They say the eyes are are the gateway to the soul. When it was said, they were referring to us humans. But the truth is, it also refers to horses.
The eye reveals a little about the character of the horse you're working with. It may have a kind eye. A kind eye indicates the horse will be agreeable to train and will readily respond to your aids while training.
Jesse Beery, a famous horse trainer from the 1800's, talked a lot about the eyes of the horse. Even those many years ago he knew about the horse's eyes. Beery discovered there were four different disposition types of a horse. Certain characteristics of the eyes would tell you much about the horse's personality and how much work it would be to train the horse.
In all my training experience and many things I've read, I concur with Beery's discovery. The eyes play an enormous role in horse training.
To read more about Beery and his methods, you can go to this web address:
When you work with a horse, it's advisable to look him in the eye a lot. Why? Because horse's an extremely observant animal and they study their surroundings. If you're in their surroundings they are studying you too. If they see you looking at them in the eye it sends a message to them about who is in control.
Although a horse's ears are part of the plan. the eyes are how the horse interprets his world. The horse gladly desires to approach an object or person that has caused him pleasure. Likewise, he runs from objects or persons that cause him pain. (Pain could be a number of things like work, misuse of aids such as spurs, being talked to in an abrasive manner, etc.)
In short, the eyes are the mirror of the horse's mind. Quiet eyes indicate quietness and sincerity. Quick and lively eye indicate vivacity. Restless eyes turning in all directions indicate suspicion and show the horse is studying all around him and may perhaps be preparing some freak of self will. Turbid eyes indicate fear or anger.
There's a proverb that tells us not to trust the horse that shows the white of his eyes. Perhaps it's because the white shows when he's looking sideways and he's intent on seizing the moment when no attention is being paid for escape or attack.
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