Here's to Ears...

From Jim: Equine ears are pretty special. Not only do they work really well for hearing, they convey a lot of information about the animal's thoughts and mood. Their ears swivel somewhere beyond 270 degrees. They can work together or independently. Horses hear frequencies that are both lower and higher than we humans can perceive. They are highly capable of determining the direction from which a sound came. They are expressive. Whether peaked in curiosity, wavering in confusion, or pinned in anger, ears tell the tale. When you're around equines, it's a good idea to attend to what their ears are saying. When training a critter, the ears are useful in ascertaining the animal's comfort and understanding. Since horses and donkeys and mules relate to one another and, since they're pretty much non-verbal, body language is important. The ears play a big role in that. Ears pinned down flat should not be ignored. There's not much notice left before some serious acting out is likely. One ear up, one back, back and forth, and uncomfortable confusion is the message. Ears peaked sharply forward, big eyes, head up all reflect fear and apprehension. Ears swiveling with no obvious reason suggest a state of calm alertness. As you can imagine, equine ears are sensitive. Headgear, whether halter or headstall, flymask or sunshade should be carefully fitted and made of a material that's not abrasive or irritating. Touching an animals ears should be gentle, but not ticklish. Fingers down an ear will usually get a brisk rise of the head and disapproving look. We sometimes stick a finger in an ear to see how the recovery from anesthesia is going. It's a pretty effective wake up call. Ground work or onboard, checking on ear messages is a good idea. Any real concern about an ear should get referred to the vet. It's almost impossible to really examine a horse's ear without sedation. Twisting ears as a make-do twitch is not a good practice. They can get head shy quickly and it can be hard to undo. I suppose one of the best lessons our equine friends have for us is to listen a lot and not say much. I like that.