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Why Horses Show “Problem Behaviour” - A Science-Based Perspective
What if horses are not showing problem behaviour at all?
What if what we label as conflict, resistance, or dysfunction
is actually normal behaviour expressed under abnormal conditions?
In this episode, Celina Skogan, trainer, osteopath and founder of Equidemia, explores how our perception of “normal” horse behaviour may be shaped by environments that are anything but normal.
Drawing from equine welfare science, human trauma research, and personal observations after relocating to Norway, this episode challenges the idea that calm, compliant behaviour automatically equals wellbeing.
Scientific context & evidence
Research over the past decades shows consistently that unproblematic behaviour is not a reliable indicator of good welfare.
Studies from the research group of Martine Hausberger demonstrate that horses kept in restrictive housing and management systems often show:
Importantly, these horses are frequently described as “easy”, “quiet”, or “well-behaved”.
This aligns closely with findings from trauma research in humans, where behaviour is understood as an adaptive survival strategy, not a malfunction.
Key studies referenced
Hausberger, M., Lesimple, C., & Henry, S. (2021)
Detecting welfare in a non-verbal species: Social and cultural biases and difficulties in horse welfare assessment.
Animals, 11(8), 2249
https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/11/8/2249
Hausberger, M., Roche, H., Henry, S., & Visser, E. K. (2008)
A review of the human–horse relationship.
Applied Animal Behaviour Science, 109(1), 1–24
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.applanim.2007.04.015
Hall, C., Goodwin, D., Heleski, C., Randle, H., & Waran, N. (2008)
Is there evidence of learned helplessness in horses?
Journal of Applied Animal Welfare Science, 11(3), 249–266
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18569222/
More about Equidemia:
My book about academic groundwork: https://amzn.to/3OqwfqS
Waitinglist for our Masterclass 2025: https://equidemia.com/en/masterclass-english/
Equidemia Webinars, Online and more: shop.equidemia.com
Welfare Bundle: https://shop.equidemia.com/s/Equidemia/Welfare-Bundle/payment
Pain Ethogram: https://shop.equidemia.com/s/Equidemia/pain-signals/payment
Horse Grimace Scale: https://shop.equidemia.com/s/Equidemia/HSG/payment
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/equidemia.celina.skogan/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/equidemia
View all episodes
By Celina SkoganWhat if horses are not showing problem behaviour at all?
What if what we label as conflict, resistance, or dysfunction
is actually normal behaviour expressed under abnormal conditions?
In this episode, Celina Skogan, trainer, osteopath and founder of Equidemia, explores how our perception of “normal” horse behaviour may be shaped by environments that are anything but normal.
Drawing from equine welfare science, human trauma research, and personal observations after relocating to Norway, this episode challenges the idea that calm, compliant behaviour automatically equals wellbeing.
Scientific context & evidence
Research over the past decades shows consistently that unproblematic behaviour is not a reliable indicator of good welfare.
Studies from the research group of Martine Hausberger demonstrate that horses kept in restrictive housing and management systems often show:
Importantly, these horses are frequently described as “easy”, “quiet”, or “well-behaved”.
This aligns closely with findings from trauma research in humans, where behaviour is understood as an adaptive survival strategy, not a malfunction.
Key studies referenced
Hausberger, M., Lesimple, C., & Henry, S. (2021)
Detecting welfare in a non-verbal species: Social and cultural biases and difficulties in horse welfare assessment.
Animals, 11(8), 2249
https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/11/8/2249
Hausberger, M., Roche, H., Henry, S., & Visser, E. K. (2008)
A review of the human–horse relationship.
Applied Animal Behaviour Science, 109(1), 1–24
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.applanim.2007.04.015
Hall, C., Goodwin, D., Heleski, C., Randle, H., & Waran, N. (2008)
Is there evidence of learned helplessness in horses?
Journal of Applied Animal Welfare Science, 11(3), 249–266
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18569222/
More about Equidemia:
My book about academic groundwork: https://amzn.to/3OqwfqS
Waitinglist for our Masterclass 2025: https://equidemia.com/en/masterclass-english/
Equidemia Webinars, Online and more: shop.equidemia.com
Welfare Bundle: https://shop.equidemia.com/s/Equidemia/Welfare-Bundle/payment
Pain Ethogram: https://shop.equidemia.com/s/Equidemia/pain-signals/payment
Horse Grimace Scale: https://shop.equidemia.com/s/Equidemia/HSG/payment
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/equidemia.celina.skogan/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/equidemia