 A horse's ear, with its 16 different muscles and ability to move 180 degrees, tells a horseman a lot about their horse. The ear can tell us where the horse is looking, since the eye is typically looking to where the opening of the ear is pointing. It can also tell us a lot about the horse's state of being. If we feel behind the ear and it's cold, well, the horse is also cold. A neutral ear that is held loosely upward indicates our horse is peaceful. Pricked and held stiffly forward, the horse is alert. Droopy airplane ears? Well, they typically indicate a sick horse or a horse that's in pain. If the ear is angled backward, with the openings directed back towards the rider, it usually tells us that it's attentive to the rider or listening to commands. Oftentimes, they'll flick one ear back and then another to listen to their riders. Ears flat against the neck? Watch out, that horse is angry or feeling aggressive.