Why Horses Show “Problem Behaviour” - A Science-Based Perspective

Show notes

What if horses are not showing problem behaviour at all?

What if what we label as conflict, resistance, or dysfunction is actually normal behaviour expressed under abnormal conditions?

In this episode, Celina Skogan, trainer, osteopath and founder of Equidemia, explores how our perception of “normal” horse behaviour may be shaped by environments that are anything but normal. Drawing from equine welfare science, human trauma research, and personal observations after relocating to Norway, this episode challenges the idea that calm, compliant behaviour automatically equals wellbeing.

Scientific context & evidence

Research over the past decades shows consistently that unproblematic behaviour is not a reliable indicator of good welfare. Studies from the research group of Martine Hausberger demonstrate that horses kept in restrictive housing and management systems often show:

• reduced behavioural diversity
• increased passivity
• depression-like states Importantly, these horses are frequently described as “easy”, “quiet”, or “well-behaved”. This aligns closely with findings from trauma research in humans, where behaviour is understood as an adaptive survival strategy, not a malfunction.

Key studies referenced

Hausberger, M., Lesimple, C., & Henry, S. (2021) Detecting welfare in a non-verbal species: Social and cultural biases and difficulties in horse welfare assessment. Animals, 11(8), 2249 https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/11/8/2249

Hausberger, M., Roche, H., Henry, S., & Visser, E. K. (2008) A review of the human–horse relationship. Applied Animal Behaviour Science, 109(1), 1–24 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.applanim.2007.04.015

Hall, C., Goodwin, D., Heleski, C., Randle, H., & Waran, N. (2008) Is there evidence of learned helplessness in horses? Journal of Applied Animal Welfare Science, 11(3), 249–266 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18569222/

More about Equidemia:

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