My horse acts kinda weird...?

Question

so i go to this barn where i board my horse. today i was walking him outside norrmally he was eating and following and all of a sudden he lifted his head and perked his ears. he was in full concentration alert mode. i would say his name and he would bend down for grass then almost kinda skiddishly step to the side. then he flared his nostrils and blew out REALLY hard and loud. it echoed everywhere. i looked over and there was house behind the barn and a kid was sitting outside with 2 other grils and they were walking around and talking. i didnt what to do. what was he doing?!

Answer 1

Sounds like he sensed a predator was nearby - his instincts kicked in and the signs he made showed it. Perhaps also it was a very interesting sound coming from the children and he was very curious to know what it was.

Answer 2

maybe just alerting you to their presance - or he could have smelled a female in heat - you never know with horses.  don't you wish they were all like Mr. Ed?

Answer 3

it sounds like he was spooked, horses react to the weirest things sometimes and it could be something that you think is just normal.

my horse spooks at potholes and different coloured patches on the road! how weird is that?! so it could have been anything, as long as he calmed down, everything is ok. if not, try to figure out what is spooking him or walk him around that area until he learns not to be frightened.

good luck!

Answer 4

horses are hyper sensitive and can hear and see things that our eyes and ears can't. my horses do this sometimes, for the life of me i don't know what it is, but i just leave them alone and let them get over it, and don't endeavour to do anything with them, until this perceived threat is gone.

Answer 5

All horses normally do this when something scares or startles them. I'm sure he was just a little worried over what was happing with the other people. He could of even herd a far off dog barking or running through the woods.

Answer 6

I have seen horses react like this when the saw or smelled the presence of Ostriches or other similar birds (ratites) and also Llamas, apodacas, and also wild hogs. My horse was quite frightened by ostriches and would blow like that when we approached the barn when my DVM brother working on a Ratite back in the mid 90's.

Answer 7

he saw something "strange" and was alert and on the look-out. nothing to worry about, just normal horse business.

Answer 8

he could just be alerting you that people were near by. but that is kind of a little strange though it could of also maybe been something else you didnt notice but he did!

but to me it sounds like he was alerting danger! or maybe another horse. my friends horse gets really hyped up when he sees other horses, just like that! if this is new to him i would maybe talk to it with a "horse wisperer" or something like that to see if its something serious!

GOOD LUCK!

Answer 9

Horses hearing and sight are a lot better than ours.  He was aware of something that might have startled him, and was on alert.  It could have been the kids you saw or something you didn't see at all.  Survival for animals means being aware of what is around them. That's what he was doing.

Answer 10

The horse is probably reacting to a change in the atmosphere or settings. The horse probably spotted something that frightened him. He is just trying to show that he is scared and doesn't know what to do. If the thing that the horse is scared of is an object make the horse confront the object and let him smell the object. If it is a person talk quietly to the horse and a soothing voice and let him check out the situation. Remember a horse has blind spots and can not see right in front of themself so make sure he can see the object. Do not feel stressed yourself or the horse will feed off the stress and may react in a dangerous situation.

Answer 11

Well, if the the kids were not out there before when he was out there, he probably was a little bit nervous or maybe even curious to who or what they were. Different change in scenery always makes them a little curious.