What’s it Mean when my Horse Licks, Chews, or Yawns?

There are so many misconceptions and misunderstandings of why a horse licks, chews, or yawns during a training session or just when around certain people.

I’ve seen this in many instances and have read quite a bit of research and the latest research indicates that horses do this as a reflex during or after stressful encounters.

People used to think that when they saw this it meant that the horse was “digesting a thought” however that concept really doesn’t tell the whole story. They also used to think that if they saw any of these reflexes that the horse would be indicating that he learned something new. Not now.

As you know scientific results can change depending on the latest findings. Now the research indicates that the licking, chewing, and yawning reflex is actually an indicator of a release of stress or tension.

In most instances, it occurs when the horse has just gone through a stressful encounter and feels it is now over. They are releasing the tension that occurred because of that stressful encounter. Kind of like what we call a “let down” after we have been running around in high gear for a long period of time.

It merely indicates that they feel that they are in a stressful situation that they are now getting nervous about or, in most cases, they feel relieved that the pressure has ceased and they are now letting go of their anxiety about it.

The reason I bring this up is that when you see these indicators, they can be used as a reliable indicator when you are training. Observation and being aware of your horse’s environment, emotions, and attitudes are very important when you are working on a relationship.

Without an understanding of why your horse is doing something like this, you may accidentally hurt your relationship and training efforts without even knowing it. Licking, chewing, and yawning consistently indicates that the horse has just changed from a state of higher anxiety into a state of lower anxiety.

So when you see these indicators you can re-evaluate what you are doing or what is going on around you and your horse to see what is causing the anxiety, or what your horse feels is a stressful situation.

What is “pushing his buttons” so to speak. Then re-adjust to allow your horse to calm down and feel comfortable.

This also instills a great deal of trust in you, by your horse, because you are listening to his body language and responding kindly and compassionately to him.

You will see in this video how Apollo is releasing his stress and calming himself down – “letting it all out”. He has just had a stressful encounter with D’Artagnan who decided to push him around and not let him get to the water trough. Once I saw this and stopped it to allow Apollo to get water without D’Artagnan’s pressure, he instantly started to settle down and release his anxiety.

Body Language – Licking, Chewing, Yawning

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