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Decode Your Horse’s Stress Response- Take the QUIZ!

Welcome to the communication assessment for your horse. This quiz is designed to help you look objectively at how your horse navigates the world, handles stress, and communicates his needs to you. Please answer each question as closely as might identify with your horse (even if it may not be exactly just like him/her). Answering the questions as honestly as you can in this evaluation will go a long way to an helping in the assessment response. 

By evaluating specific behaviors without making assumptions about his internal emotional state, you can pinpoint exactly where the conversation might be breaking down. For each question, choose the option that best matches what you observe in your horse. 

At the end, you will be emailed an assessment so be sure to mark us free of spam/remove us from your promotional inbox! Lets get started!

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Question 1 of 11

Question 1: What does your horse's behavior look like when separated from herd mates or left alone?

A

He seems quiet, frozen, disengaged, moving mechanically and showing minimal responsiveness to your presence.

B

He frequently calls out or consistently tries to move back toward the pasture, though he still appears willing to physically attempt tasks if asked.

C

He seems to completely tune you out, continuously vocalizing toward other horses, and appears prone to walking through or over your space to return to them.

D

He displays signs of extreme distress, such as pacing, sweating, rearing, or striking out, appearing to experience a panic response when separated. When he gets to this point, he can be inconsolable.

E

He appears calm, relaxed, and fully capable of maintaining focus on you even when away from his herd mates.

Question 2 of 11

Question 2: How does your horse appear to handle learning a brand-new task or behavior? 

A

He seems hesitant to try, appearing worried about making an error, and tending to cease offering any behavior, walking away, or shutting down.

B

He seems to try very hard but appears to display frustration quickly if he does not achieve success or receive clarity from his human immediately.

C

He does not appear motivated to participate unless physical pressure or a strong correction is applied. He can be stubborn.

D

He seems to lose focus after a few seconds, appearing easily distracted by any activity in the surrounding environment. He often shows tense and rigid posture if he stands still, but often he is too busy for that.

E

He appears curious, engaged, and relaxed, confidently participating in the learning process at a steady pace.

Question 3 of 11

Question 3: What does your connection look like when you are simply spending time together on the ground or in the barn aisle?

A

He seems polite but socially distant, keeping his head down and appearing to just go through the motions.

B

He appears eager to interact but displays pushy, nippy, or impatient behaviors around food rewards or attention.

C

He appears to interact with you as if you are part of the environment, stepping into your physical space or showing little awareness of where he puts his body.

D

He consistently seems to be on high alert, scanning the horizon and appearing to focus on potential threats rather than paying attention to you.

E

He seems connected, content to stay in his own personal space, and happy to peacefully coexist and engage with you.

Question 4 of 11

Question 4: Think about a time your horse did not comply with a request. What did that behavior look like?

A

Passive resistance, such as planting his feet, bracing his neck, or moving in slow motion.

B

Behaviors associated with irritation, such as head tossing, tail swishing, or pawing the ground.

C

Active non-compliance, where he appears to ignore cues entirely, walking through your space or dragging you toward grass.

D

High-arousal behaviors, including rearing, bucking, bolting, or spinning away suddenly.

E

He rarely refuses a request; when he does, it seems to be a simple misunderstanding that is easily resolved without tension.

Question 5 of 11

Question 5: When your horse experiences a sudden scare or spike in energy (like a loud noise or a running horse nearby), how does he handle his own arousal levels?

A

He seems to internalize it; he does not move away, but his body appears tight, his breathing becomes shallow, and he seems stuck in that tense state for a long time. He seems to pretend he is okay.

B

He appears to fidget, pace, or offer a flurry of random behaviors, seeming to struggle to find a way to settle back down.

C

He seems completely indifferent to you in that moment, focusing entirely on the source of the excitement and ignoring your presence or safety boundaries.

D

He appears to spin out into a prolonged cycle of high reactivity, where one small fright seems to trigger a cascade of spooking that takes a long time to de-escalate.

E

He may startle briefly, but he quickly relaxes, shakes it off, and appears to return to a calm, grounded state on his own.

Question 6 of 11

Question 6: How does your horse's baseline level of confidence hold up when you take him off-property to a new environment, such as a clinic, a trail head, or a show venue?

A

He seems to internalize the displacement, step-by-step processing the environment by tightening his body, shrinking his movement, and showing minimal response to your engagement. He appears to be relaxed to me, but he doesn't look like he is having any fun.

B

He tries to comply with your requests but appears highly distracted by his new surroundings, regularly calling out or showing restless, fidgety behaviors between activities.

C

He appears to completely dismiss your presence in the new space, pulling on the lead line to investigate other smells or horses, and treating you like an obstacle in his path.

D

He struggles significantly to regulate himself, showing rapid respiration, continuous sweating, trembling, or explosive attempts to flee the area entirely.

E

He steps off the trailer with a relaxed posture and a soft gaze, comfortably observing the new sights while remaining grounded and focused. He takes a deep breath and heads for the nearest patch of grass.

Question 7 of 11

Question 7: How does your horse behave when you present a novel object or ask him to pass something unfamiliar in the arena, such as a plastic tarp or a new jump filler?

A

He approaches slowly or stops completely, appearing to freeze or lose momentum while showing a total lack of curiosity to investigate the item.

B

He shows a high willingness to look at the object but begins to display impatient, fidgety behaviors or quick movements if he cannot figure out what you want right away.

C

He appears to ignore the object entirely until he is right upon it, at which point he might casually push past you or drift away toward the rail without acknowledging your guidance.

D

He displays immediate flight-based behaviors, such as snorting loudly, spinning on his hindquarters, or bolting backward to escape the unfamiliar item.

E

He approaches with relaxed curiosity, stretching his neck to sniff or touch the object confidently while remaining anchored and attuned to you.

Question 8 of 11

Question 8: Think about your grooming or tacking routine. How does your horse respond to the regular, everyday handling of his body?

A

He stands perfectly still but appears braced, holding his breath or tightening his jaw, showing a quiet tolerance rather than true comfort. He doesn't engage much with you in the process.

B

He appears eager for the interaction but frequently shifts his weight, bites at the air, pawing, or reaching toward your pockets in anticipation of treats or a change in activity.

C

He treats you like a hitching post, leaning his weight into you, stepping over your feet, or shifting around with very little awareness of where your body is located.

D

He displays intense sensitivity or defensive behaviors, such as pinning his ears back, swishing his tail, raising his head high, or cow-kicking when certain equipment or brushes touch him.

E

He stands on a loose line with a soft expression, occasionally turning his head to connect with you comfortably, displaying a relaxed body and a genuine sense of ease.

Question 9 of 11

Question 9: What does your horse's behavior look like when you ask him to step into a confined or dark space, such as a wash rack, a narrow breezeway, or an enclosed horse trailer?

A

His feet are still and he becomes completely rigid, showing a quiet, internal resistance and moving only if physically guided with mechanical pressure.

B

He becomes agitated, busy, or anxious. He paws the ground, and dances back and forth while tied.

C

He appears to tune you out, attempting to push through you to bypass the space, or casually stepping into your personal boundaries while ignoring your cues.

D

He enters a state of immediate panic, snorting, rearing, screaming, defecating, or striking out blindly to avoid entering or staying inside the confined area.

E

He evaluates the space with a calm, focused gaze and walks in confidently with relaxed musculature, content to stand quietly beside you.

Question 10 of 11

Question 10: How does your horse handle variations in the timing or delivery of his resources, such as a slight delay in his morning feeding schedule or waiting his turn for turnout?

A

He seems to withdraw, standing in the darkest corner of his stall and displaying a complete lack of expression or engagement with the barn environment.

B

He displays high levels of agitation, performing repetitive movements like weaving, pacing the fence line, or banging his stall door out of frustration.

C

He takes matters into his own hooves by barging past you the moment the stall door opens or crowding the gate area with zero regard for your presence or personal space.

D

He escalates into a full panic response, screaming continuously, running the fence line until he is lathered in sweat, or presenting behaviors that put his own physical safety at risk.

E

He notices the delay or the change in routine but remains grounded and at ease, contentedly chewing some leftover hay or standing quietly until his turn arrives.

Question 11 of 11

Question 11: Last question... since taking the quiz, in which area do you feel like your horse is most challenged? (This will allow us to give you the best evaluation for your horse's assessment). Please let us know what your horse most closely aligns with.

A

He is listless and disengaged: I need to know how to reach him when he shuts down, lacks personality, heart, or try.

B

He tries hard but gets overwhelmed quickly: I need to know how to keep him settled and focused when he becomes frustrated, over threshold, or unsure.

C

He pushes boundaries and ignores my space: I need to know how to handle his "dominant or rude" moments with confidence.

D

He stays on high alert and spooks often: I need to know how to transition him from panic back to feeling safe, calm, confident, and focused. He is easily excited/aroused and even appears to be looking for things to worry about.

E

I want to know how to keep our bond growing and to do this with positive reinforcement: I need ideas to keep things engaging for my horse who is already settled and doing well so that our partnership can grow and thrive.

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