Tension or “Worry Wrinkles” Above the Eye
Look at the signal, then look at the whole horse and the situation around it.
NOTICE
Wrinkles or muscle tension above the eye look more pronounced than usual.
The area may appear tighter, more angled, or more contracted.
WHAT IT MAY TELL YOU
Tension above the eye can appear with pain and during some situations involving increased tension or arousal.
The popular name “worry wrinkles” is descriptive, but it should not be treated as a direct reading of the horse’s emotion.
DON'T ASSUME
Eye wrinkles do not automatically mean:
- “My horse is worried.”
- “My horse is afraid.”
- “My horse is in pain.”
Instead, ask: “Is this different from the horse’s normal face, and what else is happening?”
LOOK AGAIN
Compare the wrinkles with the horse’s normal expression. Check for orbital tightening, mouth or nostril tension, ear position, body tension, pain-related behavior, and the situation that came immediately before the change.
Research / Learn More
What research shows
Tension above the eye is included in equine pain assessment. Experimental work on eye wrinkles has also found some changes across different emotional conditions.
What it does not tell us
The evidence does not support reading wrinkles as a simple “worry meter.” Studies have found mixed results, and individual features such as breed type can influence wrinkle appearance.
Sources
- Are Eyes a Mirror of the Soul? — found that one eye-wrinkle measure changed in some experimental conditions but emphasized the need for further validation.
- Do Eye Wrinkles in Horses Reflect Mood? — did not support eye wrinkles as a reliable stand-alone indicator of longer-term mood.
- Development of the Horse Grimace Scale — includes tension above the eye as one component of a multi-feature pain assessment.