why do horses stick their tails up??

Brambridge04

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Like arabians tend to?

My NF does this sometimes when trotting and ALWAYS when cantering....i've never really know other breeds do it this much!?
 
It's part of their extensive body-language vocabulary. For a prey animal, exciting things are very close to scary things and the 1st one in a herd to spot a scary thing will "tell" all the others by making his body language scream "SCARY ALERT". Scary alert = head high, tail high, nostrils flared, eyes on stalks, high stepping, snorting and fast paces. Exciting stuff involves fast paces too and some horses will signal the "NOT QUITE SCARY ALERT" which is about 50% of the SCARY ALERT, ie tail high, high stepping, faster paces. Your boy is just closer to his inner zebra than some other less exciteable ones! Give him a carrot, he sounds lovely xxx
 
Ayla does it around other horses because she`s a slut and likes to show off her lady bits :rolleyes::D this also involvs scuttling sideways like a crab and squirting...lots :o
 
Our standardbreds do this alot, i was quite shocked the first time i saw them do it...they looked like arabs but without the pretty heads. You'll also find alot of Welshies do it as well (watch the Royal Welsh & you'll see what i mean), out little section B was always a wanna be arab (his best friend was an arab as well).
 
I just LOVE to see them doing this! When they prance around the paddock on pogo-stick legs, tail up, high-blowing and saying "I'm an important person, I am aware of all the scary things in the world and if I need to, I will show you how far and fast I can run cos I'm young and fit and strong and you can't catch me, yah boo sucks!"

If they're on their own and this carries on, you might need to go in as 'herd leader' and reassure them that the Woozels don't exist, but in a group just sit back and watch!
 
haha if its me and her alone, she doesnt do it so much, if any people are around, or watching, or other horses watching etc, she prances for england! trollop lol
 
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