Scientists have confirmed what my equestrian friends have known for a long, long time: your horse knows when you're happy and when you're mad or sad. Not surprising since horses have a lot of the same facial expressions as human beings. Why wouldn't they be able to read those expressions as well as (or better than!) humans?

“Horses may have adapted an ancestral ability for reading emotional cues in other horses to respond appropriately to human facial expressions during their co-evolution. Alternatively, individual horses may have learned to interpret human expressions during their own lifetime,” said Karen McComb, one of the study's authors.

Seems that when you're angry, your horse will look at you out of its left eye and its heart rate will accelerate. According to researchers, this might be a survival mechanism - a warning to the horse that it could be in for a rough day. This tracks with what my friends say: that their horses pick up on the tiniest change in their moods. In fact, one of my friends claims her horse knows her moods better than she knows her own!

So next time you're getting ready to ride, take a close look at your horse first. It might know how you're feeling before you do!

Your "Saddle Up!" Gift Guru,
Linda