Yes, horses can be left or right “handed,” just like humans. This is referred to as their “sidedness” or “laterality.”

Horses can be either left or right-sided, which means they tend to use one side of their body more than the other. This can affect their performance and behavior, especially when it comes to riding and training.

Left-sided horses tend to be more flexible and have an easier time bending to the left, while right-sided horses tend to be stronger and have an easier time bending to the right. Riders and trainers need to be aware of a horse’s sidedness in order to properly train and work with them.

It’s important to note that a horse’s sidedness can change over time, depending on their training and physical development. So a horse that is strongly left-sided when they’re young might become more balanced as they get older and receive proper training. Roughly 70% of the thousands of horses observed each year display left-sidedness, around 20% exhibit right-sidedness, and the remaining 10% demonstrate a relatively balanced use of both sides of their body.