Horses Talk to Humans-They Don't Say a Word

In the piece I drew titled Horsehead Study, the horse's expression is what makes this drawing special to me. It is almost like you can feel him staring right into your soul. Horses communicate with each other in the herd by mostly body language. The body language of a horse is unique to the equines. The horse is a highly social animal, the horse communicates its emotions and intentions to its herd mates through both vocalization and body language. A person handling horses needs to be able to read the horse’s body language to be an effective trainer, handler, and rider. Horses know their place in the herd. Communication is subtle but horses can also convey information through vocal sounds, like whinnies, nickers, snorts, and blows, as well as hoof noises, like pawing and stomping.
I like to watch our horses, at the stable I work at, communicate with one another. Sometimes I see negative interactions like squeals, bite threats, kick threats, pinned ears, and rolling eyes. In extreme cases, threats can lead to actual kicks and bites.
Horses are good at letting us know exactly how they are feeling; the only problem is most people don’t know how to speak “horse”.