Definition: The ears are very mobile and can swivel to the front, rear and side. They allow the horse to ‘focus’ on the location of a noise. They also are very expressive. Different ear positions can mean different things. Ears pricked upright show the horse is very attentive to something in front of it. Ears flattened against the neck is a warning. The underlying tissue of the ear is mainly cartilage controlled by muscles and tendons around the top of the skull.

Pronunciation: ee rs

Examples: The cranky mare laid back her ears at the nosey foal.