Behaviour Is Communication: What ‘Difficult Horses’ Are Really Trying to Say? By 🧘Divya Gurnay. 🐎

My decision to write on this topic comes from a fact that this topic is very close to the bone of modern horsemanship, and one that elite sport is only just learning to listen to. So, in the beginning I must say, that there is no such thing as a “difficult horse.” There are only horses who have exhausted every polite way they know to be heard. In yards across the world, the same labels echo: nappy, sour, aggressive, lazy, spooky, opinionated. They sound definitive, even damning to any horse lover, but to the horse, behaviour is never a personality flaw — it is language.
 When we finally stop asking, “How do I stop this?” and start asking, “Why is this happening?”, the conversation begins to happen between the horse and his human..

When Silence Fails, Horses Shout:
Horses are wired for harmony. As prey animals, they seek safety, clarity and predictability. Most horses try hard to comply, first softly, then more clearly, and finally, unmistakably. Ears pin before teeth show. A hollow step precedes refusal. A swish of the tail comes long before the kick.  “Bad behaviour” is often the horse’s last resort, not their first choice.

A Story from the Stable Yard
I once met a tall, striking warmblood gelding at an Indian farmhouse stable, who had earned a reputation that preceded him. Riders were warned: “He’s sharp. He hates contact. Don’t push him.” He bolted regularly, bucked in transitions, and had already cycled through several home stables.
On the lunge, however, he told a different story. His trot was uneven when asked to lengthen. His canter was reluctant to the right. When pressure increased, his head came high, not in defiance, but in protection. A thorough physical assessment revealed chronic back pain compounded by ill-fitting tack and a training program that demanded collection before comfort. Once the pain was addressed, the saddle corrected, and expectations reset, the “difficult” horse became… generous, expressive and honest. He had never been naughty, he had simply been hurting.

Case Study: The “Aggressive” Mare:
Profile:  9-year-old, thoroughbred mare, labelled stable-aggressive, and dangerous-to-handle. Ears flat during grooming, snapping at handlers, striking when girthed.
Initial Interpretation: Poor temperament, dominance issues, lack of respect.
Post proper Investigation interpretation: Gastric ulcers confirmed via scope, ovarian discomfort exacerbated during estrus, inconsistent handling with little predictability.
Intervention: Ulcer treatment and diet adjustment, hormonal management,  allocated a single, consistent handler, grooming sessions reduced to short, choice-based interactions.
Outcome: Within six weeks, the mare no longer pinned her ears at approach,  grooming became calm,  girthiness disappeared entirely.
Conclusion: What looked like aggression was, in truth, chronic discomfort paired with anxiety. Once her body was heard, her behaviour softened.

What “Difficult” Horses Are Often Saying:
Behind most challenging behaviours, a familiar set of messages emerges. Musculoskeletal pain, dental issues, ill-fitting tack etc are communicated via, pain or hurt messeges. Inconsistent cues, rushed training  is communicated back by “I don’t understand” messages. Sensory overload, pressure without release is expressed by “I’m overwhelmed" cues. Lack of choice, no escape from discomfort, is responded to with “I feel trapped”  behaviour. When a horses so called difficult behaviour escalates, it is usually because subtle communication was ignored, and his message to humans is clear, “I’ve learned this is the only way you listen.”

Time-Tested, Horse-Centred Strategies That Actually Work:
These are not quick fixes when it comes to handling difficult horses. There can only be relationship repairs, and that needs patience and maturity aswellas knowledge and skill. Some behaviours we humans need to learn are :-
1. Assume the Horse Is Telling the Truth: Start from belief, not blame. Behaviour is information. Treat it as data, not disobedience.
2. Rule Out Pain Before Training: No amount of schooling fixes a sore body. Regular saddle checks, dentistry, and physio are not luxuries,  they are ethical necessities.
3. Lower the Pressure, Increase the Clarity: 
Horses struggle more with confusion than work. Clear cues, followed by immediate release, restore confidence.
4. Slow Down to Go Forward: Regression is often repair. Stepping back in training allows the nervous system to settle and learning to resume.
5. Reward the Thought, Not Just the Outcome: A try deserves recognition. When horses feel seen for effort, resistance melts.
6. Offer Choice Where Possible:  Even small choices like  standing still, walking on a loose rein, pausing between exercises ,  dramatically reduce conflict.
7. Consistency Builds Safety: Same cues, same timing, same expectations. Predictability is profoundly calming to horses.

A Quiet Shift in Horsemanship
Modern horsemanship is not louder, stronger, or more forceful. It is more observant. It asks us to trade ego for empathy and control for conversation. When we reframe behaviour as communication, the horse stops being a problem to fix and becomes a partner to understand. Often, once they feel heard, the behaviour we feared, simply disappears, not because the horse was corrected, but because the horse was finally understood.
©️ @ 🧘DG.🐎
Advocate at Indian High Courts. 
Academics:- LL.M, LL.B., PG Human Rights, MA. Mass Communication and Journalism, B.A. Honours Psychology.
Special Skills Certifications :-
1. Film-direction and audio-visual story-telling certification from FTII, Pune, 
2. MOI. Qualified Mountaineering instructor from Nehru Institute of Mountaineering, Uttarkashi, India.
Equine Education and Skill sets:-
- 'Stud Management and Sales Consignment Graduate with honours' from National Stud England.
Certifications from the online campus of International Federation for Equestrian Sports, Switzerland (FEI): -
1. Handling Horses.
2. Handling horses in challenging situations. 
3. Equine Behaviour.
4. How Horses Learn.
5. General Conformation.
Certifications from the online campus of Michigan State University (USA): -
1. Normal Horse Behaviour.
2. Horse Handling.
3. Horse Manners.
4. Horse Hygiene/ Grooming.
5. Basic Horse Keeping.
6. Training and Exercising horses.
7. Machinery and Chemical Safety
8. Traveling with Horses.
9. Biosecurity for Horse Farms.
10. Healthy Horses.
11. Employer/ Employee Relations.      
        (in Equine Industry)

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