01/30/2026
You’ll often hear two different interpretations when people see a horse yawn. Some say it’s a release, and others say it’s a sign that the horse is stressed.
In truth, both camps are right. Yawning, licking, and chewing are all nervous system behaviors -not inherently “good” or “bad.” They simply mean the nervous system is shifting states.
In a stressful context, these behaviors can show up as displacement… the nervous system attempting to manage pressure, uncertainty, or excess input when the body doesn’t currently have another way to resolve it.
In a bodywork session, especially when I’m holding steady on a clear tension pattern and waiting for the tissue to soften, these responses often appear right as the nervous system makes a downward shift. The tissue I’m holding will stop bracing, and the body releases one more compensatory holding pattern it’s been carrying around. A step is taken back toward normal, functional movement.
Sometimes there’s a bit of fidgeting or movement first, followed by deeper breathing, a dropping neck, softer eyes, and then the yawn, lick, or slow chew.
It’s one of my favorite things to see during a session. Some horses are more expressive, showing multiple “releases” during a session (like Itchy here), and some horses are very stoic and hardly show any outward signs at all that the body is integrating anything. Most of the time though, once the session is over and they’re released back into their home environment, the body starts to process and releases begin to happen there, where the horse feels most comfortable.
So what does that mean for your horse?
It means the work is being processed, not just applied and the body is shifting out of low-level holding patterns that limit movement, alter posture, and quietly drain efficiency over time.
I’m currently booking new clients and always happy to talk about whether bodywork might be a good fit for your horse.
Call or text 406-272-6265
www.bp-equine.com
Serving all of Montana
