Handling with care: PTSD in horses

Equine companionship is built upon a foundation of trust and care.

Yet, maintaining a horse’s trust can be challenging, especially when a past event has left the animal with behaviors mirroring what’s diagnosed as post-traumatic stress disorder PTSD in humans.

Dr. Leslie Easterwood, a clinical associate professor at the Texas A&M School of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, discusses the signs and measures that can be taken for a horse experiencing adverse behaviors following a traumatic event.

Cognitive recollection

In people, PTSD is a disorder that can develop after someone experiences a shocking, scary or dangerous event. According to the National Institutes of Health, it is common to experience a range of reactions after trauma and people typically recover from the initial symptoms over time. 

However, when someone continues to experience the symptoms associated with the traumatic event long term, they may be diagnosed with PTSD. 

Because horses have cognitive memory and memory recall, they can develop behaviors similar to PTSD in humans in response to repetitive trauma.

“There are many scenarios that can lead to adverse behaviors in horses similar to PTSD,” Easterwood said. “They have long memories and can associate any experience that results in physical pain, being scared or feeling confined with long-term stress.”

Horses also are able to recall people, places and actions that previously caused a spike in fear.

“Aggressive training methods and capture techniques are two of the most common scenarios that could lead to PTSD-like symptoms in horses,” Easterwood said.

The culprit of trauma

As prey animals, horses have a highly developed fight-or-flight response to highly stressful situations, therefore it is vital to be aware of what has become a trigger for a horse that has developed adverse behaviors, as unexpected reactions can put both the horse and the people working with them in danger. 

Easterwood described several stimuli that could be triggers for affected horses.

“This could include anything that causes pain, such as certain training methods or needle injections; things that cause fear, like loud noises or fireworks; things that move fast or erratically; or things that cause them to feel trapped, including trailers or low ceiling barns,” Easterwood said.

Easterwood explains that the déjà vu effect of situations resembling the horse’s past trauma can lead to physical responses such as biting, striking, kicking and attempting to flee.

These aggressive behaviors are reactions that the horse has developed in response to the stress of the traumatic event, and identifying the inciting trauma is critical to resolving these behaviors.

Patience is key

Successful treatment for affected horses can require environmental changes, targeted care and treatment plans, and an owner who is committed to meeting the needs of their horse by focusing on reinforcing positive behaviors and eliminating stressors that lead to adverse behaviors.

The biggest help an owner can be to a horse that has developed unsafe behaviors is to understand it — lead with patience and learn of its past in order to better care for it in the present, according to Easterwood.

“It really depends on what triggers that particular horse,” Easterwood said. “Sometimes they can be ‘reprogrammed’ through desensitization training, but some horses don’t ever get over past trauma.” 

Easterwood recommends that owners who suspect their horse has had a past traumatic event that has led to the development of adverse behavior consult with their veterinarian. If confirmed, the veterinarian may recommend specific training interventions or even medical therapy.

“Our typical recommendation for medical management to owners is mild sedation for times when the stimulus can’t be avoided,” Easterwood said. “This would be on a case-by-case basis and would require good communication and collaboration with their veterinarian.”

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Pet Talk is a service of the School of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University. Stories can be viewed on the web at vetmed.tamu.edu/news/pet-talk. Suggestions for future topics may be directed to vmbs-editor@tamu.edu.