Can Your Horse Have a Best Friend?

As your leading your horse back to their pasture after a good ride, he whinnies at another horse in the next paddock over. So you both walk over to say “hi” and your horse touches noses with the other pony. “Aww they must be friends” you say, and you take a pic of your horse beside his “best bud.” We’ve all had a similar experience, but after posting that “horse pals forever” pic on Instagram, have you ever wondered if your horse could really have a relationship with another equine; do best horse friends (BHF) exist?   

           I wonder the same thing when I look into the pasture and see my mare named Holly standing next to Charles. For her standing next to another horse is a big step, you see, Holly has a bit of a temper toward other horses. I think she prefers people to other equines, with the exception of Charles, a 25+ year old Tennessee Walker gelding. Whenever they stand next to each other in the pasture, or neigh at each other as I spend some time with Holly, it makes me wonder. These two horses got me thinking if equine relationships are possible, because that seriously could be a thing: BHF’s (best horse friends)! And here’s what I discovered. 

To my surprise, there wasn’t a ton of information about this on the web. And the answer isn’t a solid yes or no, it goes deeper than that. According to Line Peerstrup Ahrendt, PhD, a scientist in the department of animal science at Aarhus University in Denmark, “It’s a bit anthropomorphic to speak of ‘friends’ among horses. What we do know is that they form close relationships with the horses in their subgroups, something similar to what we see in human friendships.” Hold up! A) what’s a subgroup? B) what in the horsey universe does anthropomorphic mean? 

                Answer A) A “subgroup” is a smaller grouping of horses that tend to stay close together without straying too far from the whole herd. In these subgroups is where horses have their closest “friends.”

                Answer B) Anthropomorphic basically means giving something in-human human characteristics. In other words, speaking of ‘friends’ among horses is making them appear human. 

         The second part of the quote is promising though. Horses can have a “friendship” with other  horses in their “subgroup.” But what leads a horse to be “friends” with another horse; how do horses decide whose in their subgroup? 

“Horses of a similar color often seem to pair up. It might remind them of their mothers, or their friends when they were young.” Says Elke Hartmann, PhD, of the Department of Animal Environment and Health at the University of Agricultural Sciences. *In my case with Holly and Charles, this is true! They are a very similar sorrel color!* Hertmann adds that personality and temperance often aid in the deciding factor. Keep in mind though that you can’t force your horse to be “friends” with another horse. “It’s like humans, it’s very individual,” Hertmann comments. 

  So knowing that it’s plausible (likely) that horses can form friendships, my next question was how do we identify a pair of “horsey pals?”Well, it’s all rooted in how horses communicate. Horse’s primary communication system is body language, especially ear movement. A simple swish of the tail or pinning of the ears can mean alot to other horses in the herd. “Experienced riders know to pay attention to a horse’s ears to help figure out what it’s thinking, so I’m not surprised that the ears were the most important cue.” Said Katherine Houpt, a professor of veterinary medicine at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York. Similarly, signs of friendship among horses include standing next to each other and mutual grooming. Standing next to each other is at the top of the list says Ahrendt. Mutual grooming is second, this is where horses nibble on each others neck, withers, and back. *I have a set of Rocky Mountain horses who are halfbrothers. And they groom each other often, I can see how this is a sign of friendship!*

  The conclusion I arrived at was that equine friendship isn’t widely researched, but from the information scientists do have it is very likely that horses can and do form relationships. *Neato!* Horses that are friends will likely be a similar color, though not always, and will stand next to each other by choice. Mutual grooming is also a beacon of horse friendship! It really is possible that Holly and Charles are true BHFs (best horse friends)! I would love to hear about your horse’s equine pal in the comment section below!!!!! 

If you’re looking for more information on this topic, check out these helpful websites that I used! 

• https://thehorse.com/111721/understanding-herd-dynamics/
• https://www.nationalgeographic.com/news/2014/8/horse-communication-ears/ 

              Tails & trails, 

                             Reese