What's that smell?
A fun fact for you today…..did you know that your horse can only breathe through their nose and not their mouth too like humans can❓
Have you ever seen your horse curl his top lip like the pony in the image 😝
It might look funny but there is good reason for it❗️
▪️This action is called the ‘flehman’ response and by curling their lip up the horse is closing their own airway and ‘trapping’ a scent so that they can memorise it 🧠
▪️Horses will often do this when they come across a strong or unfamiliar smell 👃
▪️Stallions also use this technique to assess the breeding status of a mare 💓
▪️Horses have fantastic long memories and can ‘store’ memories of scents of people, other horses, and also feeds and substances.
▪️I mention substances as many of us have had a horse that will not touch medication in their food 🤷♀️
▪️The horse will have memorised the smell, and you will be unlikely to get them to eat it again once this has happened 🤦🏽♀️
▪️Your horse uses his sense of smell to make sense of his environment, and to help him recognise his friends and also recognise danger ⚠️
▪️Ever heard the old saying ‘the horse can smell your fear’❓
▪️There is some truth in that, as horses are able to ‘smell’ pheromones which will be secreted by your body if you are stressed, anxious or nervous 😬
To learn more about how your horse’s body works or how Equine Massage Therapy can help your horse check out my previous blogs or get in touch.