Given the research that horses can recognize humans, and human expressions to some degree, I’m wondering how much mask wearing, by their humans, confuses them.
Mask wearing at our barn only came in a couple of weeks ago, and it was only yesterday, when I had a body worker out for Mellow, that I thought to wonder how his take on the whole thing may have changed.
Maybe I am overthinking it, but it must be odd for them…
I was riding a new horse for me when the Covid-pandemic reared its ugly head.
Since my lesson stable is rather large with a lot of boarders and a lot of outside people coming for lessons I figured that I better wear a mask.
Poor MJ (the horse I ride now) did not know what to think of it. He is a rather laid back fellow so he was not too emphatic about his confusion, but I “picked up” WTH are you? After two weeks of this puzzlement (including his “should I really obey you? What are you, a robot?”) I decided I better reduce his confusion.
I got a face shield and the first day I wore it I put my face mask on my chin. MJ could see my face, he put all the clues together, and decided that I was me after all.
No more problems though that is the only time I wore the face shield. He now looks at me in my face mask and his attitude is “Oh, its you again.”
fear not, The horse’s range of smel is more acute than that of humans but less sensitive than that of dogs. Horses use their sense of smell to identify other horses, people, predators and feeds,
I have been wearing a mask in the barn, other than when mounted, since it reopened partway through the summer. I have not noticed any different reaction from any of the horses, some of which I have known and ridden for many years.
I thought I would see a difference in my horses when I’m wearing a mask, and I haven’t. I still take it off if I’m doing something I don’t think they’ll like, such as giving wormer, and when I first go to get them from the field. But, I think that’s just to make me feel better than them. The dogs (mine and friends’) also seem okay; however, these are dogs who have known me for a while. I’m sure our animals think that we humans are awfully strange animals.
I started wearing a mask to fill hay nets. None of my 5 cared. 
My horse doesn’t seem to notice or care if I’m wearing a mask.
My horse doesn’t care. However back in March I was trail riding with a friend and we saw a woman wearing a face mask plus a head scarf on the trail. The other horse got quite spooky about that.
With my horse, the opposite. We went past half a dozen topless teenage boys in swim shorts on the rocks by the river. My mare was very worried. I realized she’s never actually seen much bare skin on humans. I don’t think she realized they were people. Later we saw three nuns in full white habits walking single file. That also worried her.
My horse explores all new things with his mouth and tried to take it off my face. Other than that he didn’t care. Your mileage may vary.
Let me tell you, when we get to the point where it’s safe to go out without a face covering, my mask collection is going in my clipper box. A definite silver lining- I can wear chapstick and clip my horse!
One horse snorted at me the first time, another tried to eat the mask off my face. Since day 1, the do not care at all.
Like many of the others here, my 4 ponies at home didn’t even seem to notice. 1 of my ponies is really sensitive to “differences” in his humans so I was really, really surprised he didn’t seem to care. He’s the type that when I wore a different colourful jacket, he snorted and ran away from me like I was some sort of alien coming to get him. It took me over 5 mins to get near him to catch him. And if you ever even think to wear a hoodie to hide/cover your eyes - forget it. No bueno for him. Snowmobile helmet, no way. I’m thinking more if your eyes are covered, or some crazy colourful poofy jacket, those are more of a hard no’s to the sensitive types.
But a mask, he never looked twice.
ours just thought another stupid human trick…can not even wear a fly mask correctly
We’ve been masked at the barn other than mounted since March. Our northern ponies are used to covered up faces from winter eskimo looks so they didn’t blink an eye over masks.
None of the horses seemed to thing twice about the mask but when the cold weather arrived and my trainer came to the barn in a long (mid-calf) coat with fake fur arond the hood, that was a whole other story. She had to spend the day desentizing all of the horses to that long black scary piece of clothing.
Horses /animals notice every detail about the way we smell, move and sound at infinite levels of complexity. The mask might be odd the first time they see it, but they for sure know it’s you once they pay attention.
They can tell your vehicle from any other of the same make and model from far away (especially if you are the one coming to feed them). I know one horse that would go off into the far pasture well before the vet’s truck even showed in the driveway.
[quote=“Aleuronx, post:13, topic:753412, full:true”] Our northern ponies are used to covered up faces from winter eskimo looks so they didn’t blink an eye over masks.
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This is very true, I had forgotten that they are used to us being masked outside.
I haven’t seen any horse react, that I noticed, but watching Mellow being unsure about some of the things she was doing to him, it just made me idly wonder about them getting a ‘read’ on the people around them.
The horse I leased over the summer only recognizes me with my mask on! Its quiet funny as he neighs at me with my mask on and sometimes pins his ears at me when I take it off
I am also going to keep a few disposables handy post COVID for currying during shedding and when they are really muddy or dusty. Really nice not to have that up in my nose!
As to the original question, horses did not miss a beat when I showed up with a mask. Ho hum, they said, what’s she up to now?
Mine don’t seem to care, for me or for others. I thought they might, but nope!
This is adorable! 
When i’m with my new mustangs, i take off my glasses and any cap i might be wearing. And i never go train in sunglasses. Masks aren’t an issue as i have my own farm, (with a locked gate!)
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