Understanding Horse Depression (Pre-Order)

Coming November 2025

A groundbreaking look at today’s “healthy body, broken spirit” phenomenon in domestic horses, and how we can change it.

A horse’s eyes, once bright and curious, now look sad and dull. His head, once held high, now hangs low. His body, once full of energy, seems tired and lifeless. What is the cause of distress this horse is experiencing? His body is healthy, but his spirit seems broken.

Traditionally, humans care for horses’ physical needs—feeding them, grooming them, and ensuring they are sheltered from the harsh elements. But their emotional well-being, equally if not more important, has long been neglected, as their subtle signs of distress can easily go unnoticed.

In these pages, lifelong horsewoman and horsemanship educator Joanna Lepiarczyk explores how horses, like humans, are social animals with complex emotional landscapes. Citing recent research, she demonstrates how they form bonds, experience stress, and can suffer from mental health struggles, including depression. Lepiarczyk translates scientific findings into practical advice and strategies for improving equine mental well-being, identifying the signs of depression that are neither as well-known nor as understood as they should be. Readers will learn:

· The three influences of the stress-depression connection.

· The role of learned helplessness.

· How changes in attention, posture, and responsiveness can indicate a mental health concern.

· What anhedonia (inability to express joy) looks like in the equine.

· Depression risk factors and dangers when untreated.

· Steps to confront and treat depression in horses.

Providing invaluable knowledge to horse owners, riders, and trainers, Lepiarczyk’s book helps ensure all are prepared to recognize and address the mental health needs of the horses in their lives. By bringing horse depression to the forefront, she has started a conversation that can lead to better care, deeper understanding, and a stronger bond between humans and horses, for generations to come.

Author: Joanna Lepiarczyk

Format: Paperback

Page Count: 232

Illustrations: 92 color illustrations

ISBN: 9781646012725