanding emotions alongside current physiological and behavioural assessment methods, examining how hormone concentrations, body temperature, ear position, facial expressions, approach–avoidance behaviours, and cognitive bias testing can each provide insight into equine emotional experience. Cognitive bias testing emerged as a particularly robust and recent tool for objectively measuring emotional states, whilst traditional markers such as cortisol levels and behavioural indicators remain valuable for practitioners working with individual horses. For farriers, veterinarians, physiotherapists and other equine professionals, this synthesis has direct practical value: systematic evaluation of emotional indicators can identify which management practices, training methods or environmental factors should be encouraged, modified or eliminated to support genuine improvements in quality of life. Implementation of multiple assessment methods rather than reliance on single indicators offers the most reliable pathway to understanding whether an individual horse experiences predominantly positive or negative emotional states.
Read the full abstract on PubMed
Practical Takeaways
- •Monitor multiple indicators simultaneously—ear position, facial expressions, behavioral patterns, and stress hormone levels—to accurately assess your horse's emotional state and identify welfare issues
- •Use cognitive bias testing as an objective method to evaluate whether your horse perceives its environment positively or negatively, helping validate whether management changes are truly improving emotional wellbeing
- •Regularly evaluate your stabling and management practices against identified emotional triggers to eliminate practices causing negative emotions and actively promote activities that generate positive emotional states
Key Findings
- •Physiological indicators including hormone concentrations, body temperature, and ear position provide valuable information about equine emotional states
- •Behavioral indicators such as approach/avoidance behaviors and facial expressions can assess emotions in horses
- •Cognitive bias paradigm represents a recent and robust tool for assessing emotional states in horses
- •Identifying triggers of positive and negative emotions can guide management practices to improve horse welfare and quality of life