Stress

Reading the Eyes

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When I first got back into horses several years ago, I remember learning how to train horses.  One evening my teacher and I were working with a green* pony on some groundwork exercises. I remember her saying, “Do you see the change in the eyes?  When the eyes soften, we stop the exercise.”

I’m looking at this pony’s eyes as we’re doing the exercise.  They were big and dark, and I remember thinking, “Ok, I see the eyes, but I don’t see the change.”  This was one of my very first lessons in training horses, and at the time, it was too subtle for me to recognize.

Today, after years of experience, I see the change.  In rehabbing old horses, often times they come with distant, withdrawn eyes.  Healthy horses are curious by nature, and when you look at their eyes they are engaged.  Sometimes you will hear people describe curious eyes as being bright.  My long-term goal in rehabbing old horses, is for them to have bright curious eyes and engaged with life.

Practice observing horses’ eyes.  Are their eyes drawing you in, or is there a wall between you and them?  The eyes can tell you a lot about a horse before you ever touch them.

Today, as I rehab old horses, I get to see the change in their eyes from withdrawn and distant to bright and curious.  It doesn’t happen overnight, but given the right environment, diet and exercise, it will happen.  And in a senior horse who has given years of service to humans, it’s wonderful to see them come back to life.

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Thunder’s eyes in his first year of rehab.

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Thunder’s eyes after three years of rehab.

*green means a horse who has just started training

Stress in Horses

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We hear about the harmful effects of long-term stress in people.  We often hear of ways to reduce stress in our lives.  Stress management in people is a fairly common topic.

What about horses?  Do horses experience long-term stress like people do?  If so, what are the long-term effects on their body?

Wild horse researcher, Mary Ann Simonds, wrote a book about stress management in horses.  Unfortunately, it is only available in German.  She said the Germans were more receptive to the topic than the English speaking world.

Equine nutritionist, Juliet Getty, PhD, in her book, Equine Cushings Disease – Nutritional Management, writes about stress and its relationship to cushings.  The following excerpt is a fascinating look at stress inside the horse’s physical body:

http://gettyequinenutrition.biz/TeleSeminars/TeleseminarBooks/ExcerptCushings.htm

Stress is a normal part of being alive, whether horse or human.  However, a long-term chronic stress state can cause damage to the physical body.

In my work of rehabbing old horses, I see the effects of long-term chronic stress when a horse first comes to me.  The good news is simple measures can be taken to reverse the downward spiral of diminishing health.  Given the right environment, nutrition, exercise and emotional/mental support, senior horses can thrive in their golden years.  What an inspiring process to witness.

My first horse the day I picked him up. 26 years old.
My first horse the day I picked him up. 26 years old.
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Same horse six years later. Age 32.