Most of us know that horses can have unexpected reactions when being ridden by a nervous person but have you ever considered why?
Horse are by nature sensitive and empathetic creatures. As it it turns out they are also very good smellers.
Humans emit chemical signals when experiencing specific emotions primarily through sweat. Researchers have uncovered that horses can smell these human emotions, including fear and happiness.
One study had human participants watch scary or happy movies while wearing armpit pads to collect sweat. These pads were then presented to different breeds of horses while wearing devices that measured their heart rate and breathing. When they were offered to sniff the armpit pads that contained fear sweat, or happy sweat, their autonomic nervous systems (controls heart rate and breathing) reacted according to those emotions. There was a marked difference between the horses physiological responses to human fear, vs. human happiness.
This leads us to believe that a horse decides how to react to a person, not only on physical outward emotion, but what our glands give away.
Science has also shown that horses recognize facial expressions of happiness. So next time you’re at the barn, put a smile on, even if you’re nervous. Oh, and don’t forget your deodorant. Ideally oil of rhodium, cumin and anise. The last two can be found in your spice drawer! Ready to try a homemade organic recipe? Maybe you can mask those chemical signals just a bit.
