This sensory acuity enables them to detect even the most subtle changes in their environment. A horse’s senses also influence its instinctive flight or fight response. When they feel threatened, their first response is usually flight. But if the horse feels trapped, it is likely to fight (kick or bite). We must always be aware of the horse’s senses.
The Sense of Sight
The horses’ eyesight is tuned to finding danger. The eyes are focused in the upper and lower parts of the eye. The lens of the eye does not change shape to focus as the human eye does. Instead, the horse changes his head position to change his focus. The top part of the eye picks up long range vision. A horse will hold his head up high to focus on distant objects. The lower part of the eye picks up close vision. The horse will lower his head to look at something close. Horses can detect a tiny movement from a great distance. This is necessary in case of a predator’s sneak attack. But they do not have super fine focus up close.
With a horse’s eyes set mainly on the sides of his face, he has mostly monocular vision. He can see a different image with each eye. This also helps make the horse highly attuned to body language. Horses have nearly 360 degrees of vision. The only blind spots are directly in front and directly behind. Horses can also become alarmed if something suddenly appears above or behind their heads where they can’t see it. It’s another instinctive fear of something attacking them from above, like a mountain lion. Horses are helpless in that kind of situation. Being ridden isn’t very natural to a horse. It places a possible predator in a spot where the horse feels very vulnerable. Allowing a human to ride requires a lot of trust from the horse.
Sense of Hearing
A horse’s sense of hearing is extremely powerful. A rustle in the grass can send an entire herd into a stampede. It might be that pesky predator again. Their ears swivel like radar to pick up sounds from all directions. A horse can detect the direction of a sound before he can see its source. Horses also hear sounds above those audible by humans. Their vocal language ranges from ultrasonic to subsonic. It’s not necessary to speak loudly to your horse when using verbal commands. He can hear you quite well, but is he listening? A horse’s ears are very important to understanding his emotions or feelings. For example, if his ears are flat back against his head, he’s probably very angry. If his ears are relaxed and a bit floppy, the horse is relaxed. If he has them pointed straight ahead, he’s focusing intently on something in front of him. Pay attention to your horse’s ears. They can tell you a lot!
Sense of Touch
A horse’s sense of touch or feel is one of the most sensitive. Horses can feel energy. They can feel when you’re happy, frightened, confused angry, or sad. They use touch for communication. This is displayed by mutual grooming, mothering, putting another horse out of position to full force contact in fighting. Horses also use touch to examine strange objects. That’s why they have long whiskers on their noses. The end of the nose is a blind spot. We depend on the horse’s sense of touch and feel in most of our teaching and riding by applying and releasing pressure.
Sense of Smell
Horses have a superb sense of smell. They can detect odors that humans cannot, which is probably a good thing. They can sense good water from bad. They know which horses marked a particular spot. They can smell if a predator is near. Horses are also able to identify herd members and familiar people with their sense of smell.
Sense of Taste
A horse’s sense of taste is closely related to his sense of smell. Their tongue and taste system is very complex. Horses can detect substances with slight differences in taste and they can remember which taste goes with which smell or visual element.
Memory
Horses have incredible memories! They remember where good things happen as well as the bad things. They remember people and old herd members. Bearing this in mind, we should try to make the memories good.
Whether domestic or wild, all horses have extraordinary senses.
