When you pictured how barn life would look, it likely didn’t include your new horse suddenly behaving in ways that frustrated, puzzled, or even frightened you. To complicate matters, conflicting information from internet searches and well-meaning barn mates have left you feeling unsure where to turn. Let’s talk about what to do when faced with a “misbehaving” horse.
What is behavior? What is misbehavior?
Before we discuss where to find qualified help, let’s clarify a few things: What is behavior, and what is misbehavior?
Put simply, behavior is anything a horse does voluntarily that we can observe. For example, lifting a hind leg, leaning away, raising the head, baring the teeth, turning an ear, performing a sliding stop, or stepping into a trailer are all behaviors. Unlike private thoughts or emotional states that the horse experiences, we can observe behaviors and clearly describe them to others. “She steps into the trailer” or “he raises his head and plants his feet” likely conjure up similar mental pictures for both you and me. When we think objectively about behavior in this way, it’s easier for us to influence or affect the horse’s behavior—we can make it more or less likely to happen, and we can even put behaviors on cue, making them happen predictably when we give a specific signal.
Misbehavior, however, isn’t as easily defined. This is because even the definition is subjective, or open to personal interpretation: failure to conduct oneself in a way that is acceptable to others. “Acceptable behavior” doesn’t consider the experience or feelings of the one performing the behavior–-it prioritizes the individual on the receiving end.
Why do horses behave in ways that people find problematic?
Behavior doesn’t occur in a vacuum. In other words, there is always an explanation for why horses behave a certain way. Various factors cause animals to change their responses from moment to moment, whether we like it or not.
A horse raising his head when the rider brings the bridle near might do so for a number of reasons that seem sensible to the horse. But the person trying to bridle the horse might perceive this behavior differently, especially if it is making them late for their jumping lesson.
Pain
Pain or underlying physical or medical conditions are common reasons for horses to behave in ways that people find problematic. For example, a horse with osteoarthritis might balk when asked to step up into a trailer. Or a horse with gastric discomfort might bite when the girth is tightened. In both instances, the horse’s behavior occurs as he tries to prevent increased pain. Because pain is processed in parts of the brain that also regulate emotions, horses (and people) feel fear, anxiety, or even anger when in pain, and their behavior will reflect this.
Fear
When an animal perceives something in the environment to be a threat, it triggers a rapid chemical and hormonal response. This readies the animal to survive the situation—by whatever means necessary. This involuntary flight or fight response causes horses to react in ways that can be problematic: They might fidget anxiously, try to flee, freeze in fear, or even “fight” (bite, kick, barge) in their efforts to escape.
Related Reading: Learn to Pick Up on These 6 Subtle Signs of Pain in Horses
Stress
When we think about stress, we usually think about “bad” stress—the sort that negatively disrupts an animal’s mental and/or physical state of inner equilibrium. While fear and pain do indeed cause stress, other factors, such as unmet needs, inappropriate or harsh training, frustration-inducing experiences, and so on, can all cause stress, negatively influencing how a horse behaves.
Confusion/lack of appropriate training/prior learning
When horse people apply training techniques poorly or with bad timing, horses can become confused, frustrated, or inadvertently believe they are meant to perform a behavior other than the one the trainer desires.
Why is it important to find the right professional for a misbehaving horse early on?

When we understand the various reasons equids might behave in ways we don’t like, it becomes easier for us to both empathize with their experience and understand how to address the misbehaving horse in an appropriate way. When an animal is stressed or suffering, being misunderstood can not only worsen the situation but also cause new problems to develop.
How should owners decide who to contact?
Because pain is a common cause of unwanted behavior in horses, a veterinarian should be the first person you contact about a misbehaving horse. Even issues that seem like mere training problems, such as trailer loading, can have pain as causal factors.
After ruling out pain, contact a qualified equine behavior professional. These professionals have been specifically trained to discover the underlying cause(s) of unwanted behaviors and use retraining techniques that address the problem without making it worse or creating new problems.
Since the horse training industry is largely unregulated, the onus is on owners to interview professionals to help their horses. Look for someone who states that they will take a detailed history on your horse, asking specific questions not only about the problem behavior but also other details that might be pertinent, such as how your horse is housed, managed, or trained. A qualified professional will also be able to discuss the types of training techniques they use to resolve issues, such as counterconditioning, systematic desensitization, shaping, and reinforcement-based training.
Avoid trainers who try to explain misbehavior as a sign of dominance or disrespect or those who promote better leadership as a way to solve problems. These approaches do not appreciate that pain, fear, stress, confusion, and prior learning can cause unwanted behavior. Misguided attempts to make the horse respect the person won’t address those underlying factors.
In Conclusion
Finding the most qualified professional for the job is critical for our horses, whether they need a veterinarian, a trainer, or a behavior professional. Depending on the nature of the problem you are having with your horse, all three can provide valuable help when you need it most.
Related Reading:
- What to Do if Your Horse is Spooky
- How To Train Your Horse Using Negative Reinforcement
- How To Train Your Horse Using Positive Reinforcement
Lauren Fraser, MSc, FFCP, has helped people understand horse behavior problems since 2006. With a background working as a horse trainer, an MSc in clinical animal behavior, and more than a decade working as an equine behavior consultant, Lauren’s approach gets to the heart of why horses behave the way they do and addresses issues using low-stress methods. Lauren also guest lectures at universities, presents at conferences, and creates educational programs for horse owners and equine professionals.
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