There are a lot of factors that can make horses stressed, like staying alone, loading and sitting in a trailer, vet checks, farrier work, getting ready and going to shows, alterations in weather, changes in the people caring for them, etc. Horses show psychological stress in a number of ways but people lack the right experience to discover it.
Thankfully, Ben Hart, a successful equine trainer is giving the horse owners the chance to improve the way they take care of horses and learn how to behave in equine relationships. Detecting the symptoms of stress in horses is very important and he gave an interesting perspective on that issue, that should be read by every horse owner. Early identification of stress will change the animal’s health and will help you evade critical situations. But how does stress show up in horses?
1.In times of struggle, anxiety, and pain, the stress elements get released in order to get the animal ready for fight or flight. Trailer loading might be very stressful for a horse who is nervous by nature and has had a prior bad experience during loading. A self-confident horse will presumably experience moderate stress in the same situation.
2.During higher levels of stress, horses will start to show strange behaviors. They are flight animals and will give a flight reply, and these changes are implied signs that something is not adding up. Stress can be defeated if you work regularly with your horse to boost his problem-solving ability and also his confidence level.
