Once Winston Churchill said: “No hour of life is wasted that is spent in the saddle.”

Nowadays, lots of people are fond of horse riding and keep pet horses in their farms.

If you want to buy a horse, don’t ask the seller about its character. You can find it out yourself, simply by watching its gestures and habits.

Some people mistakenly think that it’s possible to make conclusions about the horse’s character and mood by looking into its eyes. They say that if the horse moves its eyes rapidly then it is scared or nervous. But in fact the horse can just be watching all around.

There is another wrong opinion that the horse’s character is connected with the color of its coat. People say that gray horses are very humble and brown horses are nervous. But there are no facts proving that.

Nevertheless there is one thing that can help you understand the horse’s nature and mood–its ears:

• A restless ear indicates that the horse is nervous and you should be attentive with it. Besides, a restless ear may be a sign that the horse has a poor eyesight.

• In general, pet horses whose ears are almost always in one position, are usually dull and not active. It can also mean that they are totally deaf.

• If your horse’s ears are in an upright position, this is a sign of alert. When a horse is scared, its ears are stiff.

• If the horse’s ears are in a forward position, it usually means that the horse is in a good mood.

• If the horse’s ears are in a backward position, it means that the horse is sleepy or scared.

• If the horse is angry it puts its ears flat towards its neck and sometimes even turns the white of its eyes out. This may be followed by a kick, so be attentive.

• The horse’s ears can also warn you about danger, since their internal ears function better than those of a man: their ears can catch the sounds that are inaudible for human hearing. For example, horses’ ears can warn you that someone is approaching.

So, watch your horse’s ears attentively, and they will help you recognize his real character and his current mood.

Photo © Atli Harðarson

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