Like homo sapiens, horses come in several personality types. I know of plenty of folks who are of the firm opinion that horse’s and their owners who’ve been together a considerable time start looking like one another in personality. This is much the same idea that is discussed in the case of married people and pets and their owners. If you ask me, I think there’s a lot of substance to this theory. That’s what my experience tells me.

I consider it crucial that a pony owner bonds with his pony, and the way to do that is to take the trouble of understanding in depth what makes a horse tick.

A sharpened sense of smell characterizes horses in good health. If you approach your pony with an apple hidden in your pocket, and he has got a craving for apples, he will be all over you. Although apples don’t have much of a smell, he’s going to have smelt out the one in your pocket. He will know just which pocket the apple is in. He will be able to sniff around and elbow you. Out on the trail, your horse will have smelt things you are not even aware of, like walkers, riders, deer, mountain lions, bears and water. When your horse snorts on the trail, you would need to get a little alert.

The horse’s sense of hearing is equally as sharp as his sense of smelling is. These two super senses serve him very well. It is a common sight for horses to prick their ears, flick them around and focus to one side or the other. They’re just showing their sensitiveness to the sounds around them. It’s actually a form of abdominal prey instinct. If your horse’s ears are pricked back toward you while you are riding him, he is paying attention to some cues you are sending out. If you’re sensitive, you will find that your horse uses his ears not simply to listen, but to speak also. If he has his ears pricked forward, he is concentrated on something coming up ahead. Often, you know now something is up in the direction your horse’s ears are pointed at. If your horse should pen his ears, he’s signalling hate or disgruntlement.

Like his ears, a horse’s tail also sends out assorted signals depending on its position. The equine tail bone merely an extension of the spine, but a horse uses it quite as much as he uses his ears. When in a relaxed mood, the pony lets his tail hang in a very normal manner. Occasionally a trotting or cantering pony will keep his tail just a bit away from his body to help him in balancing. When scared, the horse tucks in his tail, rather like a dog. If the tail is lifted high, it signifies contentment or excitement. Horses swish their tails when they are irked or sad.

Naturally, a pony probably uses his tail most for swatting flies.

Horses have keen eyesight, though their vision differs significantly from human vision. Physically, a horse’s eyes are structured differently from human eyes. Horses concentrate on near objects by raising their head and on distant objects by lowering their heads. Horses are colour blind. Their eyes are situated on each side of their heads, and this gives them lateral vision, which means they can see 2 distinct images at the same time. That’s the reason why it’s a smart move that when working on your pony you keep switching between his sides regularly.

Horses are also capable of vocal communication. They use both oral and body language to talk with other horses. You can see them do this regularly if you spend a while at a pasture of horses. If a pony swishes his tail at another, he’s signalling that he would like some space. Horses kick out if they are approached too near by another pony or a human. Horses build domination by shoving against other horses; a pony also pushes another if he would like that pony to move. If you allow them to get away with it, and you definitely shouldn’t, horses will also push against you. If you ignore it, you are risking giving them ideas.

When you become a keen observer, you may also become someone capable of thinking like a pony.

Horses are Heather Toms passion and she enjoys sharing her extensive knowledge through her 100s of articles with other horse lovers, like all things about country supply