Stress, be it in horses or humans, is an interesting concept. We tend to generally categorize stress as something negative, but the actual definition of stress is a physiologic response to a stressor or stimulus, be it emotional or physical. Stress isn’t always bad. In fact, it is what enables a body to rise to a particular challenge. A portion of the nervous system is activated, resulting in a predictable hormonal response that prepares the body to react. When horses experience stress, the usual “rest-and-digest” activities switch to “fight or flight.”
When a horse reacts to stress, the process begins with an alteration or upset in the normal balance of the hormones in the body. This response is orchestrated by a complex set of events in the nervous system. Specific…
