Learning About Horses - Touch

Horses have extremely sensitive sense of touch. It even helps them identify flies on their skin. The sense of touch is one of the most developed and important for the horse in terms of human interaction. 

Horses vs Humans

The horses' sense of touch is MUCH more sensitive than humans. Horse's entire body is as sensitive as human fingertips. 

Horses' Nose

The horse's nose is especially sensitive. Vibrissae are a horse's whiskers. Vibrissae are coarse tactile hairs around the muzzle and eyes. Vibrissae are important sense organs and gather much information about their environment. These coarse hair can help them sort hair from baling twine. They can help them find what is at the bottom of a bucket. Horses can even use their prehensile nose to open anything. Horses use their sensitive muzzles to lip, lick, chew, bite, warn, defend, groom, find the mom's udder, and touch the ground to evaluate the safety, softness, and depth of ground. 

Nerves

The primary facial nerve is the trigeminal nerve. The maxillary branch of the trigeminal nerve is the primary facial nerve. It exits the skull through the infraorbital foramen (this is where nosebands sit). The smaller branches make the skin of the muzzles, nose, nostrils, and upper lip sensitive. Another branch makes the lower lip, chin sensitive. It leaves the mandible at the mental foramen (right where flash nosebands go)

I found these new and better nose bands, bridles, and tack that take these nerves into account. I do not need these yet for Lilly since they are for riding a horse and that will be in a few years. 

The Dressage Connection & Horse Nation & Tota Comfort System are good articles and places to buy these when the time comes. 

Here are some other bridles that are trying to address these as well. 

Horses have pressure points and sensitive nerves. These nerves are related smell, vision, neck muscles, and even heart rate. If you press on nerves it can cause hindrance to all or some of these functions. 

How can you expect a horse to remain well balanced if the bridle is putting pressure on the "balance" cranial nerves. 

It is important that bridles avoid the main facial nerve, spare important blood vessels & arteries, and reduce pressure on the horse's neck.

It is important the the headpiece, noseband are designed to release pressure from the horse's head, nose, and neck. Making your that your horse has the maximum comfort through extra padding. 

Horse Sensitivity Varies

The thickness of the skin, hair coat, breed, age, and the density of nerve receptors make the horses' sensitivity to touch vary widely. The horse has hair follicles and nerves in the dermis layer of the skin that are receptors for touch, pressure, pain, vibration, and temperature. 

Most Sensitive Parts

The nose, lips, mouth, and ears are the most sensitive areas. They can also detect when the hair on their body is touched. This helps them protect their sensitive organs such as eyes, mouth, and nose. The horse's hair protects them and MUST NOT be shaved off. 

They can feel a fly on a single hair. The most sensitive areas of a horse are the head, poll (bridge of nose and mouth), the back, and the sides. 

Hooves

Hooves do not respond to touching, but various parts of the hoof are able to feel touch. 

Understanding the Sensitivity 

It is important that humans understand the degree that horses are sensitive to touch. Horses can feel the slightest touch with their lips. It is very important that reins and bridles fit correctly on the horse's head and mouth. 

Predators

Predators will bite the nose of a horse to pull the horse down. We can not act like predators. 

Practical application

Knowing that a horse can feel a fly land on its back makes it even more obvious that the slightest shift of weight in the saddle can affect the way a horse moves. This acute sensitivity is why position is so important when the rider is asking the horse to perform specific maneuvers. Poor position, exaggerated movement, excessive force are confusing to horses and result in poor performance. It is really important to use the sense of touch to create a willing partnership between horse and human. 

Horses Using Touch 

Horses also use touch with each other. Foals seek touch from their moms. Mares respond by to the touching behavior in many ways. When a foal nuzzles or suckles the mare lets down their milk. They use touch to groom and scratch each other's itches with their teeth. 

https://www.equisearch.com/discoverhorses/horse-touch#:~:text=The%20sense%20of%20touch%20is,are%20able%20to%20feel%20touch.

https://lvperformance.com/blog/facts-on-horses-senses-you-need-to-know/

https://horses.extension.org/horse-senses/#Touch

https://countryways.blog/2018/07/01/bridles-re-designed/