In my work investigating the mysteries within a horse’s psychology, I encounter each horse as a unique individual, layered with countless psychological facets that together reveal the heart of their nature. Every horse is, in essence, a complex jigsaw puzzle. Each piece contributes to a web of instincts, life experiences, and inherent needs, forming a distinct personality matrix.
Whether world-class athlete or trail companion, the goals are the same: to uncover and understand the operating system running the machine, supporting each horse in becoming the best version of themselves. This means honoring both their nature and individual needs. We cannot alter who a horse inherently is, but by understanding their strengths and vulnerabilities, we can gently shift the needle in the right direction. As herd-wired prey species, horses instinctively seek harmony within their surroundings and contentment among their peers. Here, we as humans must remind ourselves that in order to bridge the gap between the natural herd dynamic and the domesticated world, we must become complementary to each horse’s unique needs in order to foster true harmony and contentment.
Each horse carries a unique mental rhythm and expressive "accent," an essence not as visible as it is intuitively felt. To truly listen to the horse requires a perspective free of complacency and assumption. To begin to understand the horse requires at minimum a basic comprehension of the fundamental components of the species which are Group and Individual Herd Dynamics, Sensory Soundness, Emotional Communication, Hierarchically Tiered Mutual-Dependency and Intellect that is Associative in nature and not bolstered by Reason.
To begin to understand an individual horse we must expand upon these principles and consider things such Sensory Sequence Efficiency, Sensory Lead Changes, Interpretative Ratio, Learned Behaviors, Tendencies, Stress Tolerances, Mind to Body Fluency, Emotional Intelligence, effects of Latent Trauma, just to name a few. All of these and so much more will be intimately detailed in my forthcoming book series, *A View From The Hoof.
Recently I profiled a very complicated but extraordinarily capable horse-athlete from South Africa who was the very representation of a horse with an unusually broad range of strengths and vulnerabilities—a creature whose character and challenges poignantly remind us of the intricacies within every horse. What follows are blended and abbreviated examples of just some of the interesting samples of this horse’s psychology.
Such as, his relationship with leadership. In this interesting case, our boy does not by nature absorb into the ideal family structure because he himself is not equipped to become an emotional leader of horses. His emotional insecurities which need camouflaged in nature, which are ironically often viewed as strengths in domestication because of their physical manifestations, make too much noise. When individual vulnerability becomes too loudly expressed to be camouflaged by the herd, that herd’s leadership will unceremoniously expel that individual lest they endanger the whole by bringing unnecessary attention to them. This is very rare in nature from a purely behavioral perspective, but erratic social aberrations of equine nature are all too common in our domesticated world. We have many years of indiscriminate breeding and breed-manipulation to thank for that.
These horses can feel a sense of perpetual herd isolation. Despite their absolute desire for harmony and contentment, which is instinctive in every horse regardless of their human manipulation, many struggle with ever achieving it. Their sensory unsoundness presses the reaction button so hard that they struggle with mastering basic communicative life skills that are otherwise common. Nonetheless, from the perspective of Natural Herd Dynamics, every horse has an instinctive and desired position within the herd construct. In nature the template always fits. Yet where we manufacture aberrations of basic horse behaviors to suit our designs, we also then become accountable to curating the proper emotional environment. This may not look like how we think it should, it isn’t just leadership this horse needed, but a distinct style of it. The nature of leadership is the desired harmony and contentment of the group, and not attentiveness to the needs of the individuals within it. The lead mare and lead stallion have the responsibility of the whole, the sustainability of the herd, leadership should never be viewed nor taken personally, accepting and understanding personal slight from leadership is a selfish view of the group within which one resides and depends upon for their own personal needs. Each horse has a role to play in keeping house and a responsibility for contributing their part to the sustainable harmony and contentment of the herd.
Individuals whose personality puzzle-piece struggles to fit with the larger picture have a better chance of “fitting-in” when with one other. But that “one other” must be the right one, lest the struggle continues.
For instance, the horse in this case study finds comfort in a particular type of Bachelor Herd environment, gravitating towards a strong bond with a single, reliable companion over the multiple relationships in a family group. However, that is not to say that our boy requires stern or rigid matter-of-fact leadership style in his best mate, but rather a softer more thoughtful slant upon it. This defines in nature the Adjunct horse. Adjunct, or what I refer to as the great communicator, is the only type of horse psychology that can hope to harmonize horses who need attentive and thoughtful guidance devoid of the stiffness commonly associated with it. This in turn defines with exactness what the horse will need from his human relationships as well, we cannot nurture or enrich, train nor coach any horse successfully or sustainably, without accommodating the natural herd dynamic of that horse.
The Adjunct holds a very important position within the herd construct and subsequently has a very precise set of behavioral puzzle pieces. This individual has a leadership level emotional intelligence and sensory soundness without the inherent drive to become it, unless called upon. This position represents both the leadership and the “constituency” within the society, being more thoughtful in nature to accommodate individual grievance and need as a way of shielding the leadership from these responsibilities lest they compromise their ability to successfully guide that society. This mindset, attentive to individual caprice while never losing focus on that which is beyond the attitudinal capacity of said individual, the “bigger picture”, (which from our human perspective can be understood as our goals for that individual be it in competition or just a better overall relationship), is what is required of his human companion.
Another of the defining components of this unique psychology is that it leans heavily upon the *Individual Herd Dynamic (IHD), with most of its emotional energy concentrated in the forward aspect or what those of you who are familiar with the Sensory Soundness Map, will know as Zone 1. This compressed energy distribution style leaves limited excess for the other five sensory zones, where the *Group Herd Dynamic (GHD) typically manages emotional depth-perception and environmental self-awareness and communication.
With such a configuration, social compatibility and emotional stability have very particular requirements.
Building a bond with a horse like this requires emotional consistency across various environments. Importantly, we must distinguish between routine and consistency as seen through the lens of herd dynamics. As humans, even with the best intentions, we tend to prioritize physical routines to help us mentally navigate our lives. This may work for us because we are tempered with intellect of reason, but this often falters in providing the emotional consistency preceding physical routines that horses crave. This is understandable—horses, in their own way, are forgiving. But is it forgiveness in the way we understand it? No, for it takes the intellect of reason to forgive. In truth it is simply the adaptability inherent to a prey species that is also a herd-wired animal, especially for the individual emotionally isolated from its structure. Remember, invisibility is itself an instinctive survival mechanism.
Our boy here exemplifies a horse quietly enduring “herd isolation” throughout familiar routines, only to express this buildup loudly when the “balloon” of tension finally bursts. It’s not the singular moment that causes stress but the accumulation of unnoticed, often misunderstood, stressors. For horses with such sensitivities, physical triggers rarely hold the answers, and physical solutions seldom resolve deeply rooted psychological patterns like Separation Anxiety or Herd Isolation Syndrome. At best, they mask the symptoms temporarily providing us with a false sense that we have found the solution, when, in reality, we just incorporated a diversion.
Horses with this psychological makeup are more responsive to emotional stability than physical activities. They crave emotional depth, not physical pressure and tend to respond negatively to physical provocation. Particularly if they are prone to insecurity due to sensory instability. This is often why a horse may feel “at home” in one space and anxious in another, despite repeated routines. It’s not a matter of the routine itself but the emotional consistency—or lack thereof—that creates the contrast. Horses attune to our intentions and emotional states, and they form anticipatory responses based on these cues rather than our physical actions alone. This is not magic; it’s Natural Herd Dynamics at work. Effective communication with your horse requires no physical tools but rather an authentic and steady presence. When developing recommendations for clients, I often remind them that their strongest “tool” is their own intention.
There is another contributing factor to horses’ issues with psychological growth patterns and developmental delays, early weaning. Not all horses stretch the umbilical cord, the emotional tether, away from mommy at the same rate. Some horses mentally mature faster because their inherent sensory soundness is further along its development track than others, (yes, there are markers that I look for in the youngsters that reveal a good understanding of their map forward in life). Some young horses can be smoothly weaned early, but this is an exception and not the rule. Removing the underdeveloped sensory system too early from the psychological cover of the broodmare will have residual impact on every horse, the degree of which is specific to the individual. In domestication it is not uncommon then for a “herd” of underdeveloped minds and delayed sensory processing to be commingled, where basic survival becomes a life skill and physical expression becomes the base of communication and positioning.
Experiencing Herd Separation Anxiety at an early age affects the horse’s adaptability to new environments as they mature, resulting in a deeply rooted sense of isolation as a rider in their lives. Such experiences can leave lasting emotional scars, underscoring the need for stable, reliable adjunct styled leadership in novel or challenging contexts where stern leadership (force) only exacerbates the stresses. For horses whose sensory processing is easily disrupted, early experiences significantly shape their responses. Interruptions in sensory sequencing—especially in unpredictable settings—will cause a horse to “outsource” for reassurance. Unanswered, these questions create hyper-alertness, causing stress to build up and leading to unpredictable behaviors.
When sensory sequencing is delayed or disrupted, a horse often reacts before it processes. This “react first, understand later” pattern can solidify into a learned response for a young horse who has experienced early separation. The absence of the harmonious environment established by the protective figure, the broodmare, impedes the development of self-awareness and environmental security throughout the horse’s life. This extends to their relationships with us, affecting training and athletic development profoundly.
How do we help fill the emotional void? Be present, always.
Emotional presence is the foundation of any meaningful relationship where effective communication is the bridge between “ask and answer”. With horses, we cannot take shortcuts; they hold us accountable to our authentic selves, responding not to who we pretend to be but to who we are. Horses teach us that, like them, our vulnerabilities are pathways to strength. In the herd, individual vulnerability fosters mutual reliance, bringing unique psychological “puzzle pieces” together to form emotional harmony. Complementary emotional correspondence is the essence of herd cohesion and peer contentment.
Supporting horses with sensory disruptions requires sustained emotional engagement. One effective approach is to balance focus between the horse and the surrounding environment. Too much emphasis on the horse alone can unintentionally pressurize them, diminishing the emotional cushion they and the handler need. By being present with the space around us, we create a broader emotional buffer, encouraging the horse to rely on us rather than internalize stress.
For horses with varying degrees of sensory unsoundness, who have trouble clearing the environmental space around them in which to move through fluently, we must then adopt the position of sensory clearance. We can help create the mental *Cushion needed to provide the space that increases a horse’s duration of focus.
Quick-Tip: Be the Bridge, Not the Block…
For horses who “assume” what’s next, incorporating subtle, non-threatening variations into daily life can be transformative. Horses thrive on emotional consistency in leadership but benefit from gentle changes in routine. Small adjustments in tempo, direction, or exercises interrupt the Anticipatory Response Mechanism, encouraging them to be presently responsive with you rather than auto-anticipating what’s next and reacting to it. Over time, these modifications help release the mental “muscle memory” and alleviate the stress of expectation. Purposeful - intentional - space clearing movements through the environment, both in-hand and under-saddle, can help direct and filter stress, promoting a guided, manageable emotional process. Even small adjustments in movement such as starting, and stopping, pausing and continuing, can connect physical actions with purpose, helping the horse process accumulative stressors in a more balanced manner.
Want to further explore the fascinating world of horse psychology?
For those eager to learn more you can get a head start on the ensuing books to come. Understanding a horse’s sensory processing is foundational to supporting their psychological needs and thus I invite you to explore the Understanding Sensory Soundness, Module One, over on our learning platform at the Institute for Advanced Equine Studies. Even a basic grasp of sensory soundness can yield valuable insights into supporting horses like the one discussed here.
Conclusion & *References
Each horse brings a unique array of traits, experiences, and challenges. By patiently understanding each “piece” of their puzzle, we unlock the potential to support them in a balanced, purpose-driven life built on proper communication and trust. This case study underscores that, while each horse is unique, everyone deserves to be guided with empathy and respect for their individuality.
*Individual Herd Dynamic/IHD
Targeted/Primary stimuli detected through zone 1 only, forward aspect. IHD operates primarily through sensory zone 1 and represents the portion of the horse’s psychology responsible for directing emotional energy upon singular targets, whether animate or inanimate. It involves a one-to-one focus of linear expression, from self to a singular point of focus (e.g., A to B or A to C, with B disregarded when not handed off to GHD).
*Group Herd Dynamic/GHD
Collaborative/Secondary stimuli detected in zone 2 through zone 6. GHD handles accessory stimuli in sensory zones 2 through 6 and represents the portion of the horse’s psychology responsible for absorbing multiple stimuli simultaneously, both environmental and emotional, within and without the herd structure. This multitasking aspect of the horse’s psychology is tasked with "reading the room" and managing diverse, variable stimuli and is the primary communicator; emotional input to physical action expresses through IHD.
*Sensory Soundness Map is available as one-time purchase, unlimited copies, download on our education platform. Also, there are only 2 of our Sensory Soundness Map posters, second edition, still available for purchase. If you want a signed copy to hang on your wall, please do not hesitate, head over to our contact form and send us a message.
*Cushion
The mentally perceived space where a horse “thinks” they are relative to any targeted obstacle or object. This cushion functions as a mental shock absorber, with its degree of elasticity determining the horse’s ability to mentally handle situational chaos and uncommon stresses without losing athletic efficiency or physical fluency.
The span of the cushion affects mental fatigue and influences the sustainability of the horse’s physical talent. It represents the perceived distance between the horse and objects, measured in time. The rate and efficiency of psychosensory processing determines the mental space the horse perceives, regardless of actual distance or physical pace.
Special Announcement; Monographic Book Series
The writing of this blog post was for me the warmup for writing books again. Writing is my natural art form, and I have written countless smaller pieces, educational modules, presentation lectures and blog posts between the writing of my books. But it is time for me to pick up the pen once again and write in earnest, and I will embark on this journey within a couple weeks of this blog post going live.
For those of you who may have missed this announcement on my Social Media feeds, in particular my Facebook pages, (join us by clicking on the FB link on the home page) here is a brief outline of my plans.
Book List:
A View from The HoofMonographic Book Series
byKerry M. Thomas
Planned Book Titles
A View from The Hoof: Natural Herd Dynamics in a Domesticated World
A View from The Hoof: Navigating Trauma; Equine PTSD and Human-Horse Emotional Wellness
A View from The Hoof: Sensory Soundness, the Operating System Running the Machine
A View from The Hoof: The Communicated Equine
A View from The Hoof: Training Horses; Nurture the Horse, Develop the Athlete
A View from The Hoof: Breeding by Nature
Author’s Note:My monograph series, A View from The Hoof, delves into various aspects of equine psychology. Each volume is dedicated to a distinct area, from exploring natural herd dynamics and understanding equine trauma, to decoding and mapping the sensory system that governs a horse's behavior.
While I do not foresee adding further volumes to this primary list, I remain open to the possibility of a seventh book if a topic naturally emerges during the writing process that complements the series.
Additionally, I am planning a separate, stand-alone book based on my years of experience as a caregiver. Tentatively titled The Caregiver's Handbook: An Emotional Journey of Love, Pain, and Compassion, this work will explore the deeply personal and emotional aspects of caregiving.
As always, I thank you for being here and always appreciate your support; sharing this blog and indeed our website, attending my events and lectures, purchasing a service or an educational module, everything means so much to me personally. I appreciate your time and enjoy sharing this journey with you.
Your Friend,
~Kerry
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