06/13/2025
A shock collar on a horse? We need to talk about this.
I saw a post and discussion yesterday where a barn owner was considering using a dog shock collar (while also learning that there are also shock products designed for horses on their face and tail) on a young horse to stop him from splashing in the water and climbing fences.
This raises serious ethical concerns and the potential for major behavioural fallout. I’ve worked with horses who were accidentally shocked near water sources, and the result can be a full-blown welfare crisis. Some horses develop aversions to drinking altogether. These aren’t easy patterns to undo.
A young horse showing behaviours like this is often bored, lacking enrichment, experiencing accidental reinforcement, or simply expressing unmet needs. Before jumping to punishment, we need to ask: what is the horse trying to tell us?
Why is he climbing fences?
• Is something beyond the fence more stimulating or rewarding?
• is there something in the field the horse is trying to avoid?
• Is he bored?
• Is he seeking different social opportunities?
And what about the water?
• Has it been accidentally reinforced by getting a big reaction from humans?
• Is this his only form of play and a way to have fun?
• Is he too hot and trying to cool himself off?
• Is there something wrong with the trough? Or is he experiencing pain?
We often see people rush to suppress behaviours (sometimes with extreme methods) instead of addressing the root cause. We should be adjusting the environment to better support the horse, not just trying to stop the symptom. Consider offering an outlet before you punish what is being labeled as bad behaviour. Horses need safe, appropriate ways to express their curiosity and energy.
And no, shock collars are not the same as electric fencing (something that was part of the discussion). Fencing provides a visible, audible, and consistent boundary that a horse can learn to recognize and avoid. A shock collar, especially one placed near the face, creates uncertainty, confusion, and often leads to head shyness and long-term trust issues. The horse has no way of understanding what triggered the punishment, and it becomes dangerously easy for them to associate essential behaviours like drinking water with fear or pain.
We need to be careful that we’re not using punishment or pain-based tools to shut down symptoms instead of asking why the behaviour is happening in the first place. Horses communicate through behaviour. When we suppress that communication with fear or discomfort, we do not solve the problem. We suppress communication and potentially just create new problems. Tools rooted in punishment can sometimes cause significant behavioural fallout and long-term harm.
Understanding, not suppression, should always be the goal.
