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If you need to ask that question you have never spent time around horses. They have never watched as horses gallop excitedly across the fields, never seen a horse rush to the gate to greet his owner and never seen newborn foals playfully explore their surroundings.

Horses display a range of emotions and they are easy to identify even to the inexperienced person. A horse openly greets other horses when released into a field, will neigh after them if taken away from his companions. A lone horse in a field often looks bored, dejected because horses are happier and feel safer in the company of other horses.

When a horse has been kept in a stable for a long period he will become very excitable when first turned out again, in anticipation of being free again to gallop across the fields. A horse will show fear of unknown objects, noises and unfamiliar surroundings. They can also sense emotions in people or other animals, if you are afraid of the horse he will often become nervous himself as he thinks there is something, other than himself, to be afraid of.

Horses which are bored will develop vices such as wind sucking, crib biting or rocking, due to lack or stimulation and exercise. These patterns of behaviour indicate quite clearly, that horses feel the same sorts of emotions as humans and many other animals. They dispay distress, boredom, fear, and excitement and expectation.

One of my horses, Java, was mistreated before I brought him, he is now very trusting and loving, although at times still cautious. In the fields where he was once stables the fields were on a steep slope and in winter when it was very muddy it was horrendous to walk down. Java would walk slightly behind me with his head resting on my shoulder, as if to say, You go first!' I was convinced in would have actually jumped into my arms Scooby Doo style if he could. This suggests how much a horse can develop a bond with people even though when I first got him he used to hide in the corner of his stable if he heard and saw people, he was extremely head shy too. He is now so devoted and faithful as you could get.

I once witnessed a horse who could recognise his owner's car engine, all day there were cars driving down the lane, unseen from the stables, when his owners car came down he got excited, neighed and kicked the door, this happened every time the car approached.

You only have to be near to horses, look into their eyes and watch them to see, with no doubt at all, that horses have many emotions and feelings, as owners of (stroppy) mares will readily tell you they often have too many emotions!

Learn more about this author, Angel Quinton.
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