# The ears have it - spin off



## Golden Horse (Feb 20, 2010)

I was reading on another thread about a horse being hit on the muzzle for pinning its ears at the farrier....it made me start thinking

How much stock do you put on ears in isolation? They are certainly the most mobile, expressive and obvious of the horses body language cues, but is it fair to react to them without other actions?

For instance the ear pinning, to me it is a horse displaying that something is not right with the world, LOL I know I will get slammed for this, but owning a chestnut mare, I allow her to pull faces, pin her ears, she is obviously saying "I'm mare and I'm p*****d" I don't hit her or other wise reprimand her for being in a bad mood. Now if she pins her ears and lifts a leg, now that is different, if she pins her ears and swings her head towards me, or makes that 'snakes head move' THEN I have an issue. Now maybe it's me, but I really don't mind her having personality, she can express her likes and dislikes, she isn't a robot, BUT ultimately even if she shows she dislikes something, she is going to do it if I say so. 

Ears are great, they bring attention to stuff, show that they are listening, show a horse is relaxed, but so often you need more clues than just the ears,

Anyway, back to the point, do you allow a horse to pin its ears, when there is no other body language going on, or do you correct, and if so how? I for one am actually very shocked to read of a horse professional hitting a clients horse, hard, on the muzzle for pinned ears.


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## tinyliny (Oct 31, 2009)

it really depends. if the horse pins his/her ears because I am tightening the girth, I ignore it. as long as the head stays facing forward. if I am bringing in food, and they pin ears but stay respectfully off at a distance, I ignore it. If another horse passes and they pin, I might do something small to interrupt them, to distract them.

it's kind of, they can have an opinion when I can see their point. and they can have their own opinions, but if there is a chance that it will become a dangerous behavior, then it would be best to nip it in the bud. most of the time, all it takes is doing something to interrupt that negative thought they are having. it doesn't have to be an actual hit, though I would not hesitate to hit a horse who pinned AND snaked head toward me, and I would hit anywhere I could reach fast (short of the eyes). I don't think hitting a horse on the muzzle that is reaching around to bite you will make it headshy. it is a natural consequence to action. striking them there for other reasons would be more likely to cuase confusion and resentment.

I watch my horse's ears all the time. it tells me when they are about to take my idea and make it their idea. or when, they have their own idea but haven't yet acted on it.


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## Rain Shadow (May 1, 2014)

I use to be a lot stricter on ears. Until I get Kenzie. Who has RBF. She can be standing in the pasture with that ****y Mare Face. Its just her face. I'd never do anything else if I punished her for it. 

Now her head goes up and ears are back, that's her being a brat face. I usually growl "Pretty ears' as a warning and if they don't go back to being nice, she gets driven backwards, made to yield, or if she's being really bad, a smack to her shoulder. 

Now there is a clear difference between the two. Observe


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## Textan49 (Feb 13, 2015)

Golden Horse said:


> Anyway, back to the point, do you allow a horse to pin its ears, when there is no other body language going on, or do you correct, and if so how? I for one am actually very shocked to read of a horse professional hitting a clients horse, hard, on the muzzle for pinned ears
> 
> 
> .


I have an entirely different outlook than most people when it comes to what could be called "threatening" behavior. I have never, and never will physically correct a horse for ear pinning. Outside of a few nips from bratty ponies I have never been bitten by a horse in over fifty years. I have been snapped at and had a couple of horses hit me with their teeth (didn't actually bite) and they weren't physically corrected either. In MHO a "threat" is something I need to know and take into consideration. The horse is telling me that he is either physically or mentally uncomfortable with what I am doing. I make it the least uncomfortable for him as possible and I never had to do any more than give a verbal warning if the horse threatens again. I have never had the threat escalate, only decrease with time. There certainly are horses that won't bother to warn first, and the key is to know the difference. This is something I can't teach, it comes with experience. These horses do need to be corrected right off. They don't usually just pin their ears or make a face. There is a certain tenseness in their body and a different look in their eyes


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## Wallaby (Jul 13, 2008)

My gelding, Fabio, "pins" his ears A LOT. He pins his ears to "talk" - as I like to call it. He makes allll sorts of faces in an effort to communicate with me, and I've _finally_ [after what must seem like an impossible eternity to him] started figuring out what he's saying. 
Sometimes he's trying to direct me to an area of his body that he needs massage work on [literally like a game of "hotter colder" - he'll perk up when I'm focused on the right area, and pin those ears the second I stray from the "correct" area], sometimes he's telling me that I'm standing behind him and he needs to poop [this one used to scare me - to have a horse suddenly pin his ears while you're directly behind him is NOT my favorite thing...but I've learned that that's just him telling me that I should move or I'm gonna get pooped on], sometimes he's saying he doesn't feel good, etc.


I know some people hate pinned ears, and I used to to, but then I realized that Fabio's pinned ears are essentially harmless. If he's gonna harm you, you either won't see it coming [like when he unexpectedly blows up], or he'll give you about 100000 warnings before he does anything - he'll pin his ears, pin them more, look at you, swish his tail, while nodding his head, turn his head towards you, maybe dart his head towards you, maybe snap his teeth in your direction, his body will get very stiff, he'll shift his weight around, etc. Even when he's giving "warnings," a strongly stated "hey, QUIT!" will turn him right back into his grumpy puppy self. 
I've only had him give me "warnings" when he is in extreme pain from his muscles. I still expect him to behave and be careful of me, but I do allow him to communicate that he does not want to be touched. I still make the final choice about whether I need to touch him or not, but, if he's clearly hurting and I don't absolutely need to touch him, I try to respect his needs. 
He knows that communicating is ok and welcome, but that there is a line that must never be crossed or he'll regret that he was ever born. :lol:


The other thing, for me, that I found was really funny is that, after finding out that he's half Lipizzan, I discovered that his "faces" are not that unique within the Lipizzan breed. And that cracks me up! They all seem to have the most expressive, exquisitely hilarious mare glares!

Some stallions:










And whatever is happening here! haha This horse has some serious thoughts about that dog on his back! :lol: 





I will say though that Fabio's ear pinning definitely can have a portion of "testing" to it. He clearly has buffaloed a few people in the past and he knows that he could hurt a human. He's very careful not to hurt me, and that's definitely apparent in his behavior - that he's making a conscious choice to 'protect' me, but he has charged at me, teeth bared, in the past. 
I, of course, ran to get my lunge whip and forcefully informed him that that behavior was a literally the worst idea.

He is constantly testing and I have to stay very aware of that, but, as long as I stay on top of it, things go well. 
Usually the ear pinning isn't him testing though, usually his testing comes in the form of "accidentally" bumping into me, "accidentally" mouthing me, "accidentally" barging past me, "accidentally" getting pushy about going somewhere, "accidentally" neighing for his buddies when we're working, and so forth. If I consistently correct him appropriately in those situations, he stays pretty easy to deal with and stays non-confrontational.

He's definitely a gelding, but I think he might be a stallion in his mind. :lol: [though, him being gelded super late - at 6-ish- is a definite possibility]


Here's a good example of his "I hate this, but it seems to be important to you so I'm putting on my big boy underwear about it. But did you know that I actually hate this a lot?"-face





Post bath, a few years ago:


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## Change (Jul 19, 2014)

My mare is a pro at mare-face, too, and on her I pretty much ignore her ears. She's never once offered to bite or kick. When I'm riding, her ears are back, but not pinned - more back but flicking around paying attention back. 

Tonight, she scarfed down her cubes and RB and came sniffing after Tango's. He's a gent and will let her share his pan. Mom, though, wanted Tango to eat his dinner. I stood guard and Cally tried several different approaches with her ears pinned back in displeasure that I was In Her Way! But that was it; she was just telling me she wanted His food and was going as far as she dared in challenging me. The few times she tried to 'sneak' past (she thinks she can turn invisible), she got a slight bump or push to let her know she wasn't fooling me.

Tango rarely pins his ears unless he's really confused about what I'm asking and has reached the point of frustration (or when I'm leading him to the dreaded _bath _area). Again, it isn't a sign of hostility. He just stops moving, pins his ears, and looks to me to ask something he can understand (or make his _Big Butt move _until he decides a bath isn't such a bad idea).


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## Rain Shadow (May 1, 2014)

Wallaby are we sure Fabio and Kenzie aren't related? His faces match hers so often and his 'accidents' sound so much like her. 

Ty and Lacey were related so at this point, nothing would surprise me.


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## Smilie (Oct 4, 2010)

it has to be applied in context, knowing how to read a horse, and I would never hit ahorse in the face that is pinning his ears in a threating manner
For instance, a horse that pins his ears, while refusing to yield his hips, perhaps even thinking about pinning you against the wall,would be made to move those hips as asked The ars then come forward all on their own, with the changed attitude.
In the case of that horse pinning his ears at the farrier, and nothing more, I would not reprimand, but see if the horse was sore, having a problem standing on a leg, while he lifted the other one-just an example
Pinning ears while being fed, at me or another horse-nope, not allowed, as that is often followed up my akick, and whther that kick was intended for you or another horse, does not matter if you get nailed
Pinning ears, is also not the same as just putting ears back slightly. Pinned ears are flat against the top of that neck
Perhaps, handling stallions, makes one alittle more aware of aany ear pinning that indicates either 'make me', or I am more dominate, thus can pin my ears at you, and escalate from there
Ever see alower down horse pin their ears at a horse above them in the pecking order? 
You will se a dominant horse, secure in their position, just give another horse 'the look', or pin ears, to affirm their position
Thus, there is no black and white rule, as you have to be able to read your horse, and know what he is telling you with those ears

Here is a good article on reading a horse's body language

How to Read Your Horse's Body Language | EQUUS Magazine

Interesting article- research shows horses read each other's moods by the ears, aand if covered up, have aproblem reading that other horse

Horses talk with their EARS: Creatures use subtle body language to communicate thoughts | Daily Mail Online


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## Smilie (Oct 4, 2010)

Newsletters
Horses have two basic forms of communication--vocal and body language. The more sophisticated of the two by far is body language. With a mere look, a flick of the ears, or a turn of the head, horses can communicate to each other and to us, if we learn to understand their body language. Horses learn these communications skills from birth, but humans often misinterpret a horse's body language.









The acute ears are the single most expressive component in equine body language. Very often, by watching a horse's ears, it is possible to accurately predict what his reaction will be in a given situation.

Here are a few examples.

Pinned or Laid Back Ears--Pinning of the ears normally denotes a form of aggressiveness, or perhaps anger. Horses use pinned ears as part of their repertoire of threatening gestures. When one horse approaches another with ears laid back, the message often appears to be, "Move out of the way, or suffer the consequences." When you are working with a horse and he pins his ears, he's either signaling his unhappiness with you or something you are doing, or demonstrating aggressive behavior. Pinned ears can mean that you have pulled the cinch or girth too tightly or done something else that caused physical discomfort.

Pinned ears also can be a classic warning when you are involved in a group trail ride. When another horse approaches closely from the rear, pinned ears often will be followed with a kick at the offender.

Correct interpretation of this type of body language is critical. If you don't correctly interpret the horse's body language, you might react incorrectly. If the horse is pinning his ears because you have caused him physical discomfort, disciplining him in any form will be counterproductive. On the other hand, if the horse is using pinned ears as a signal that he's challenging you, that is a totally different matter. If you don't establish yourself, with firmness, as being the dominant one in this pecking order, you might be telling the horse that you are subservient, and therein will lie all kinds of problems in the future.

This is a case where knowing the differences between the meanings of similar body language cues makes all the difference. It also confirms how challenging it is to correctly read a horse's body language. There will always be a certain amount of guesswork, but we can eliminate at least some of that with close observation and common sense, such as evaluating whether what you are doing to the horse is really causing him pain or discomfort.


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## Smilie (Oct 4, 2010)

Sorry, above is from the horsecom, if anyone wants to read the entire article


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## Smilie (Oct 4, 2010)

Just to be clear, I see many pictures posted here, that have nothing to do with pinned ears. Ears slightly back, are listening ears-as to a rider, for instance-out to the side, relaxed,sometimes dosing ect. Pinned ears are back flat , as in 'pinned'


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## Golden Horse (Feb 20, 2010)

Another good one, when we first got Fergie she had no idea of backing away from a stall door to let me in, of standing to one side while I dump her food or hay, she had been used to being a bully. Now she will back right away from the door, she will stand respectfully back while I hold food, or dump food. She will though have her ears back, "I'm not happy, but I'm doing it" That's fine, as long as the action is right, she doesn't have to like it.


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## egrogan (Jun 1, 2011)

Isabel walks into the barn happy as a clam to be groomed and pampered-UNLESS she sees the saddle sitting on the rack in the aisle. Then she glares and pins her ears at it. It's only as she walks by it, she goes back to her typical placid self after she's made her opinion known.


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## Horsef (May 1, 2014)

I used to ride an Arabian who somehow learned that ears back means "beg for food". His whole body would look submissive, he would pin his ears back and give you puppy eyes. I think he saw the dogs doing it and it worked for them... Silly old git. He was never, ever aggressive.


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## greentree (Feb 27, 2013)

No, I pay attention, but would never correct....

My endurance mare, Molly, got THAT job because she ALWAYS told you how she felt. She did as she was asked, but you KNEW, with ZERO uncertainty, how she felt about it. And she did NOT like being ridden in the arena, doing circles. 
As soon as a circle, or even a corner, was cued, she would pin her ears and curl nostrils. If you needed to repeat, she would shake her head.

She adored the trail, so we did endurance, but at a vet check, she had to take her nose out of her hay to do a trot out for the vet, and she would pin her ears , wrinkle her nose, and snake her head to object. No, she was never corrected.


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## GMA100 (Apr 8, 2016)

I always keep a eye on my horses ears, but I NEVER slap on the muzzle for anything.
If they start making the "snaky face" they get a loud "quit it" and we move on, if they don't stop they get a jerk with the lead rope. 
Most horses will put their ears back when they are working anyways.


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## Dreamcatcher Arabians (Nov 14, 2010)

Ears flat back. I've been known to do this when someone really gets on my nerves. My DH swears he can see my ears go flat back. Oh wait, were we talking about the horses? LOL! 

Cloney has a habit of pinning his ears back at feeding time. In the pasture, he's telling the other horses to push off and not come near his food. Once they have cleared out, he's allowed to come in and eat once he looks at me and 'gives me his ears' real quick. I don't allow him into my space with pinned ears, but I don't get after him for the ears, he just has to stay out of my space until his expression is a little less ****y. 

In the 2 pics above, if either of those horses directed those looks at me, I'd either be getting out of the way (not my horses, not gonna deal with it) or they'd be getting told to back down PDQ. But I'd be figuring out what got them so mad and I'd be fixing whatever I did that caused it.


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## TXhorseman (May 29, 2014)

A horse’s ears illustrate just one aspect of the horse’s body language. While it is helpful to observe what a horse’s ears are doing, one should also observe other things. Too much focus on ears alone can create misunderstanding. I’ve even see novices think a horse was pinning its ears back when they were simply focusing on something to the rear.

It also helps to know the specific horse in question. Horses, like people, have individual personalities. A man may seem gruff to one observer, but another who knows him better may realize that this individual is actually quite nice. I knew one gentle horse that “pinned” its ears back when extending its head to reach for a treat. As a joke, the owner hung a sign on the horse’s stall that said: “Beware of attack horse.”

Consistently stopping a horse from pinning its ears back may have two very opposite effects. The horse may learn to submit to any handling even to the point of suffering pain without showing any obvious reaction. At the other extreme, a horse may learn that it does no good to give a warning before performing a more aggressive act. A horse may, of course, react in a variety of ways between these two extremes.

I can understand someone who does not realize these things reacting defensively when a horse pins its ears. Still, I would hope this individual would be open to learning more about horses.


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## Smilie (Oct 4, 2010)

Yes, and the atricles in all those links I posted, go into eading body language correctly, knowing when a horse is being threatening, or mayb ein pain, ect, and never to just have an ABC, one size fits all approach,-that is what true hrosemanship is about~


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## Golden Horse (Feb 20, 2010)

Smilie said:


> Yes, and the atricles in all those links I posted, go into eading body language correctly, knowing when a horse is being threatening, or mayb ein pain, ect, and *never to just have an ABC, one size fits all approach,-that is what true hrosemanship is about*~


Amen to that


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## mkmurphy81 (May 8, 2015)

I think it depends on the situation, and there's always an exception to the rule.

In general, my attitude is, "those pinned ears better not be directed at me." I'll usually react with a "Quit!" and that's the end of it. However, there's always an exception.

One mare I owned was certainly allowed to pin her ears when we rode. At the barn where we rode -- this place had so many problems, don't even get me started -- the only place to ride was in the pasture with all the other loose horses. We were just kids and had no idea how dangerous that was. Out of 30+ horses, my mare was one of the dominant 2. If a loose horse was too close, the best way to get rid of it was for Star to pin her ears. We could walk right up to the best watering hole, and the loose horses would clear out quick with one good mare glare.

As long as those flat ears weren't directed at me, I learned to appreciate them.


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## jaydee (May 10, 2012)

This is all about knowing your horse and knowing the difference between ears pinned in aggression and ears in various stages of that - listening, bored, sleepy, feeling a bit grouchy etc
When Lou pins her ears at a horse that's walking past her stable she most definitely will bite it if they get close enough but a stern word in her direction will stop her in her tracks and make her step away from the door - but the only reason she obeys that stern word is because at some time in her life it was accompanied by a good whack from someone.


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## Prairie (May 13, 2016)

I ride a red mare, so discussions and expressive ears are a given! To me, pinned ears are just another way of the horse expressing herself, and it's up to me to interpret what she is saying correctly. There is also a difference between "pinned" ears and ears that are just cocked back, cocked to express displeasure or annoyance, cocked back to warn a horse to move or back off, etc. It's up to the horse's handler to be able to "read" the horse and act accordingly. 


A silly example is when I trail ride with 3 of my friends, all of us on dominant mares. Their expressions are hysterical as we ride along which certainly keep us laughing, but the mares are well-trained and know that we allow them to express themselves, but they better not act on it! 


As for the situation which led to this thread, IME, hitting a horse with an object is just an example of someone who has lost his temper, unless that horse is physically threatening the person. There are much better, more effective methods to correct/discipline a horse who overstepped the boundary of good behavior such as a growled "quit", jerk of the lead rope, a strategically placed elbow, or back the horse hard for examples. Also, just because I physically corrected a horse for misbehavior does not mean that the horse won't misbehave for another person so physically correcting the horse doesn't necessarily transfer to another situation. Also, one has to be able to read the horse to know what the horse is saying and also understand the individual horse to use the most effective correction for him.


An example would be our TWH mare vs our TWH gelding. The mare tries hard to figure out what is being asked, rarely acts up other than her need for "discussions", and seeks the reward of "good girl" but her face certainly reflects what she's thinking. All it takes is a growled quit to remind her to behave. For our mouthy, goofball gelding who tends to be ADHD, sometimes the growls, strategically placed elbows, etc need more of a physical reinforcement so backing him up hard and fast, even a loud slap on his shoulder, may be needed to gain his focus that he's overstep his boundary.


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## Textan49 (Feb 13, 2015)

Smilie said:


> Yes, and the atricles in all those links I posted, go into eading body language correctly, knowing when a horse is being threatening, or mayb ein pain, ect, and never to just have an ABC, one size fits all approach,-that is what true hrosemanship is about~


There are also times when the horse feels threatened (from previous handling experiences) and is putting up a front as a defense. All the more reason to not react to a mild threat.


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## natisha (Jan 11, 2011)

Dreamcatcher Arabians said:


> Ears flat back. I've been known to do this when someone really gets on my nerves. My DH swears he can see my ears go flat back. Oh wait, were we talking about the horses? LOL!
> 
> Cloney has a habit of pinning his ears back at feeding time. In the pasture, he's telling the other horses to push off and not come near his food. Once they have cleared out, he's allowed to come in and eat once he looks at me and 'gives me his ears' real quick. I don't allow him into my space with pinned ears, but I don't get after him for the ears, he just has to stay out of my space until his expression is a little less ****y.
> 
> In the 2 pics above, if either of those horses directed those looks at me, I'd either be getting out of the way (not my horses, not gonna deal with it) or they'd be getting told to back down PDQ. But I'd be figuring out what got them so mad and I'd be fixing whatever I did that caused it.


I had a sweet mare who did exactly as those pictures show. She did it if anyone so much as looked at her & amped it up when you were walking away. She looked vicious & scared some people but she really was sweet, never even got into a fight with another horse. 
I think that was just her way as it never changed in 25 years. She had tiny ears so they looked especially pinned. 
I did teach her "look pretty" & then she would put her ears forward.
I named her Icky & told her it meant 'most wonderful' & she was. Never did a thing wrong so I didn't care if she liked to look mean at times.
She's been gone 2 years & oh, how I would love to see those flattened ears & scrunched up nose again.:sad:


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## PaintHorseMares (Apr 19, 2008)

Smilie said:


> Just to be clear, I see many pictures posted here, that have nothing to do with pinned ears. Ears slightly back, are listening ears-as to a rider, for instance-out to the side, relaxed,sometimes dosing ect. Pinned ears are back flat , as in 'pinned'


I agree. Most people that I know have never seen 'pinned' ears. Here is our boss mare being...well...the BOSS.


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## Wallaby (Jul 13, 2008)

I, for one, didn't include any pictures of the "mare glares" I've seen because most of the time I've seen them, especially from my gelding, I've been in a position where I needed to do something about it - not take pictures.

I completely agree that there's a difference between listening/grumpy/whatever ears and actual "I'm going to get you" ears.
I think the line between the two varies by horse - my gelding occasionally uses ears-slightly-back/slightly-back-from-resting-ears as a pre-warning before he actually pins his ears, while I've known other horses that go from normal resting ears to ears flat back , lunging at you, with much less warning.


My personal theory is that the way a particular horse "talks" defines what his/her owner calls "pinned ears."
some horses just talk stronger, while others are softer about sharing the same level of intensity. In my opinion...


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## Dreamcatcher Arabians (Nov 14, 2010)

natisha said:


> I had a sweet mare who did exactly as those pictures show. She did it if anyone so much as looked at her & amped it up when you were walking away. She looked vicious & scared some people but she really was sweet, never even got into a fight with another horse.
> I think that was just her way as it never changed in 25 years. She had tiny ears so they looked especially pinned.
> I did teach her "look pretty" & then she would put her ears forward.
> I named her Icky & told her it meant 'most wonderful' & she was. Never did a thing wrong so I didn't care if she liked to look mean at times.
> She's been gone 2 years & oh, how I would love to see those flattened ears & scrunched up nose again.:sad:


My mare Boo is a bluffer. She'll give me the caca ears and the "blue eyed death stare" when I stand outside of her stall. As soon as I open the door and step in, up go the ears and they whole expression softens. The ONLY time she's even remotely acted like she would follow through with her threat was when Ducati was born and got sick. We kept her tranq'd for several hours so the vet students wouldn't lose limbs. She was fully not bluffing that time but she didn't get corrected, she was following her "higher calling" of protecting her newborn foal. 

So I get grumpy vs being really threatening, and grumpy doesn't bother me as long as the rest of the body language doesn't match the ear threat. Then they get told to "give me pretty ears" as long as it's only grumpy ears.


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## Smilie (Oct 4, 2010)

well, yes, mare with strangers handling her foal, esp if it is relatively new, will act protective.
On the other hand, I do mind grumpy horses,with mares being more so then most geldings, that pin ears , while you are riding. Yes, they get more protective of their space, so I don't expect them to tolerate another horse riding up their rear, with their nose up that mare;s ****, but I also don't allow that mare to pin her ears when horses pass fairly close, as that sure won't win you points in a rail class,neither will a ****y attitude (yes pain ruled out), with that mare pinning ears or swishing her tail when you put aleg on her. I\don't get after the ears, but I sure get after that attitude, with my legs, while saying 'quit'


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## smrobs (Jul 30, 2008)

I view ears as more of a "pre-signal" for other behavior or reactions. If I see the ears do something strange or have an immediate difference in their bearing, that immediately makes my ears perk up, so to speak. I take a closer look at exactly what is going on.


Generally speaking, there is no punishment involved unless there is blatant disrespect immediately following the ear pin (kicking, striking, charging, biting, etc). I have a very "mare-y" gelding and while he usually has RBF, he very seldom pins his ears when I am around. Even when he does, if it is at another horse, I simply redirect his thought process. If it is at a cow, I encourage it because he's a handy cow horse and his teeth keep me from having to carry a cattle prod.


Typical RBF, meaning "I'd much rather be eating but I will begrudgingly suffer your antics, human"










And true pinned ears, complete with snaked head, clamped mouth, and pinched nostrils, saying "bad things are about to happen if you don't back off"


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## Foxhunter (Feb 5, 2012)

In this picture I see the horse on the right as being relaxed the one on the left is not happy, he is either annoyed at the other horse being neat or uncomfortable with his work.


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## Smilie (Oct 4, 2010)

Foxhunter said:


> In this picture I see the horse on the right as being relaxed the one on the left is not happy, he is either annoyed at the other horse being neat or uncomfortable with his work.


Agree
The left one could be showing his dispeasure of having that other horse work close beside him,e sp as they are all stallions, thus showing as much aggression as he is allowed to show, under saddle
Both are behind the vertical, but I know that isa cceptable for these horses


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## Smilie (Oct 4, 2010)

In the end, you have to read the ears, and the entire body language, in order to make your response decision, if anything.
For instance, ears pointed nicely ahead, are great for ahlater class, where often the chellenge showing a seasoned horse, is to keep that horse from looking sleepy, head dropping, along with ears.
On the other hand, when riding ahorse, and his attention leaves you, he will have those ears radared to where his mind is-be it those mares in apasture, riding a stud, or some object ahead that is concerning him. In that case, the body will tense also, and your job is to get his mind back on you, as he has tuned you out.
Thus, there is atime with either pinned ears, and ears pointed foreward, that I might need to re direct attention both with my legs and some basic exercises that tells the horse, you, his leader, are on his back!


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## Golden Horse (Feb 20, 2010)

Smilie said:


> Both are behind the vertical, but I know that isa cceptable for these horses


LOL, now to me Mr P1ssy Ears looks like he is on the vertical, hard to say with the other one from the angle of the pic.


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## Foxhunter (Feb 5, 2012)

Smilie said:


> Both are behind the vertical, but I know that isa cceptable for these horses


I do not think they are behind the vertical but it is the angle of the picture.

I have seen the Spanish Riding School perform several times and the one thing I have noticed is that if the do go behind the bit they are corrected.


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