DOW DO HORSES PERCEIVE HUMAN EMOTIONS? WHAT SCIENCE REVEALS

What if your horse knew exactly how you feel?

For several years now, scientists have been studying how horses interpret human emotional signals. Their findings are fascinating.

Behind the apparent neutrality of their gaze, horses are actually excellent readers of our inner states.

I. Hypersensitive Emotional Sensors

Horses are prey animals. To survive, they have developed exceptional sensory acuity:

- Wide peripheral vision, able to detect the slightest posture change.

- Fine hearing, sensitive to tonal variations and body noises.

- A strong sense of smell, capable of detecting stress hormones like cortisol.

👉 As a result, the horse picks up micro-signals we often emit unconsciously.

II. What Science Reveals

Numerous studies confirm that horses can distinguish between human emotions:

- A 2016 study from the University of Sussex showed that horses react differently to human facial expressions, with measurable changes in their heart rate and behavior.

- Another study (2020) proved that horses associate a smiling or angry human face with a past experience and remember it later.

- Horses are also sensitive to tone of voice and body tension.

📌 These are not anthropomorphic interpretations — they are measurable physiological and behavioral reactions.

III. Typical Behavioral Responses

Depending on what it perceives, a horse can adjust its behavior:

- With a calm and kind human, the horse becomes more cooperative, curious, even affectionate.

- With a stressed or angry human, it becomes wary, distant, or agitated.

- Highly sensitive horses may even absorb human stress and express it themselves (flight response, tension, stereotypies...).

👉 Horses don’t judge, but they react according to what they feel — and their reactions can sometimes surprise us.

IV. Emotional Memory

Horses remember emotional experiences they’ve had with us. A person who consistently approaches them calmly and gently will earn their trust, even without much training.

Conversely, an emotionally inconsistent or unstable human may cause confusion or lasting stress in the animal.

🧠 Horses remember the feeling of an encounter — far more than the words or actions.

V. What Does This Mean for Riders and Caregivers?

- Working with a horse also means working on yourself: the more clear, coherent, and calm you are, the more the horse will trust you.

- Observing subtle equine reactions helps you better understand the horse’s feelings — and sometimes your own.

- The human-horse relationship relies as much on emotional trust as on technique.

“What you feel, he feels too.”

The horse is an emotional mirror.

It doesn’t speak our language, but it perceives our moods, tensions, and intentions.

Being aware of that opens the door to a relationship that is more respectful, refined, and profound.

🔎 Also Read

- Decoding Horse Body Language: 10 Key Signals

- Hierarchy and Herd Life: What We Learn from Horses in Freedom