Take a look at this new body language flow chart! After looking over the several different communication ladders Rachael Draaisma uses in her book "Language Signs & Calming Signals of Horses", I compiled them into one master graphic.
I've listed the body language a horse will use at each step during the process of being exposed to a stress-inducing stimulus. The horse starts in neutral, then exhibits calming signals, displacement behaviors, stress signals, then distance increasing signals before displaying a fight or flight response. Sometimes the horse may not need to go through each step or may skip steps and can go through the ladder in reverse order as the stimulus is removed from the environment. However, the horse can also enter a state of learned helplessness if this situation is not resolved by his signals.
For example, a young horse who has never been round penned before that is expected to behave perfectly and is therefore worked for over an hour and is then hosed off without ever seeing a hose before, may display calming signals, displacement behaviors, stress signals, and try to move away from the stimulus (human & hose) before becoming shut down when he realizes his efforts at communication are in vain.
Remember that watching for these signals and helping your horse out of stressful situation can significantly increase the effectiveness of your training sessions while keeping your horse inquisitive and playful. Keep this in mind and your horse will thank you 😉
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