Relaxation cues are a tell tale sign of our horses lowering their guard around us and letting us in.

It also helps to tell us how much pressure to put on our horse, when to back off and let them process the pressure and when our horse is no longer coping.

How clear these cues are vary on age, previous experiences and breed.

Typically speaking heavy horses (like clydies and percherons) can be harder to get relaxation cues from because it can be harder for them to feel stressed compared to a thoroughbred. Lets face it, just being alive is a stress to some thoroughbreds. Younger horses and natural people pleasers that get stressed more easily may show more obvious relaxation cues but it can also take them longer to relax. Horses that have experienced past traumas or that live alone may struggle with relaxing at all and can be hard to elicit relaxation cues from.

Some relaxation cues to look for:

• Quivering lower lip

• Lowering their head

• Shaking out their head, wiggling their ears and lowering their head (different to head shaking and tossing when stressed or frustrated)

• Muscle twitches

• Full body shake

• Lying down

• Mouthing, licking and chewing

Some signs of tension:

• Holding and bracing through their body

• Stomping their hoof

• Head lifted and lifts against pressure

• Tight through the ears and jaw

Looking for relaxation and tension cues from my horse has been a game changer in our working relationship. It helps me address the no before he even says it. What I hadn’t realised was he was stressed with me just going into the paddock with him. I guess not knowing what to expect and having to work. The tension cues would start with me just walking to the paddock. 

Initially it took 20 minutes of just being quiet and still with my horse in the paddock before I started seeing relaxation cues. Once I realised this relaxation was the missing piece to starting to build a connection and relationship, I made these the point of my training sessions. I started prioritising these relaxation cues of all else and then worked towards connection. Now I get the same relaxation cues - the same ones that people would do join up for ages for with their horses - within minutes of standing quietly with my horse.