Horses experience many stressors throughout their lives with their owners. Trailering, transitioning to a new barn, and showing all contribute to equine stress. Since horses are prey animals, they tend to exhibit stress in new situations, unless their owner reassures them that it’s okay. How can you help reduce tension in horses and be a responsible owner?
You can reduce the stress your horses experience by:
- Learning to recognize the signs of stress in horses, including tension
- Using relaxation techniques to help them calm down, or calming supplements
- Reducing exposure to stressors as much as possible
Just like in humans, prolonged stress adversely affects health and well-being. Learn more about tension in horses by continuing below.
Common Stressors for Horses
Horses can experience acute (short-term) and chronic (long-term) stress. Some of the most common causes of stress for horses include the following
- Traveling by trailer
- Rigorous exercise
- Competition
- Isolation from other horses
- Injury and treatment of it
Horses are stressed in the trailer because they are confined, and the trailer’s movement is scary. Exercising a horse too much or harshly triggers stress because horses associate training with discomfort. Going to shows is stressful because horses are exposed to so many new stimuli. Just being at a showground exposes them to many stimuli. Injury and the recovery process can be too much for some horses. Not every horse becomes stressed in every scenario.
How To Recognize Tension in Horses
Horses show tension and stress in various ways. A study found that horses tense their muscles in acute or short-term stress. Other key stress indicators are the sudden development of vices such as cribbing and stall weaving, profuse sweating, abrupt changes in personality, weight loss, or adverse behavior under saddle like bucking.
Horses also exhibit subtle signs of stress through their body language. Some telltale signs of stress that are less obvious are a swishing tail, constantly rotating ears, freeze and stare, half-closed eyes, fidgeting and pawing, tightened mouth and chin, and repeated yawning. However, these cues do not always indicate your horse is stressed out. It is important to assess on a case-by-case basis and respond accordingly. Every horse reacts to things differently.
Relaxation Tips and Techniques for Tension in Horses
Now that we explored why horses become stressed and how they can indicate that to humans, we can discuss ways to help them work through that stress or prevent it altogether. The most obvious way to reduce tension in horses is to remove as many stressors as possible. For example, make sure your horse has regular socialization with others, even when on stall rest. Make trailer rides more comfortable by keeping your horse occupied with plenty or hay and a toy if they enjoy them.
There are also relaxation techniques, such as TTouch, that have helped horses wind down after experiencing something stressful. Therapies like PEMF and red light therapy also reduce tension in horses and promote relaxation. Regular bodywork can remove tension through the release of tightness and stiffness in the muscles.
Calming supplements are a great way to combat stress and tension before they have a chance to begin. There are many stress relief supplements on the market today, but BioPro Armour is the best choice. Although BioPro Armour is an immune supplement, the potent mix of thymic proteins also acts as a calming agent. When given before a show, it will help your horse perform at their best. Trailer rides become not so scary after all when BioPro Armour joins in. Visit the link above and give it a try today!
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