According to U.K. and Danish researchers, most horse people misunderstand horses’ expressions of negative emotions. | Photo: iStock

You might be surprised. According to U.K. and Danish researchers, most horse people misunderstand horses’ expressions of negative emotions.

Such misunderstandings could lead to confusion and disagreements around training videos on social media. But more importantly, they’re concerning  horses’ welfare, said Catherine Bell, PhD, of the Equine Behaviour and Training Association (EBTA) near London, England.

“Perhaps the most common problems I find in my behavior work are those associated with a horse being pushed too far and the owner being unaware that the horse is too anxious or stressed to comply,” Bell said. “It’s the classic, ‘He’s not scared; he’s just being naughty or stupid.’ Owners commonly tend to wait for a horse to engage in dangerous behaviors, such as bucking, biting, or bolting, before they recognize there’s a problem. And by that point, it is a big problem