#hypersensitive nose

The International Federation for Equestrian Sports unanimously banned horse whisker trimming, effective 1 July 2021. Horses snort and rub their noses on their knees with relief. Clipping whiskers has been a habit passed down among most riding disciplines, in 4-H clubs and breed shows, as well as international competitions. Hooray, times are changing. I’m betting most riders are cheering, too.…

Calming Signals and Sensitive Noses.

“But My Horse Asks Me to Maul His Nose.”

I had questions about my loudmouth party-pooper post last week where I wrote: “If we have a horse with so much anxiety that he rubs and mauls us with his nose, constantly agitated, we try to frame his insecurity as proof that it’s him wanting to be close to us, even as his heart rate climbs.”

In other words, sometimes calming signals are visible signs of…