Horses are notorious for being ‘fresh’ and ‘excitable’ on windy days.
These reactions are part of the reason that horses have evolved and are still alive in the twenty-first century. They have survived by being ‘on guard’ against predators as their sense of smell and hearing has been minimised by the wind.
Learn to look at the world through your horse’s eyes. Remember why your horse is ‘on guard’ on windy days so understand them, accept that they will behave differently and be ready!
If you are not confident to ride on these days, take the time to improve your ground work or lunging skills.
Live your passion and enjoy your horse,
Glenys 🙂
I find it so interesting to learn and understand why horses act a certain way depending on the weather, I find that one of my horses will remain quiet calm on windy days while another horse is on edge.
I find it interesting how horses act different ways depending on the weather. by looking at their ears and eyes you can tell how they might be feeling. Lunging and doing ground work is a great way to boost your confidence
I love that you are looking at eyes and ears, they all contribute to facial expressions that can tell us a lot more about the way horses are feeling
🙂
agreed
I think it is important to move slowly and exercise more caution with horses on windy days and not become complacent, even with the quietist horses
Ground work is a great asset on windy days when working with your horse.
I never thought of the wind having an affect on horses’ smell.
Well, I imagine it’s like how they describe hunting in movies, if you stand downwind, they’re not going to smell you. However, if it’s really windy, it must be really hard for any animal to catch a scent as it could be there one second and gone the next. They might smell something that makes them immediately think “predator!” but if it isn’t there long enough to identify it and decide a course of action, every smell is probably very confusing and the only way they can survive is prepare for the worst. Pair that with the terrible hearing and the constant movement of trees, bushes, loose items on the ground and it probably feels like a death trap.
I think it’s important to understand your horses behaviour on windy days as some horses can behave normal and some may be more spooked.
I always take notice of my horses behaviour on windy days, always prepare myself for difficult situations If needed.
I am always cautious when riding in windy weather, I am always prepared for difficult times. This article gives a good insight.
I find it very interesting how a horses senses can react to aspects like the wind and how it can affect their overall performance and behavior upon that day.
Horses are very sensitive and I love to learn how they react in different situations. I learn a lot from horses. I am very careful when riding in windy weather.
It is very useful to know when a horse is on guard and to be aware of the them
This is very interesting and useful to know when and why horses react to different situations.
I have horses that are cautious on windy days and others that don’t care less. It is interesting to note, that those that don’t care less are those that are lower in the pecking order, Perhaps as they know the more dominant are looking out for them
Groundwork is a really good solution as it still allows me to work with my horse through rougher weather conditions.
It’s astonishing to me how many people forget that horses are flight animals and expect them to behave on windy days. Love doing groundwork or even going for little in-hand walks if the wind joins in.
I was always cautious of horses on windy days. Their senses are heighten and since they are flight animals I prefer to do groundwork your horse is still being exercised.
I agree! Groundwork can be a perfect exercise on windy days.
🙂
I found this to be very interesting, gives me a better understanding of why my horse reacts the way he does on windy days, and how to work with him
One must treat the horse with respect at all times. Windy weather can be a recipe for disaster if one is not focus.
I found it interesting that the horses evolution was dependent on their ‘fresh’ and ‘excitable’ reactions towards the wind. Knowing these instincts gives me a better understanding of the horses I ride.
Understanding is key.
🙂
The first thing is to recognise the potential problems which you have done. Then we can work around them.
🙂
Ryan C on December 2, 2019 at 2:28 am
It’s astonishing to me how many people forget that horses are flight animals and expect them to behave on windy days. Love doing groundwork or even going for little in-hand walks if the wind joins in.
Reply
Lisa Monahan
Lisa Monahan on January 11, 2020 at 12:23 am
I was always cautious of horses on windy days. Their senses are heighten and since they are flight animals I prefer to do groundwork your horse is still being exercised.
I love that you do the groundwork Lisa! This aspect of horsemanship is often put to the side in favour of riding. There are so many benefits to ground work.
🙂
Horses are such complex animals, i am always finding new and interesting ways to communicate with them and educate myself on the hows and whys of their ways,
Well done! The more we educate ourselves and look for new/ different ways of communicating, the more we can learn.
🙂
I’ve always wandered why horses are spooky and silly on windy days, and now after reading this article I’m amazed by they reasoning to why they spook.
Yes they behave as spooky and silly and they are cautious and aware.
🙂
I’m so happy to know this know it helps me understand my horse better.
The more we understand our horses, the happier they will be.
🙂
I found it interesting that the horses evolution was dependent on their ‘fresh’ and ‘excitable’ reactions towards the wind. Knowing these instincts gives me a better understanding of the horses I ride.
It is interesting how much we can learn about horses when we start to understand ‘why’.
🙂
I will definitely keep this in mind before riding! Good idea to do groundwork instead.
Great advice! Riders can also be caught out with this problem, as I have been. I learnt a valuable lesson when I took my recently broken in horse for a long ride along the beach in perfect calm conditions. I didn’t realise that on the return journey, I would be riding directly into the wind.
I will keep this in mind for future and i will always do groundwork first
it is fascinating to know horses react to different weathers and how they can sense the different weather changes.
On windy days I notice my horse is more lively and alert. This makes him spook at things he wouldn’t on a usual day. Nice to know the reason why now.
I find it amazing that horses can react so differently to hte different climates and different weather. most days they are good but then they have their “days”. I mean we all have our days. Some riders are confident on these days, some can be too confident and can get hurt sometimes so its always good to be cautious.
I can agree at the fact that horses become more alert on windy days due to the minimized sense of hearing and smell.
I have noticed my horse acts up on windy days and is more alert. This is very useful information and could help someone from being injured.
it is amazing to know how your horse racks on a windy day
IT IS AMAZING TO UNDERSTAND THE HORSE
It is extremely useful and interesting to know why horses act the way they do on windy days. It was interesting to find out that their smell and hearing is minimised by the wind.
wow that is interesting that horses have found ways to develop their instinct during different weather patterns
It is interesting to know that horses senses get weaker due to the wind.
its interesting to know this because its quite funny how crazy they get when its windy.
That was a very informative article. Now it makes sense why my horse sometimes gets spooked on a windey day.
Very interesting, my horse is always ‘spooky’ on windy days, now I know why!
It is very interesting that a windy day hinders the horses ability to hear and even affects its sense of smell. My horse is definitely more spirited on a windy day and now I understand why.
Very interesting and informative article, with some great information.
Very interesting and informative article that provided inside knowledge as to why horses can act the way they do.
Yes this is very true, horses on windy days are much more responsive to movement and sounds. They are on high alert with all the extra movement and white noise that drowns out sound of what could be a predator. They have a heighten awareness to what is around them and are at the ready to take flight, so we need to be more aware and ready for their reactions than on a windless day.
Having owned multiple horses who were quite spooky in the wind and now owning an Off The Track Thoroughbred who is even spookier, it’s very interesting to know why they act that way.
I have experienced a horses reaction on a very windy day, and have learned that I should focus more on ground work and bonding activities with my horse.
Its interesting to see how environmental changes affect horse behaviour, it can be challenging when you’re trying to work with horses and adapt to the behaviour changes, as well as the environment.
it is very interesting in the way different horses behave in different weather, i have found that bonding with a horse, either through lunging or just being with them helps understand the horse and how they work under different climates or weather.
It’s amazing that after all these years of being domesticated they still have these natural instincts.
I find that my horse is more reactive on windy days, although i tend to read his body language to see what he will benefit from on that day. If he is ‘fresh’ and ‘excitable’ on a certain day caused by wind i focus on groundwork rather than attempting to ride. It is great to have confirmation that this is quite a normal reaction that can occur in even the quietest mounts.
Its good for every rider or even just horse owner to be able to understand why horses behave the way they do in windy weather because the person will be able to be safe when riding and/ or on the ground and find ways to comfort the horse when they are flighty. It is also good knowledge to have to better understand the history of horses, they always have to be alert (especially during windy weather), because they are prey animals and its this instinct that keeps them alive.
the information from this article, allows me to have more knowledge on why horses can be unsettled on the windy days
i find that certain breeds can be different with wind to for example my arab cross mare gets really toey on windy days where my quarter horse gelding is usually cool, calm and collective
I love understanding why horses act differently in different situations. Especially if it relates back to their history and natural instincts, and I can now understand a little more from their point of view.
I’ve never really thought that much about why horses are more on edge on windy days compared to calm days but what is written in this article makes so much sense and reminds me to try and think the way a horse would and understand why they act the way they do.
Thank you
I love watching the horses play in the wind!
Thank you, wonderful job! This was the information I had to have.