I’m studying for an MSc in Equine Science and am researching equine behavior. Having studied scientific literature, including your catalog of horse behavior (The Equid Ethogram, A Practical Field Guide to Horse Behavior), I cannot find any reports or descriptions of “licking and chewing” while head lowered in feral or domestic herds. My queries are as follows:

1. Do you know of any scientific reports describing or explaining that behavior?

2. Certain scientific authors are suggesting that this is “displacement behavior;” do you know of any studies that support this?

I’ve also experienced the situation when training a horse to do a new move–such as moving the right leg forward and back on command, as we stop and rest at each correct response. After being allowed to stand quietly for a short while, he will start blinking his eye, then move his jaw (his neck will usually be out front and to my eye does not look tense). I see it now with every horse I work with, and also observe it with other people working horses. I never noticed it until it was pointed out to me. It happens if you wait and give the horse time. This was described to me by a Canadian cowboy as “he’s blinking so he’s thinking, and now he’s digesting the thought so he’s now learned