The equine ear is a marvel of evolution. Consisting of three parts—an inner, middle, and outer ear—it fulfills three roles for the horse. It’s a balance organ, a hearing organ, and a signaling device for communication. A horse with pinned ears, for example, is trying to tell you something. But before we get into what that might be, let’s learn a little bit about horses’ ears.
Equine Hearing Basics
Horses have an acute sense of hearing, better than our own and with key differences. The equine ear allows horses to differentiate between noises of similar volume and hear higher-pitched frequencies and faint noises better than we can. Interestingly, species like humans and dogs, with narrower fields of vision, are better able to pinpoint the location of sounds. Horses—with their large field of vision, are less able to determine from where a sound originates. They might also enhance their hearing using the position of their bodies. For example, turning so sound bounces off the shoulders, amplifying it in the ears.
Interpreting Ear Position
Ten muscles control each ear, allowing independent movement and rotation. Because horses often direct their ears toward sources of attention or interest, we can use this information to help us better predict how they might behave in a situation. Research has shown that ear position can also help trained observers better detect poor states of welfare involving pain, fear, or even depression in horses.
As we discussed in our article about body language, ear position is one of those discrete behaviors that should be taken in context alongside the horse’s overall bearing. This means we should avoid making blanket statements about the horse’s emotions or intentions based solely on ear position. For example, labeling a horse with ears held backward as “dominant.”
Why a Horse With Pinned Ears Exhibits This Behavior
Horses might position their ears backward for numerous reasons. Flattened ears are less likely to be injured during a fight. They might protect the horse’s hearing from loud noises nearby. Ears positioned backward also allow a horse to better scan the environment behind them for potential threats.
When horses flatten their ears back against their head, we call it ear pinning. If we consider the horse’s overall bearing while pinning his ears, we will likely notice that he’s showing higher arousal (how “activated” a horse is). We might also notice signs the horse is experiencing negative emotions, such as fear, anger, or frustration.
How To Handle a Horse With Pinned Ears
Horses experiencing high arousal coupled with negative emotions might appear tense and still. Or, they might behave quickly or aggressively, moving away from a source of discomfort or attacking it in a defensive manner. The best time to act when a horse has pinned ears is before the ears are pinned. Before a horse pins his ears, he might have displayed other behaviors showing how he feels.
For example, if you were attempting to catch a new-to-you horse in his stall, you might observe the following behaviors when approaching with the halter: The horse leaning his body weight away, tightened chin muscles, skin wrinkles above the eyes, an elevated head, and so on. These behaviors are dependable early warning signs that the horse is uncomfortable with the situation. Ignoring these signs could lead to pinned ears or even an escalation in the intensity of the horse’s behavior, including displays of aggression.
While it is outside the scope of this article to offer next steps, because several things could be causing this reaction, my general advice is to step back and consider that the horse is uncomfortable with something happening in that moment. By pinning his ears, the horse is trying to communicate, “I feel threatened.” Is he frightened of what happens after he’s caught, or does what follows cause pain? Has he been punished for showing signs of fear, anxiety, or stress (e.g., pinned ears) in his stall previously? Does he feel trapped, with no ability to move away?
Take-Home Message
Because pinned ears can indicate a horse feeling strong negative emotions, it is a sensible course of action to call a qualified behavior professional if this occurs frequently. He or she can figure out the triggers for the behavior and address the root cause of why it is happening, rather than just suppressing the “symptom” with corrections. Suppressed behavior isn’t changed behavior. The root cause will remain, and the horse might increase the frequency or intensity of future aggression.
Related Reading:
- How Can I Tell If My Horse Likes Me?
- From Body Language to Behavior: How Horses Communicate
- How to Find Help if Your Horse Is Misbehaving
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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