Everyday Ethology
Everyday Ethology is a column shaped by the animals we work with, the people who care for them and the insights that arise between wild and domestic worlds.
We hope these pieces spark ideas of your own. Your observations and experiences might offer perspectives that help others and we welcome you to share them.
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Licking and Chewing: Now What?
Many people who work with horses interpret licking and chewing as a sign that a horse is "processing" or accepting a lesson, but current peer-reviewed research does not support this claim. Instead, the behavior may reflect changes in arousal, physiological recovery, stress, conflict or learned responses to human behavior. The article encourages readers to interpret licking and chewing within the broader context of the horse's body language, physiology and environment rather than assigning it a single meaning.