Even though some people might think horses are boring, they actually have a funny side. They could exhibit facial expressions and behaviors that seem absurd to us. But generally speaking, they act in a weird way for a purpose. Here is a list of five amusing things horses do, along with explanations for each.
Displaying their top teeth
Horses will curl their upper lip upward and lift their nostrils into the air, exposing their upper teeth. As a result, they appear to be laughing out loud. What they are doing is actually known as a Flehmen reaction. The horse forces a smell to travel further into the nasal canal for analysis by curling the top lip. When they scent something new, horses will act in this way. Stallions will perform this to see whether a mare is ready for breeding. Horses can also be taught to do this on command by giving them a strong or strange smell and giving them a reward when they curl their lips.
Scratch each other’s ass
It is not unusual to find two horses standing side by side with one another. Both horses are facing different directions, with one horse facing one direction and the second horse facing the opposite direction. They are going to scratch each other’s butts with their teeth as they do this. It may be difficult for horses to navigate their way to this location on their own. The fact that they collaborate in order to reach the itchy regions is advantageous to both of them. The mutual grooming that occurs between members of a herd is another sign of respect and acceptance.
Observe how things unfold on the ground
A horse running across the pasture conjures up images of a head raised high, with a flowing mane and tail. But what does it accomplish when a horse trots across a meadow with its nose to the ground? Horses have a natural curiosity. However, their vision is poor while looking directly in front of them. They are forced to lower their heads in order to obtain a better look at anything on the ground that piques their interest.
Although it would seem absurd, doing this could be a kind of self-defense. For instance, Wyoming has a large number of prairie dog villages. On avoid stepping in holes when trotting through one of these communities, horses will keep their noses to the ground.
Snakes are one of the things on the ground that some horses appear to find interesting. This may be especially true for horses that are still quite young. The horse’s head will be dropped in response to the snake’s movement, and it will continue to follow the snake. For the purpose of educating the foals about snakes, we kept a non-venomous bull snake around. They pursued the snake, which eventually bit them when they got too close.
They discovered that snakes were not quite as fascinating as they had anticipated. Because Wyoming is well-known for having high populations of Diamond Back Rattlesnakes, this was an essential thing to learn.
Having fun with toys
Horses are highly clever creatures, but they are also prone to becoming easily bored. They may pick up undesirable behaviors like cribbing, wind sucking, and weaving if they are confined to a stall for extended periods of time with nothing to do.
There are many different activities that may be done to prevent horses from being bored. Providing them with toys is one of these.
A horse can enjoy a wonderful game of kickball thanks to the existence of large horse balls. Some of these can be picked up and shaken around since they have handles.
Rolling around
Have you ever observed a horse roll on the ground and made a prediction about whether it will cross to the other side?
Rolling has a number of advantages.
According to chiropractors, horses that are given the chance to roll frequently have less back issues and may be able to ride for a longer period of time. They might roll well because of that one itch that they just can’t seem to scratch. Rolling after a bath helps to reestablish normalcy and loosen up the hair, not as a means of retaliation against their human. Rolling in the mud is a fantastic way to avoid getting bitten by insects.
Rolling might be an indication of problem.
When gas accumulates in a horse’s intestines, the animal may experience painful cramping as a result. When a horse is experiencing cramps, it will roll to get the gas moving and reduce the pain.