Training Explained: The Five Stress Coping Mechanisms

When dealing with rescued horses, we are also dealing with fearful horses. Building trust in these animals requires us to understand how to identify how they cope and how to help them overcome their fear. Below are the 5 types of reactions that horses may display when they are stressed.

Flight: This is the most common response from a horse. Since they are prey animals, their best chance of survival is to run away.

Fight: A horse will sometimes act aggressively toward a threat, but usually only if it is a dominant animal or has no option to flee.

Freeze: Freezing happens when a horse cannot flee or fight and hold still in hopes that the stressor will go away. You will see no blinking of the eyes and very shallow breathing. They will also be very rigid to be ready to run if they get the chance.

Fidget: Distraction is a common coping mechanism in performance horses who are not able to escape from the stress of daily life. This is often displayed as cribbing, pacing, pawing, or nibbling on things around them.

Faint: This is not a common occurrence, but a horse can actually pass out from a stressful event. This is seen on racetracks or in tight spaces where a horse gets too overwhelmed.