Whenever you watch videos sometimes, the smallest things can spook horses, and sometimes there's nothing there - it can be the smallest thing like a mouse. Anyone know why / how this happens?

Because horses are very sensitive animals. They can even sense your feelings. Being that sensitive, they are often startled even by small things that moves.

Being that sensitive, they are often startled even by small things that moves.

Horses are very sensitive to what is going on around them, much more than us humans. And you might not even see what startled or caused panic in horses, since you are not as aware of the surondings.

I am always amazed with the ability to train horses, to even become disciplined in battle, like the Cavalry. With all the chaos around still they would not panic.

I am always amazed with the ability to train horses, to even become disciplined in battle, like the Cavalry. With all the chaos around still they would not panic.

Yeah it's kind of odd to think and compare between how a mouse can scare / startle the daylights out of the horse, but then in the middle ages / other times they were used commonly amongst wars and battles. Unfortunate though with all the losses though :(

Because horses are very sensitive animals. They can even sense your feelings. Being that sensitive, they are often startled even by small things that moves.

How does that work? Are horses, naturally empathic?

Horses are prey animals. This means that other animals hunt and eat them. They have evolved to have a run now and ask questions later mind. Humans have a hard time understand this because we are hunters. Our mind is to stand and fight! I am amazed by horses when you understand this. They can overcome the instinct to run and trust a human that everything will work out. Think about it.... I can get a prey animal to enter a metal box with wheels with NO escape and travel down a strange road. I am amazed that a horse will enter a horse trailer, but they do.

Even though they are prey animals, they also have the characteristic of being trustful to the one taking care of them. So even if you put them into a cage where they know they can't get out, their trust in the person putting them in is the reason that makes them enter that cage. Well its just my idea but it might be wrong for the butchers are also putting the horses on horse cages for meat.

I never really thought of catagorizing them as "prey" animals before. It's been really so long since I've looked / listened to someone talk about the "food chain" type of thing and how weirdly on how horses are so low they can be on it.

You can train horses to not spook. My daughter bought a very loud horn the kind you use at ball games. She has also did the tricks she sees on tv .Tie a plastic bag on a stick and let the horse see and smell and feel it.You rub it all over their body.Her horse seldom spooks at all.

Have you ever noticed, that when a horse lies down in the field, there is usually one horse standing near by? That's because their natural defense is their speed and their "spidey" senses.

I never knew they were considered prey animals, I think of that more in the wild, but I guess it makes sense if you go back before we were as civilized as we are now. There was nothing but tons of terrain for them to run from. That has to freak a horse out during the night, when you hear mostly quiet then random noises. :(

Yah, me too. Never thought they were rendered as prey animals. Anyways, I learned a great deal about horse's panic attacks.Lol:) Thanks for sharing!

Part of the reason they spook so easily is the fact that they have a far wider field of vision than we do. They see things that we might not necessarily see-and this was needed to stop them being hunted.