Johnson Equine

07/01/2025

06/26/2025

HORSES SHOW DISTINCT FACIAL EXPRESSIONS WHEN ANTICIPATING POSITIVE OR NEGATIVE EVENTS

New research has shown that horses display different facial expressions and behaviours depending on whether they are anticipating a positive or a negative experience.

The study aimed to explore how horses express their emotions using facial expressions and behaviour, and whether these could be linked to positive or negative emotional anticipation.

Twenty mares were trained to wait in a designated area (a starting box) before being led to one of two possible outcomes: a positive experience (access to pasture with other horses) or a negative one (being taken alone to an unfamiliar environment). This setup allowed the researchers to observe how horses behave when they expect either a desirable or undesirable situation.

Over multiple sessions, the team recorded the horses’ behaviour, facial movements (using EquiFACS – the Equine Facial Action Coding System), heart rate, and cortisol levels. They also used a network analysis tool (NetFACS) to study which facial expressions tended to occur together in each context.

The researchers found clear differences in the horses’ responses depending on the type of anticipation. When expecting a positive event, horses more often showed behaviours such as head shaking, stepping back, sniffing, and pawing. They held their necks higher, performed more half-blinks, and showed increased mouth movements.

In contrast, during negative anticipation, horses showed less behavioural variety. They were more likely to hold their necks at a medium height, keep their ears back and flattened, and exhibit more nostril movements. Their behaviour was generally more withdrawn and they appeared more tense.

Interestingly, while heart rate and cortisol did increase slightly in the negative condition, these physiological changes were not as marked as the behavioural and facial differences — highlighting just how important it is to observe the horse’s expressions and body language alongside traditional measures of stress.

These findings confirm that horses express emotions in nuanced ways and that facial expressions and behaviour offer valuable insight into how they feel. Understanding these subtle cues can help us better recognise emotional states in horses and improve how we manage and interact with them.

Study details: Phelipon, R., Bertrand, L., Jardat, P., Reigner, F., Lewis, K., Micheletta, J., & Lansade, L. (2025). Characterisation of facial expressions and behaviours of horses in response to positive and negative emotional anticipation using network analysis. PLoS ONE, 20(5), e0319315.

06/24/2025

Fibrotic Myopathy: A Comprehensive Guide Plus Tips for Prevention and Recovery Takeaways

Fibrotic myopathy is a mechanical lameness that occurs when scar tissue forms in the muscle.

• It most commonly affects the hamstring muscles in the upper part of the hind limb.

• Involves thickening and scarring of connective tissue that can progressively worsen.

• Scar tissue does not behave the same way as normal muscle fibers. It is inelastic and - https://koperequine.com/fibrotic-myopathy-a-comprehensive-guide-plus-tips-for-prevention-and-recovery/

06/22/2025

Everyday.

06/18/2025

It is a whole different game, it is.

💸 If you’re only motivated when the money’s good, this game isn’t for you.

Being an entrepreneur means showing up whether you made $7 or $70,000 that week.

It’s easy to stay excited when everything’s working.

But what about when it’s quiet? When no one’s buying?

That’s where most people quit.

The ones who make it?

They keep going. They treat every day like it matters, because it does.

You can’t just hustle when it’s fun or profitable.

You’ve got to be all in, even when it sucks.

That’s what separates winners from wishers.

It’s not always about passion.

Sometimes it’s just discipline, grit, and showing up anyway.

That’s the difference between a hobby and a business.🏆🔥

06/16/2025

Thursday through Sunday is looking absolutely disrespectful.

Like… full-blown, heatstroke-in-a-sundress kind of rude.

🔥 Friday and Saturday will likely be the hottest of this 4-day inferno.

Many of you will blow past 100° and we’re probably gonna set some new temperature records.

Plan. Now.

Shade. Water. Gold Bond. Repeat.

This isn’t “it’s hot lol” heat — this is “the sun filed a restraining order and still lost” heat. 🥵

06/14/2025

Your best effort will look different every day, and that's okay because consistency is not about being perfect it.

It's about not quitting.

06/13/2025

As the temperatures rise and the sun stays out longer, make sure your equine friends are adequately protected from harmful UV rays. ☀️

Hot summer weather puts horses at risk not only for dehydration and heat stress but also the skin damage and discomfort that accompany a sunburn— just like humans.

A lot of equestrians love some chrome on a horse, but it's important to remember that those beautiful white markings and the non-pigmented pink skin underneath are more likely to suffer from sunburn, especially in areas where the skin is more sensitive — like around the eyes and the nostrils.

In addition to the pain and discomfort, horses that are prone to recurrent sunburn may also face other long-term consequences, like the increased likelihood of developing squamous cell carcinoma (a common cancer).

If your horse is susceptible to sunburn, contact your veterinarian for more information about sun damage and recommendations to keep your equine protected this summer.

06/13/2025