The science behind the intuition
As it is for humans, change is a constant in the life of virtually every horse. They will routinely be expected to cope with new situations, adjust to new people and get along with new horses, often with nothing in their life up to that point to prepare them for what they will encounter. Like humans, horses each have their own personality which will determine how they are likely to respond to those new situations, new people and new horses.
What if we had to look at their personalities more objectively, to identify ways of improving their resilience and capacity for change?
The psychology of equine personality
In human psychology, the ‘Big Five’ personality framework provides an accepted model for understanding personality, defining it as a collection of five broad dimensions: Openness to Experience, Conscientiousness, Extraversion, Agreeableness and Neuroticism. According to this framework, personality can change over time, as the individual dimensions are influenced by environment, age, significant life events and social support.
What if we had to examine the personalities of our horses using similar metrics? In particular, their openness to experience? We know that in humans, openness is influenced by genetic factors, adverse childhood experiences and parenting styles, but it’s also true that openness scores can be increased with the right support.
Like trying new things with a high likelihood of a positive outcome.
The science of Neuroplasticity
Neuroplasticity is a term used to describe the ability of the brain to adapt and reorganise itself in response to new experiences. “By forming new connections and pathways, the brain can change over time, even in adulthood. Such flexibility plays a vital role in how all sentient beings, including horses, learn and develop new behaviours.”
There are two main types of neuroplasticity, structural and functional. “Structural changes involve the physical alteration of the brain’s structure. These alterations can include the growth of new neurons and the formation of new synapses. Functional changes, which is what we’re talking about here, relate to how existing connections are strengthened or weakened based on experience.”
The Taste-Brain Connection: Why food diversity matters
In humans, we know that varied taste experiences create new neural pathways. There is an established connection, the gustatory-cognitive connection, which refers to how our sense of taste interacts with and influences higher-level cognitive processes like memory, emotion and decision-making.
In the wild, horses would have had a fairly diverse diet. They would eat what they found within their home range, probably influenced by what their fellow herd members ate. The food diversity of modern, domestic horses would vary considerably, from multi-species grazers to those only really exposed to single species hay and single species grass.
If a horse has only experienced kikuyu paddock grass and oaten hay for example, with possibly some lucerne chaff and manufactured pellets, they would have no frame of reference for the many other plants that are safe for them to eat so would automatically close the door to new tastes.
Like the many herbs that are safe for them to be given in a tea format, without extra calories that they may or may not need. If they were exposed to those new tastes in a slow, controlled way, the downside would be that it might take quite a while for them to crack open that door, and the upside is the dopamine hit from successful exploration.
Practical implementation strategies
- Start with a familiar base feed: In a small bucket with a few handfuls of loose hay in it given as a treat, sprinkle a teaspoon full of a dried herb like dandelion or camomile flowers.
- Make it optional: I don’t recommend adding the herb to their daily feed, as refusal could have other, unwanted consequences.
- Progressive exposure: Repeat this for 2-4 weeks or longer with the same herb.
- Gradual introduction of new flavours or textures: Gradually increase the quantity of the herb in the hay, until you’re at the daily recommended dose – for dandelion, it’s about a cup a day for a horse.
- Texture variations: Once they are happily eating the hay with the herb in it, try the same herb in a tea format.
- Start small: Offer the tea in a small bucket beside their clean drinking water. Don’t worry if at first they leave it.
- Find a bridge from what they know: If they’re not taking to the tea, consider adding something they know the taste of like some chopped up apple or carrot, to get them to wet their lips.
The point of the exercise is to convince them that by trying this new thing, not only will nothing bad happen, there are potential upsides, like once you get used to it, it actually tastes pretty nice.
The trust factor
Imagine you were on holiday in a place where they didn’t speak your language. You went to the only place that served food, but none of it looked like anything you recognised. How willing would you be to try something new? Would you consider it if the food vendor, who you’d never met, was yelling at you in language you didn’t understand, presumably to just eat up and get on with it? Compared with if your tour guide, who had kept you safe for the entire two weeks of your trip so far, assured you, in language you could understand, that it was fine for you to eat?
This analogy captures the importance of trust in expanding a horse’s culinary comfort zone. The relationship between horse and handler becomes the foundation upon which new experiences can be safely explored.
The ripple effect of culinary courage
The benefits of expanding a horse’s palate extend beyond nutrition. Horses that learn to accept new food experiences may develop an increased sense of confidence and reduced fear of new training and management experiences. Each positive encounter with novelty builds neural pathways that support resilience, curiosity, and adaptability.
When we teach our horses that new doesn’t necessarily mean dangerous, we’re not just diversifying their diet – we’re cultivating braver, more adaptable partners. The horse who learns to trust their handler’s judgment about a new herb may be more willing to trust that same handler when facing a float, a new jump, or an unfamiliar environment.
In a world where change is inevitable, perhaps the greatest gift we can give our horses is the confidence to embrace the unknown. Through patience, trust, and a tablespoon of dried herbs at a time, we can nurture not just their bodies, but their capacity for courage.
The journey from cautious to curious begins with a single taste – and ends with a horse better equipped to face whatever changes life may bring their way.