Body language is a world of its own. Beyond sounds such as whinnies, whimpers, cries and snorts, among others, horses, like all other living beings, speak to us continuously with their bodies. Horses' ears are especially expressive, perhaps the part of their body that can give you the most information. The ears can express their state of mind.
We highlight different positions:
1. Stiff, moving ears: this is the horse's natural state of alarm. This is the normal position of any horse and should not be a cause for concern.
2. Floppy or drooping ears: This position can be due to three things. The first may be linked to the animal being tired or sad, the second may be due to submission to a stronger and more dominant rival, and the third and last may indicate that the horse is sick, but in this case without any movement.
3. Ears erect forward: shows distrust towards something or someone unknown to him, we must be careful because we do not know how he may react.
4. Ears close to the head and pointing backwards: this is a sign of defensive aggressiveness or anger.
5. One ear forward and one ear back: expresses doubt. If your rider tries to explain something new to him, it means that he has not understood it well, so you will have to explain it to him again.