THE HEAD AND NECK
The position of the head and neck can tell you a lot about how a horse is feeling. Often horses will raise their heads when aroused, fearful, or threatened. They will arch their necks in response to a threat, and head threats can quickly escalate to lungeing and charging.
Stallions bow their heads when they meet one another and ‘snake’ their necks when herding members of their bands.
Head turned away — If a horse turns his head away when you approach this may be an indicator that he’s worried about you or what you’re about to do. Horses will often turn their head away when their owners arrive with their tack or travel bandages as they are anticipating that a stressful event is about to occur.
Lowered — A lowered head can be a sign that your horse is relaxed, resting, in pain or even depressed. Taking his overall body posture into account can help you to differentiate between these emotional states.
Elevated — If your horse raises his head, he may be focusing on something in the distance and be deciding whether to flee, ignore, or investigate it.
If he raises his head while being ridden this could be an early sign of pain. Further indicators could be if he hollows his back, puts his ears back, shakes his head, or swishes his tail. If any of these behaviours occur then have your tack checked by a master saddler and ask a vet to examine your horse for any potential physical problems.
Head tossing — This indicates that a horse may be frustrated, irritated, or in pain. He may grind his teeth, toss or fling his head, open his mouth, or elevate his head to avoid a rider’s hands or the bit when ridden. There is usually an overall stiffness to the body. Again, if your horse displays any of these behaviours ask a master saddler to check your tack and have a vet look over your horse for any potential problems.