Understanding horse-human communication
Here at Equinimity, we know that the horses are hungry when they stand in the spot where their food is normally placed. In the summer, they would come to the fence where their fly masks hang as if requesting to have them put on. One of the horses, Brown, would go as far as attempting to push his mask as if to say, “If only I could put this on myself!”
Horses are highly adept at communicating with humans. Their ability to communicate is one of the many reasons they make excellent companions and wellness partners.
As herd animals, horses are social by nature. They have the ability to communicate with one another, recognizing body language, contact calls, and facial expressions of other horses. Researchers have hypothesized that this sociality helped them develop an understanding of human cues. As horses became domesticated, they learned how to assess human emotions and intentions.
For example, a study at Portsmouth University and the University of Sussex reported that seeing photos of angry faces triggered negative responses in horses. Their heart rates increased significantly, and they stared at the photo with their left eye. In mammalian brains, what’s seen by the left eye is processed in the right brain hemisphere, which processes negative stimuli. Another study demonstrated that adult horses react to differences in human body orientation, head orientation, and opening or closing of the eyes. In an exercise, horses were able to understand human gestures, decipher their meaning and consequently find food rewards hidden inside a bucket.
Outside of science, there are countless accounts by people who feel as though their horses communicate with them. Often, It’s easy to observe how horses respond to human communication as we are invested in knowing their response - we want to know if we’re being understood. However, it’s important to note that horses also initiate communication and there’s value in taking time to understand the message they are trying to convey. As we have witnessed within our own herd, horses have their own ways to express themselves. They may use body language (such as nodding or pacing) or vocal abilities (such as whinnying and neighing) to indicate their thoughts and emotions.
Just like in human-to-human communication, the backbone of horse-human communication is trust. Those who have spent a lot of time with horses often say that they have an amazing ability to respond to the emotions of those around them. Horses are known to mirror behavior and emotions, which encourages people to be present and maintain a level of self-awareness. This requires trust on the part of the human - a willingness to be open and honest. What’s interesting is that horses can detect if this trust is present. A study conducted at the University of Tokyo found that horses can determine congruence in humans - specifically if facial expressions and body language match the tone of voice. For a horse, it is not safe to trust incongruence as it can indicate masked intentions that could potentially harm them. In the wild, this is demonstrated by zebras and how they react to predators. Zebras would appear to be in a relaxed state when there is a lion lounging nearby. However, as soon as the lion pretends to be a rock under a tree to stalk its lunch, zebras would sense something is amiss and would hurriedly flee. The need to establish trust and safety remains the same for horses as they interact with humans.
By having an exchange of trust, both humans and horses can experience peace and joy. We are lucky to witness this at Equinimity through our programs such as Equine-Assisted Somatic Experiencing and Mindful Grooming. Diving deeper into our experiences with animals, our upcoming class, The Power of Presence explores The Trust Technique and animal communication - how being present with animals can bring healing and transformation.
Horses have been domesticated for 6,000 years and in that time, they have learned to listen and observe humans so that they can understand us and communicate with us. Now, we have the opportunity to learn from horses (and other animals) and communicate with them - not just to them.
Communication is a two-way street. We don’t necessarily need to have words to form a connection. All we need is trust, openness, and honesty.
_____
The healing power of presence between people and animals transforms us both. Come join us for a weekly practice of entering the language of silence with horses. The Power of Presence sessions explore The Trust Technique and Animal Communication.
We begin on Wednesday, May 25th from 6 to 7 PM through the end of June, or longer.
Space is limited to twelve participants and pre-registration is required. Please click here for more information.
Horses are highly adept at communicating with humans. Their ability to communicate is one of the many reasons they make excellent companions and wellness partners.
As herd animals, horses are social by nature. They have the ability to communicate with one another, recognizing body language, contact calls, and facial expressions of other horses. Researchers have hypothesized that this sociality helped them develop an understanding of human cues. As horses became domesticated, they learned how to assess human emotions and intentions.
For example, a study at Portsmouth University and the University of Sussex reported that seeing photos of angry faces triggered negative responses in horses. Their heart rates increased significantly, and they stared at the photo with their left eye. In mammalian brains, what’s seen by the left eye is processed in the right brain hemisphere, which processes negative stimuli. Another study demonstrated that adult horses react to differences in human body orientation, head orientation, and opening or closing of the eyes. In an exercise, horses were able to understand human gestures, decipher their meaning and consequently find food rewards hidden inside a bucket.
Outside of science, there are countless accounts by people who feel as though their horses communicate with them. Often, It’s easy to observe how horses respond to human communication as we are invested in knowing their response - we want to know if we’re being understood. However, it’s important to note that horses also initiate communication and there’s value in taking time to understand the message they are trying to convey. As we have witnessed within our own herd, horses have their own ways to express themselves. They may use body language (such as nodding or pacing) or vocal abilities (such as whinnying and neighing) to indicate their thoughts and emotions.
Just like in human-to-human communication, the backbone of horse-human communication is trust. Those who have spent a lot of time with horses often say that they have an amazing ability to respond to the emotions of those around them. Horses are known to mirror behavior and emotions, which encourages people to be present and maintain a level of self-awareness. This requires trust on the part of the human - a willingness to be open and honest. What’s interesting is that horses can detect if this trust is present. A study conducted at the University of Tokyo found that horses can determine congruence in humans - specifically if facial expressions and body language match the tone of voice. For a horse, it is not safe to trust incongruence as it can indicate masked intentions that could potentially harm them. In the wild, this is demonstrated by zebras and how they react to predators. Zebras would appear to be in a relaxed state when there is a lion lounging nearby. However, as soon as the lion pretends to be a rock under a tree to stalk its lunch, zebras would sense something is amiss and would hurriedly flee. The need to establish trust and safety remains the same for horses as they interact with humans.
By having an exchange of trust, both humans and horses can experience peace and joy. We are lucky to witness this at Equinimity through our programs such as Equine-Assisted Somatic Experiencing and Mindful Grooming. Diving deeper into our experiences with animals, our upcoming class, The Power of Presence explores The Trust Technique and animal communication - how being present with animals can bring healing and transformation.
Horses have been domesticated for 6,000 years and in that time, they have learned to listen and observe humans so that they can understand us and communicate with us. Now, we have the opportunity to learn from horses (and other animals) and communicate with them - not just to them.
Communication is a two-way street. We don’t necessarily need to have words to form a connection. All we need is trust, openness, and honesty.
_____
The healing power of presence between people and animals transforms us both. Come join us for a weekly practice of entering the language of silence with horses. The Power of Presence sessions explore The Trust Technique and Animal Communication.
We begin on Wednesday, May 25th from 6 to 7 PM through the end of June, or longer.
Space is limited to twelve participants and pre-registration is required. Please click here for more information.