Do horses bond with humans?
Horses feel much more relaxed with people they respect and trust.
Signs that your horse trusts you include:
-
Slow heart and breathing rates
-
Relaxed position with one hind leg crossed over the other on the ground
-
The eyes are soft and sleepy
-
The tip of the nose may become loose and droopy
-
Hats off to you
-
You can approach the lying horse
How do horses show affection?
When a horse shows you respect, it means it likes you, accepts you as its leader, and will do what you ask.
6 Signs That Your Horse Trusts You
-
As you groom your horse, he may also “groom” you in return for that attention and love.
-
The horse might lightly bite your shoulder or head, rest his head on your shoulder, or give you a gentle nudge on the back as if to give you a little “back massage.”
-
Affectionate horses will follow you even without a lead rope or collar.
-
When you enter the barn and the horse hears your voice, he will neigh or neigh in greeting.
-
When a horse sees a loved one for the first time, he may gallop straight up to them.
-
Horses, like other horses, may blow into your face through their nostrils to show you that they care.
How to get your horse to like you
The affection our horses show us is based on their trust in us, and to develop that trust we need to spend quality time with our horses. This includes:
How horses show affection to other horses
Horses are just as affectionate towards their owners and caretakers as they are towards their herd mates and other horses.
Horses are social animals that live in groups and typically have a pecking order within the group and communicate in a variety of ways to show affection.
As mentioned before, the horse will lift its head and gently blow through its nostrils into the other person’s face – this is the equine version of a handshake.
It is also common to see horses grooming each other, usually by scratching each other’s backs, shoulders and shoulder blades, and they also rest their noses on each other’s backs. Horses also neigh to call to each other, just as they do when they come to meet.
In the flock, Horses sleep next to each other not only for warmth and protection but also out of affection.
On trail rides, their normal sociality and pack mentality will keep them company, however, things can get difficult if one of their companions is not joining the trail ride that day.
The horses also enjoy running around the paddock happily, chasing each other like a game of tag.
How horses show affection to other species
Horses are also curious about their small animal companions, craning their necks to greet a family cat with a sniff or giving an inquisitive nuzzle at a friendly dog.
Horses also enjoy the company of wildlife – small stable birds may land on a horse’s back or neck while it is resting in its stall – and horses are also accustomed to sharing pastures with deer and elk.
Beware of dangerous animals such as raccoons, bats, foxes and possums, as these animals can carry diseases such as: EPM or rabies. Vaccinations are always highly recommended to protect your horse against a variety of diseases that can be contracted through encounters with wild animals.
