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How do you recognize stress in your horse, and what can you do?

How do you recognize stress in your horse, and what can you do?

Written by Astrid | November 17, 2025

Every horse owner knows the feeling: your horse seems restless, looks around nervously, or startles at things it normally ignores. Stress in horses occurs more often than we think—sometimes very subtly, sometimes clearly visible. But how do you know if your horse is really experiencing stress? And more importantly: what can you do to help them relax? In this blog, you’ll learn how to recognize stress in your horse, which signals you should never overlook, and what practical steps you can take to create more calm and balance.

What is stress, really?

Stress is a natural physical response to tension, danger, or change. It helps your horse stay alert and ready to react—for example, by fleeing or defending itself. Just like in humans, there are two types of stress: acute stress and chronic stress.

Acute stress is a short moment of tension. Think of a dog running past, a loud noise, or a threatening situation with another horse. Once the danger has passed, the body returns to normal. How quickly this happens depends on the horse and the intensity of the trigger.
Chronic stress occurs when the alarm system stays active for too long. The horse experiences prolonged tension and cannot fully relax. This can lead to physical and mental overload, reduced immunity, and behavioral problems. Chronic stress can develop due to illness, insufficient nutrition, repeated acute stress moments, or a change such as moving stables.

Support for your horse

What are stress signals?

When a horse experiences tension, it shows subtle signs—often so small that they’re easy to miss. By observing your horse regularly, you will become much better at recognizing them.

Common stress signals include:

Large, tense eyes (often with visible white) and flared nostrils
Heavier breathing or exaggerated snorting
Holding the tail higher than normal
Restless behavior (pawing, rearing, pacing)
Excessive chewing or licking the air
Startling easily or being overly alert
Frequent yawning
Ears pinned back
High head carriage
Tight lips
Strong tail swishing

Some horses show tension very clearly, while others give more subtle signs. Not every stress signal means your horse is panicking—sometimes they are simply trying to process tension or calm themselves. Horses do this through what are called calming signals.

What are calming signals?

Calming signals are behaviors horses use to reduce tension or avoid conflict. They help the horse calm itself, and they also communicate to others—humans or animals—that it does not pose a threat.

Common calming signals include yawning, blinking, chewing, neck shaking, half-closed eyes, chewing with the tongue out, shaking the whole body, eating, or slowing down movement. Less well-known signals include bending the neck, raising and lowering the head, walking in a curve, or bringing the hindquarters forward. The more calming signals you see, the higher the tension level.

The goal of these signals is to reduce the tension—either internally (the horse calms itself) or through the environment: the trigger disappears, a person changes posture, or the horse recognizes and better understands the situation.

What can you do to help your horse?

There are many ways to help your horse find more peace and balance, both physically and mentally. Supplements can support this process, but everything starts with observing your horse and honestly assessing what they show you.

Observation

Pay attention to what your horse is trying to tell you: tension during grooming, difficulty standing still, nervousness, or slowness can indicate imbalance. Acute stress may arise from transport, a new stable, fireworks, or intensive training. If this happens too often, it can develop into chronic stress.

Social Contact

Social contact is equally important. Horses are herd animals and need interaction with other horses. Being together, playing, or grooming each other helps them express natural behaviors and release tension.

Training

Adjust your training to what your horse needs at that moment. Calm, predictable sessions with enough variation and relaxation help build trust. Groundwork and light desensitization training can be very valuable—they boost your horse’s confidence and teach them to handle tension more effectively. Don’t forget yourself: your posture and breathing have a significant impact on your horse’s emotional state.

Mental Enrichment

Mental enrichment is also important to prevent stress. Horses are curious animals that enjoy having something to investigate or do. Toys such as treat balls, lick stones, or hanging toys can reduce boredom in horses with limited turnout. Simple additions like branches to chew on or hay nets at different heights add variety and encourage natural behavior. This helps keep your horse physically and mentally balanced.

Feeding Management

Evaluate your feeding routine and housing setup. Some horses become restless if they spend too much time in a stable or lack sufficient free movement. A stable with turnout, a paddock paradise, or a pasture system often helps increase calmness.

Stress around feeding is also common: irregular feeding times, too little roughage, or competition during meals can create tension. Offering roughage ad libitum or spread throughout the day, and creating a quiet feeding environment, often restores balance quickly.

Grazing Together and Hand-Walking

Grazing or walking together can help reduce stress. This mimics natural herd behavior—moving and eating calmly together—and strengthens trust and the bond between you and your horse.

Supplements

Supplements can support horses experiencing internal restlessness or tension. Think of products containing magnesium, valerian, passionflower, or other calming herbs that support the nervous system in a gentle way—without sedating the horse.

Understanding Your Horse

The most important thing is to truly observe and understand your horse. Every horse is unique—what calms one horse may cause stress in another. By paying attention to small signals and working step-by-step on creating calm in training, feeding, and the environment, you help your horse feel safe and balanced again. This builds a strong, trusting partnership.

Questions about stress in horses?

Do you still have questions about horse stress after reading this article? Our veterinary team is ready to provide personalized advice. Feel free to contact us at: veterinarian@vetsend.co.uk.

About the author

Astrid, veterinary nurse at Vetsend

Astrid is a veterinary nurse and works at Medpets as a content specialist, where she uses her many years of hands-on experience to provide pet owners with clear and reliable information. She specializes in rabbit behaviour and enjoys contributing ideas for innovative products and blog posts that meet the needs of both pets and their owners.