Is Your Horse Acting Normal?

Do you ever observe your horse in the pasture, paddock, or in the stable? What do you look for? And what stands out to you? Do you know what is 'normal' for your horse? Small deviations in a horse's behavior can be signs of early discomfort, illness, or social issues. Therefore, make it a habit to regularly observe your horse.

As a horse owner, you want the best for your animal. Therefore, it is important to have an idea of what behavior is 'normal' for your horse. Is the animal dominant or lower in rank? Does it like to play, have friends, sleep often in the paddock or stable? Eating behavior and how often your horse drinks are also interesting facts to know. And of course, it is important to see if your horse eats sand or digs holes.

Herd Behavior

How a horse behaves within the herd is a crucial indication of how it feels. If a horse has friends and often engages in activities like grazing or playing with others, these are signs of healthy social relationships. If your horse suddenly isolates itself from other animals, this could be a sign of discomfort or pain. Fatigue, sluggish behavior, or conversely hyperactivity and overstimulated behavior are signals you need to watch out for. If you want to learn more about recognizing pain in horses, read this article.

Estrus Cycle

When your horse is in the herd, you can also observe the hormone levels. Especially in early spring, many horses experience fluctuations in sex hormones such as testosterone and estrogen. This can often be seen in mixed herds. Not only in mares, but also in geldings, especially if they have been castrated at a later age. Intense estrus cycles in mares can cause not only irritability or affection but also abdominal pain, cramps, and stiffness when walking. It is important to know if estrus is occurring. Hormones can be obtained from a veterinarian to alleviate severe symptoms and pain, but there are also herbs like chaste tree that have a regulatory effect on hormone levels. Additionally, omega-3 fatty acids play an important role in the hormone balance of horses and humans. Adequate unsaturated fatty acids in the feed support a healthy hormone function, as shown in multiple scientific studies. For horses, salmon oil is a good source of Omega-3 fatty acids (EPA and DHA). Also, Vitamin E is important for a healthy hormone cycle.

Eating Behavior

Another interesting point to keep an eye on is your horse's eating behavior. A horse that eagerly devours its roughage and always appears to be gulping it down may not be getting enough belly-filling fiber throughout the day. It is wise to offer such a horse more and/or more frequent - preferably unlimited - roughage. A horse that eats little or slowly may have a dental problem. Aging horses often have less powerful chewing muscles and therefore take longer to eat. If a horse suddenly stops eating, it could indicate a problem in the mouth, but it could also be related to issues in the gastrointestinal tract, such as mild colic. Look out for other signs pointing in this direction, like restlessness, tail swishing, biting at the belly, rolling, or sweating.

Feces

It is always good practice to take a look at your horse's feces. It should consist of firm, but not too dried-out, balls. Loose stools, worms in the feces, sand in the feces, or watery feces indicate problems in the intestines. Read more about watery feces in horses in this article.

Sand Consumption

A horse that licks sand or digs holes in a sand paddock may indicate boredom, but there could be more going on. A deficiency in minerals like trace elements or silicon, for example. Or painful gastric ulcers. Learn more about the reasons for sand consumption and possible solutions here.

Water Requirement and Drinking Behavior

It can be tricky to know if your horse is drinking enough water, or suddenly drinking more or less. If your horse urinates while you're around, always check the color of the urine. It should be light yellow. Dark urine or even brown urine can indicate dehydration, liver problems, and kidney diseases. When it's hot, or during heavy exercise, you can offer extra water with a tasty flavor and/or electrolytes to encourage your horse to drink more and replenish lost salts. It's also fun and smart to let your horse choose what to drink regularly. You can create a minerals buffet with buckets of water containing various add-ins, such as rosehip extract (vitamin C), liquid silicon, trace elements and minerals from the Bering Sea, and nettle extract (gentle waste elimination). Read more about the minerals buffet in this article.

Sources:

Stanhiser J, Jukic AMZ, McConnaughey DR, Steiner AZ. Omega-3 fatty acid supplementation and fecundability. Hum Reprod. 2022 May 3;37(5):1037-1046.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9308390/