Do Horses Have Eyebrows?
Eyebrows are very useful parts of our body, and they play a major role in helping to keep things out of our eyes and protect them from sweat and dust.
Not many animals have eyebrows, however, even though a lot of animals have hair on their faces.
But what about horses?
They have hair on their faces, but do they actually have eyebrows?
Well, I was curious about this and decided to do some research and am excited to share it with you today.
So, without wasting any more time, let’s answer the question “do horses have eyebrows?”
The answer to this question is yes, horses do have eyebrows. Not in the same way that humans have eyebrows. Horses have hair all over their face and this of course includes the hair above their eyes. While this hair isn’t any different, horses are able to move and manipulate the muscles above their eye to communicate and convey different emotions and messages.
Few animals have eyebrows and not many of them are able to communicate in the complex way that horses can.
But do horses actually have eyebrows, what exactly are horse’s eyebrows used for, and how do you take care of your horse’s eyebrows? I
n this article we will explore all of these questions and more as we dive deeper into the topic of do horses have eyebrows.
Let’s get into it!
Do horses have eyebrows?
The answer to this question isn’t a simple yes or no.
Horses do have eyebrows but not in the same way that humans have eyebrows.
Horses have hair all over their face and this of course includes the hair above their eyes.
While this hair isn’t any different, horses are able to move and manipulate the muscles above their eye to communicate and convey different emotions.
What are horse’s eyebrows used for?
Even though horse’s eyebrows are different to humans they are used in very similar ways.
In this section we will look at some of the ways that horses use their eyebrows:
When they are scared, surprised, or sad
When horses are scared, surprised, or sad they tend to raise their inner eyebrow which raises the inner corner of the eye.
This is a very similar habit to humans and other primates and is usually an involuntary reaction to some external stimulus.
Horses are generally very skittish animals and can get scared or surprised rather easily.
Their natural instincts cause them to constantly be on guard even in the safety of their own stables or pastures.
If you notice your horse constantly raising its eyebrows there may be something in its environment that is spooking it or another animal that is present.
To communicate
Horses are very intelligent animals, and they use their entire body to communicate with each other.
While it is known that horses use their ears a lot when communicating it has been found that horses also use their faces a lot and can use over 17 unique facial movements when communicating.
These facial movements include the use of their eyebrows, and their eyebrows help them get their point and message across.
Similar to when they are scared or surprised, by moving their eyebrows horses are able to convey messages to one another.
Horses are social animals and maintain complex social structures within their herd.
As a result, it is important to communicate effectively, and their eyebrows help them do that.
To protect their eyes against dust and sweat
While horses don’t have eyebrows in the same way that humans do, they do work in a similar fashion as we have seen by the other two examples.
Another similarity is their ability to help protect your horse’s eyes from dust and sweat.
Despite not having a thick set of hair over their eyes, horse’s eyebrows do act as a natural barrier to sweat and dust especially when horses are moving around a lot and exerting themselves physically.
Horses can sweat on their face when they are extremely hot or have exerted themselves physically and their eyebrows help to keep this out of their eyes and to see properly.
How to care for your horse’s eyebrows
When it comes to the area around your horse’s eye it is better to keep all grooming as simple as possible as this area is sensitive and easily susceptible to damage.
For most situations the only form of grooming needed is to wipe the eyebrow and area around the eye with a clean cloth or towel (either slightly damp or dry).
This cloth or towel can be used to wipe the eyebrows themselves and can also be used to wipe away any crust that has developed around the eye.
Always be gentle when doing this as it can be easy to hit the eye and hurt your horse or damage the eye itself.
In terms of cutting or trimming your horse’s hair, the hair around your horse’s eyes or the hair on the eyebrow itself should be avoided as it is very close to a sensitive area and is used to tell the horse about any small changes to its surroundings.
If some of the hair is excessively long or is impairing your horse’s vision, then it is ok to trim it, but it should otherwise be left alone.
General grooming and maintaining of proper hygiene are important for your horse’s overall health and wellbeing though so attention and care should be paid to all aspects of your horse’s hygiene routine including the face and eyebrows.
In conclusion, yes, horses do have eyebrows but not in the same way humans do.
While they do have hair in the region above their eyes it is no different from the hair on the rest of their face.
What distinguishes them as eyebrows is the horse’s ability to move the muscles directly above the eye in order to communicate and make facial expressions.
Similar to humans and other primates, horses use their eyebrows to convey emotions, such as being scared or sad, as well as to communicate with one another.
This area of your horse’s body should also be tended to and cared for when doing your general grooming routine to ensure that your horse is in the best condition possible.