When a horse licks its lips and makes chewing motions, it’s typically transitioning from a state of mild stress or alertness into a calmer one. This behavior is one of the most discussed signals in the horse world, and for good reason: it can mean several different things depending on the context. Understanding those contexts is what separates a useful reading of your horse from a misleading one.
The Stress-to-Calm Transition
The most widely accepted explanation is that licking and chewing signals a shift in the horse’s nervous system. When a horse has been under some degree of pressure, whether from a training exercise, an unfamiliar environment, or a social interaction, this behavior marks the moment it begins to relax. Think of it as the horse equivalent of letting out a long exhale after something tense. The ASPCA describes it as a normal response when horses transition from a slightly stressful environment into a calmer one.
This is why trainers watch for it so closely. In pressure-and-release training, you apply a cue (pressure) and then remove it the moment the horse responds correctly. Licking and chewing after the release suggests the horse is processing what just happened and settling back into a relaxed state. It doesn’t necessarily mean the horse has “learned the lesson,” but it does indicate the nervous system is shifting gears.
Submission and Social Signaling
In herd dynamics, licking and chewing serves a different purpose. When a horse wants to show deference to a more dominant horse, it simulates eating by lowering its head, chewing, and licking its lips. Young horses do this frequently around older, higher-ranking animals. The logic is straightforward: a horse that’s eating is not threatening. By mimicking the motions of grazing, the horse communicates that it poses no challenge.
This submissive signal is closely related to “snapping,” a behavior seen in foals where they rapidly open and close their mouths toward an older horse. As the horse matures, snapping gradually evolves into the subtler licking and chewing pattern. If you see your horse doing this around another horse (especially one that just pinned its ears or moved assertively), submission is the likely explanation.
Not Always a Positive Sign
Here’s where it gets more complicated. Licking and chewing doesn’t always mean a horse is feeling good. Research published in peer-reviewed animal welfare literature has found that the same behavior can appear in both positive and negative emotional states. In studies of horse-human interactions, head lowering combined with licking and chewing was associated with positive social experiences. But lip licking and chewing on their own also showed up during situations involving pain and negative social interactions.
Horses experiencing oral pain from dental issues, for instance, may lick and chew simply because their mouth hurts. They might also eat hay slowly, pause while eating, or drop food. Licking and chewing has been observed alongside other signs of discomfort like pawing, tail swishing, and repetitive head movements during aversive situations such as transport.
One particularly important finding from welfare research: horses that are physically restrained may stop showing obvious behavioral signs of distress, but their heart rate tells a different story. The absence of visible discomfort doesn’t always reflect what the horse is actually feeling. Similarly, a horse that licks and chews during handling isn’t guaranteed to be relaxed. It could be a displacement behavior, something the horse does to self-soothe when it can’t escape a stressful situation.
Reading the Full Picture
A single behavior never tells the whole story. To interpret licking and chewing accurately, look at what the rest of the horse’s body is doing at the same time.
Signs that licking and chewing reflects genuine relaxation include a lowered head position, soft or half-closed eyes, ears in a neutral or loosely forward position, a relaxed jaw, and a general softening of muscle tension through the neck and topline. A horse showing these signals together is almost certainly winding down.
Signs that something else is going on include a tense or raised head, wide or worried eyes, ears pinned back or flicking rapidly, tight nostrils, pawing, tail swishing, or an elevated breathing rate. If licking and chewing appears alongside any of these, the horse may be stressed, uncomfortable, or in pain rather than settling into calm.
Timing matters too. Licking and chewing that happens after pressure is removed (after you release the rein, after the farrier finishes, after a dominant horse walks away) fits the relaxation interpretation. Licking and chewing that happens during an ongoing stressful event, with no release of pressure, is more likely displacement or discomfort.
What This Means During Training
Many natural horsemanship trainers treat licking and chewing as confirmation that the horse is processing a lesson and accepting what was asked. There’s real value in this, but it requires nuance. The behavior does indicate a nervous system shift, and pausing to let a horse lick and chew before asking for the next thing gives it time to mentally regroup. Rushing past this moment often leads to a horse that becomes increasingly tense and reactive.
The mistake is treating every instance of licking and chewing as proof that training is going well. If the pressure you applied was too intense, too prolonged, or poorly timed, the horse may lick and chew simply because it’s overwhelmed and trying to cope. Research on stereotypic behaviors like crib-biting has shown that repetitive oral behaviors can function as a stress-reduction strategy, lowering cortisol levels even when the underlying situation remains frustrating. In other words, some oral behaviors help horses manage stress rather than signal that stress has resolved.
The practical takeaway: when you see licking and chewing during training, treat it as a cue to pause and give the horse a moment. But evaluate your overall session honestly. A horse that licks and chews once after a well-timed release is telling you something different from a horse that licks and chews constantly throughout a session filled with escalating pressure.
Context Quick Reference
- After pressure is released in training: the horse is likely transitioning from mild stress to relaxation and processing the experience
- Around a dominant horse: a submissive social signal communicating “I’m not a threat”
- During eating difficulties: possible oral or dental pain, especially if accompanied by slow eating or dropping food
- During restraint or aversive handling: may be a displacement behavior indicating stress rather than acceptance
- At rest with soft eyes and lowered head: genuine relaxation and contentment
Licking and chewing is one of the most useful signals a horse gives you, but only when you read it alongside everything else the horse is communicating. The behavior itself is neutral. The context around it tells you what it means.