Horses are naturally fight or flight animals, and we must always have this in the forefront of our mind when considering horse behaviour. In the wild, they are highly tuned to signs of danger or stress for the herd and theyll do one of four things in response to it. The following Four Fs can happen in isolation or combination:Flight: Fleeing from danger is naturally a horses preferred option. In ridden horses, this behaviour may manifest itself as bolting or trying to escape a situation.Freeze: Planting or refusing to go forwards if nervous or frightened. We often see this sort of behaviour when loading a horse into a trailer or lorry.Fight: If a horse is cornered or has learned that this strategy work, and they cant run (perhaps theyre cornered in a stable), they may fight back using behaviour such as rearing, kicking out or biting.Fidget: If a horse cant escape (for example if they are tied up or in a stable) they may fidget, which is also known as a displacement horse behaviour.With this in mind, we can all learn much about how our horse is feeling simply by reading and understanding their behaviour and body language. However, the signs horses give us are often subtle and hard to recognise, especially if youre not sure what to look for.Recognising horse behaviourUnfortunately, we often misinterpret, dont see or even ignore the early signs of anxiety or stress in horses and this can escalate their behaviour to something more dangerous, like bucking or biting.I often see horses being punished for behaviour such as barging, biting, rearing, bolting or being anxious. But the only way a horse can communicate with us is through their behaviour and body language and, chances are, theyll have been showing subtle signs of stress long before it got to the bad behaviour stage.This is why it is vital to read the cues our horses display so that we can keep them mentally and physically healthy, and ourselves safe.Displacement behaviour is something you will see your horse doing all the time. Its when they exhibit them in an inappropriate context that you should take note. They can be a sign of stress, for example, when horses are in conflict. This is when theyre anxious about a situation, confused by whats being asked, frustrated or in pain.Displacement horse behaviourThink about when youre facing a stressful situation but cant escape a job interview for instance. While you wait to be called, your anxious body will go into stress (referred to as fight or flight) to prepare to escape. You want to leave but have to stay and its difficult to sit still. You may walk up and down, tap your feet, drum your fingers or fiddle with a pen. Moving in this way goes some way towards relieving the stress.Our horses perform displacement behaviours too. Here are just a few example of what this might look like in your horse:Playing with the lead rope when tied upPawing at the groundChewing the fence, lead rope, or anything in reachExcessive yawning.Research into animal welfare often uses the number of displacement behaviours an animal performs as a measure of stress. They are useful indicators that show how your horse feels about their environment, handling, training or being ridden.Behaviour between horse breedsCold-blooded horses like cobs are often thought to be more relaxed than hot-blooded breeds like Arabs or Thoroughbreds. However, research has shown that they have similar levels of the stress hormone cortisol as hot-blooded horses in stressful situations they just behave differently. So, Shetlands, Shires horses, cobs, etc, appear to be less reactive and more stoic when stressed. They may freeze rather than flee or fidget. Sadly, as a result, theyre often thought to be stubborn or naughty when in fact they may simply be too frightened to move.Subtle horse behaviour to watch forWe owe it to our horses to be vigilant about their behaviour so we can help them. Below are the subtle signs to watch for. They may only show one or two and they dont come in any order. Stress manifests differently in every horse.In the stableYour horse may kick the stable door if theyre frustrated, stressed or frightened. They might call to others, turn their quarters as you enter the stable or churn up their bedding. Being unusually withdrawn, depressed and not eating are also signs of stress. If not spotted, this could lead to aggressive horse behaviour, such as wall kicking, rushing at the door, barging, weaving, crib biting, wind sucking or box walking.On the groundSome behaviour you experience when handling a horse on the ground, if not the norm for your horse, could be a sign that they are nervous of being handled, have had a bad experience or have been frightened by a handler in the past. These include being easily startled, nervous, bargy behaviour, not wanting to pick their feet up, reluctance to go forwards or refusing to be caught.While being riddenMissing stress signs before and when riding can lead to dangerous behaviour such as napping, bucking, spinning, rearing and bolting. Signs a horse isnt happy being ridden are:Hiding in the corner of the stable when tack arrivesBeing difficult to put a bridle onNipping when the girth is tightenedNot standing still at the mounting blockFreezing or back upTilting their head to one sideShowing reluctance to go into an arena or leave the yard for a hack.Know your horses behaviourOne of the trickiest tasks as an owner is to know if your horse behaving differently from the norm. We all know horses that do things by habit rather than because theyre unhappy. Its important to study your horse often and in all situations. You need to build a picture of whats normal so the subtle signs of stress in their behaviour became obvious.A good way to do this is by keeping a diary. Notice how your horse reacts when theyre in the field with other horses, taken to a new environment (like a show) or when other people are around him. Watch their facial expressions and body language, notice their overall posture and how this changes in difficult situations. Refer back to your notes if you see something you havent spotted before.Think about the longevity of the horses behaviour too. If they yawn when you approach with tack but are relaxed when you ride, its probably nothing to worry about. If the yawning is prolonged and occurs every time you ride, then something may be worrying them or causing pain.Once youve recognised any unusual behaviour ask your vet to take a look and, if its nothing physical, contact an equine behaviourist for help.Recognising the face of painAny change in horse behaviour may be an indication that they are experiencing pain. Horses are good at hiding physical issues because, from an evolutionary perspective, showing weakness could mean ending up as a predators lunch. So the signs of pain can be very subtle for this reason.Vet Sue Dyson has researched facial expressions and pain in riding horses and found that horses show signs of pain in their eyes, ears and around the mouth/nose. The eyes will be staring or even closed, the ears back when you wouldnt expect it, the mouth open and the chin tight with a wrinkle in the nose and the nose becoming more angular.Horses being very above the bit was also spotted as a sign of pain. Sue urges riders and trainers to familiarise themselves with the facial signs of pain that horses show. Find out more about the research here.A different study by vet Dr Karina Bech Gleerup looked at the body language of horses in discomfort. She found a specific equine pain face that can be recognised in the appearance of the horses ears, eyes, nostrils and muzzle, as well as muscle tension across the face.In this study, the horses had lowered ears, an angled appearance of the eyes, a withdrawn stare, nostrils flared to the side, and tension in the lips, chin and facial muscles. This information has proved useful in spotting colic in horses. Watch Dr Karina explains more about this here.Main image: copyright Your Horse Library/Kelsey Media LtdRelated contentWhat do a horses ear positions mean?How to manage a rearing horse6 things you need to know about horse communicationHow to stop a horse buckingHow to take care of a horseThe post Subtle horse behaviour: learn to read what they are trying to say appeared first on Your Horse.