This book is divided into an introduction; a section that lists and describes various equine calming signals; a section on stress and body responses to stress, including stereotypies and withdrawal as a reaction to stress; and lastly a section on how to implement this information in our interactions with horses. The text is easy-to-read and is aimed at horse owners, riders, and handlers. This would also be a good text for first year veterinarians or veterinary technology students wishing to familiarize themselves with horse behaviors. Text descriptions are supplemented with color photos that clearly depict the behaviors and expressions described in the text. The different sections of the text are conveniently highlighted by colored page tabs, which make it easy to look for specific information.
While the initial reaction of experienced horse people may be that the material described is obvious or intuitive, the author does an excellent job of breaking down the most subtle changes in expressions and behaviors and showing how they relate into communication ladders. She has accomplished this by observing, photographing, and videotaping horses interacting in various settings and then carefully recording calming signals or behaviors that horses display in response to aversive stimuli in order to avoid conflict. By being aware of and observing and responding to these signals, the handler may be able to recognize stress in the horse earlier and adjust their handling in order to avoid escalating tension.
One potential shortcoming of this book is the relatively small number of horses and situations that were observed in this study. The owner used 200 video recordings and a calming signal must have been observed at 35 times to be included. Most of this work was done in Europe where horses are more intensely managed and housed. It would be interesting to see these finding supported by a similar study in horses raised and living in various types of management conditions.
In summary, to quote the author, “If a rider or handler interprets the horse’s body signals more precisely, makes sure to recognize calming signals and adapts the learning circumstances in order to avoid high tension, they will be dealing with a horse who feels better, learns and remembers more easily and therefore requires less time and repetition in learning.” This not only benefits the well-being of the horse but also helps avoid conflicts thus improving handler safety and enjoyment of their interactions with the horse.
Overall, I think that this book is a good catalogue of equine body language and calming signals. I would highly recommend it for horse owners, riders, handlers, and veterinary care givers with an interest in developing a better understanding of equine behavior.