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The 7 Emotional Systems in Horses
- Melissa Murphy
- 4 days ago
- 7 min read
All mammals are governed by the same seven emotional systems. These seven systems (Seeking, Play, Care, Fear, Rage, Panic/Grief, and Lust) were discovered by neuroscientist Jaak Panksepp and evolved to help animals react and adapt to their environments. Even though these seven core systems are present in all mammals, how they are displayed in their ethology differs from species to species.
For horse owners, trainers, and caretakers, being able to recognize how the emotional systems affect their horse is key to being able to make welfare decisions regarding their horses’ husbandry and training. When a horse’s care and training are designed to support the needs of their emotional systems, they can thrive in a human-directed environment and find joy in their jobs, whether that be a pasture pet, barrel racer, dressage horse, or trail riding partner.
The 7 Emotional Systems
The seven emotional systems are Seeking, Play, Care, Fear, Rage, Panic /Grief, and Lust. Below are in-depth descriptions of each emotional system as they are presented in horses.
The SEEKING System
The seeking system drives our horses to explore their environment, investigate novel stimuli, and anticipate good things to come. This system fosters curiosity and goal-directed behavior and plays a big role in motivation, as it drives the horse to work and seek out food, water, shelter, companionship, etc. In horses, the seeking system is activated when they investigate new objects, follow novel scents, or explore unfamiliar terrain and drives behaviors such as foraging, social bonding, and play.
A healthy seeking system is often observed in relaxed, confident horses that show interest in their surroundings without signs of fear or stress. Conversely, when horses are confined, isolated, or subjected to monotonous routines, this system can become under-stimulated, potentially leading to stereotypic behaviors like cribbing or weaving. Recognizing and supporting the seeking system in horses is key to promoting their emotional health. This can be done by creating enriching environments and training in ways that support and activate the seeking system.
The PLAY System
The play system is expressed in horses through behaviors such as mutual chasing, rearing, mock fighting, and frolicking. Horses also play with their environment by manipulating objects with their mouths or pawing at them with their legs. Play is seen most vigorously in foals and young horses, where it is essential to their growth and development. However, horses of all ages have a playful side. The play system supports social bonding, learning, and emotional regulation by allowing horses to practice physical skills and discover the bounds of their environment.
Horses deprived of social interaction or adequate space often exhibit reduced play behavior and can appear lethargic or shut down. Horses with access to a safe, enriched environment where they feel secure and unthreatened are more likely to express play behaviors and often have enhanced mental well-being. Encourage the play system by providing turnout with companions, space to move freely, and low-pressure interaction. With creativity, trainers can and should integrate play into their training as it can deepen the horse’s trust in their human handlers and enhance the enjoyment of their work.
The CARE System
By nature, horses are herd animals that instinctively foster deep connections with others. The care system, which underlies nurturing and attachment behaviors, is prominently displayed in horses through maternal bonding, affiliative grooming, and the formation of strong social relationships within herds. Take a look at a mare and foal, and the care system will be apparent. Mares nuzzle, lick, and stay close to their foals, responding to their needs with attentiveness and protection. Beyond the maternal context, horses often form close bonds with herd mates, seen in behaviors like mutual grooming, standing close together, and showing concern when a companion is distressed.
This system also plays a role in the horse-human relationship. Horses can form attachment-like bonds with trusted caregivers, seeking comfort and security in their presence. This bond is integral for trainers looking to better support their horses in their work. Support the care system through gentle, consistent interactions and by allowing horses to maintain social contact and develop relationships with others. Horses who can exercise their care system often have better emotional stability and resilience.
The FEAR System
The fear system in horses is deeply rooted in their evolution as prey animals. It instills in them a heightened attentiveness to their environment and strong reactions to stimuli that are received as threats. When activated, the fear system sends the horse into either flight, fight, or freeze and produces behaviors such as startling, bolting, striking, and increased vigilance. In horses, the fear system can be triggered by sudden movements, unfamiliar objects, loud noises, strange smells, or changes in the environment.
Because horses are highly sensitive and reactive, their fear system can be easily overwhelmed, especially in restrictive or unpredictable environments or when trained with excessive aversive stimuli. Chronic or unmanaged fear as well as harsh handling can lead to learned helplessness, defensive aggression, or behavioral shutdown. Recognizing the signs and giving the horse enough time to process as well as using a training program that minimizes pressure and allows choice can diminish a horse’s fear response over time.
The RAGE System
The rage system controls anger, defense, and frustration. In horses, it can be observed in behaviors such as striking, kicking, biting, pinning ears, or tail swishing. This system is typically activated when a horse feels trapped, threatened, or unable to escape discomfort, whether physical (such as pain or tight equipment) or psychological (like confusion or excessive pressure during training). While often misunderstood as “bad behavior,” these expressions are rooted in the horse’s natural attempt to defend itself or regain control. Chronic activation of the rage system can lead to increased reactivity, mistrust of humans, or shutdown if the horse feels repeatedly unheard or punished.
Recognizing and respecting the signs of frustration or defensive aggression is key to preventing escalation. Training approaches that emphasize clarity, fairness, and emotional awareness, such as allowing breaks, reducing pressure, and offering choices, can help avoid triggering the rage system and support a more cooperative, emotionally balanced partnership.
The PANIC/GRIEF System
Many horses deal with intense anxiety when separated from other equine companions. And while this behavior is often frustrating for human handlers, it showcases the panic/grief system in action. The panic/grief system, which governs separation anxiety and social bonding in horses, is strongly activated by isolation or the loss of a close companion. Horses who are separated from their companions may exhibit behaviors such as calling, pacing, sweating, refusal to eat, or even depression-like withdrawal. Foals weaned abruptly or horses kept in isolation often show intense signs of distress, which can have long-term effects on their emotional well-being.
Understanding the panic/grief system is crucial for responsible horse management; supporting gradual transitions during weaning, providing social companionship, and maintaining consistent, caring human relationships all help reduce the emotional pain of separation. Horses who have separation anxiety should not be forced to “tough it out” and should be empathetically trained by a professional to better deal with being separated.
The LUST System
The lust system governs sexual motivation and reproductive behaviors. Unlike some other emotional systems, the lust system is primarily reproductive in function and less relevant to everyday human-horse interactions, especially in geldings or non-breeding animals, where sexual behaviors are greatly reduced or absent. However, understanding the l system is important in managing breeding horses or recognizing hormonally influenced behaviors, ensuring that horses' needs are met in ways that respect both their biology and welfare.
For instance, stallions often have to be taught impulse control to prevent arousal early to avoid unsafe behaviors once they become sexually mature. Some mares experience drastic behavior changes while in estrus and may have abdominal and back pain, making them unsafe or unwilling to train and ride. Owners and trainers should be aware of their mare’s cycle and back off training or suspend riding if needed to ensure their safety and comfort.
Equine Welfare and The 7 Systems
The seven behavior systems exist to help horses thrive in a natural environment. Our horses evolved to roam in large herds over hundreds of acres, moving and eating for the majority of the day. However, today most horses' time is split between stalls and small outdoor paddocks. Many boarding farms choose to keep horses separate to minimize the risk of injury and make management easier. They are often fed multiple meals throughout the day and spend the time in between with nothing to eat.
All of these popular practices negatively affect our horses' positive emotional systems. Seeking, play, and care are all diminished when our horses are kept isolated with minimal room to move and are fed predictably. With these essential systems not being met, our horses can become bored, despondent, and suffer from medical ailments like ulcers. Instead, we should try to feed their emotional systems by providing them with room to explore, adequate forage to allow their digestive system to work naturally, and companions.
Training and The 7 Systems
For centuries, most horse training has relied on pressure and release training (negative reinforcement). This method, still widely practiced today under the name Natural Horsemanship, works by applying an aversive stimulus (like leg pressure or tapping with a whip) and removing it as soon as the horse responds correctly. While this can teach horses to respond reliably, it often triggers the fear system in the brain, especially during the early stages of training. Over time, horses will learn how to avoid the pressure, and the fear response can lessen, but the emotional damage has been done. Even though the horse becomes obedient, they may also be shut down, withdrawn, or emotionally flat.
On the other end of the spectrum is positive reinforcement. R+ rewards desirable behaviors with something the horse values, usually food, instead of applying pressure, and is quickly gaining traction in the horse world. This kind of training taps into the horse’s seeking and play systems, promoting the hardwired drives behind curiosity, exploration, and joy. When done thoughtfully (with attention to timing, clarity to prevent frustration), R+ creates a training experience that horses want to be part of. It encourages active participation, communication, and builds a relationship based on trust rather than avoidance.
Understanding the seven emotional systems and how they affect horses’ ethology and perception of their environment is essential for horse owners, caretakers, and trainers. Once you know how the emotional states fit into the horse’s life, you can make informed decisions regarding their welfare and training to help maximize the good emotions, minimize the bad, and create a life for your horse that is joyous and worthwhile.
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