Language Signs and Calming Signals of Horses: Recognition and Application

by Rachaël Draaisma
August 2017


This practical book helps you interpret and connect the physical signals that horses display in response to their environment. These signals are evident in the everyday actions, gestures and attitudes that horses communicate to each other, but are often so subtle that they can go unnoticed by humans. This book aims to rectify that, offering horse lovers and equine professionals an opportunity to gain a unique insight into their ‘horse’s world’.

After reading this book you will be more astute in spotting calming signals, displacement activities, stress signals and distance-increasing signals, and better able to see which stimuli your horse can handle and which he cannot. This means you will know what to do to calm your horse before his stress rises to an unmanageable level. Language Signs and Calming Signals of Horses is both fascinating and important reading for any equine veterinary practitioner, student or nurse, as well as horse owners and trainers.

• includes detailed description of language signs of domestic horses, with a special emphasis on calming signals
• includes 275 pictures to visualize various language signs, calming signals, behaviour sequences and facial features
• presents communication ladders to show how a horse responds to incentives in his environment, and what signals he uses at certain moments
• contains tips on the use of the communication ladders and calming signals to improve the socialisation, training and wellbeing of your horse
• considers equine psychological stress from an environmental perspective, providing a valuable alternative to the current common clinical perspective.