Equine behaviorists...Equine hug? Or something more nefarious?

[Alterration]

I was scratching the neck of one of my horses yesterday, which he was really into (he gets super itchy in spring). Keep in mind, I’ve had many horses in my life, and some have attempted allogrooming, but I’ve never had one do this…so I’m curious.

First, he put his head on top of my head. Like my head was in between his jowls. And he sat it there for a second (I’m still scratching the underside of his neck, so he’s in bliss). Then he wrapped his head around my back and pulled me into his chest and lifted his foreleg kind of to the side of me like a hug. This is where I got a bit nervous and stopped scratching and he was fine to let me go. This is not the first time he’s done this, the first time we were in the paddock and there were flies, so I thought the leg was coincidental.

This horse is a real sweetie but he IS the top dog of his pasture. He was not dropped or anything (I checked, because like I said, I was a bit concerned about his intentions), and was not being pushy otherwise. He’s generally very polite although he is very intelligent and like many geldings explores things with his mouth.

I’ve never taught him any “hugging” types of behaviors, but he was a project for teenage girls when he was young, so it’s possible that someone did along the line.

Either way, it’s not something I necessarily want to encourage, I was just super curious because I’ve never experienced this type of behavior from a horse. I’ve experienced them grooming back (or attempting to) and generally I just redirect it, but this was very different.

[CBoylen]

Mine will do that if he also wants his leg (sometimes even the back one) scratched. It’s also not behavior I encourage lol.

[NancyM]

He is responding to you as if you were another horse. While this is kinda cute, and it’s nice that he feels that you two are “tight”, it needs to be not participated in by YOU, though it shows he likes his relationship with you. So politely remove yourself from this embrace, because he is 10 X bigger than you, and isn’t considering your puny stature and chance of injury with his embrace.

[Alterration]

I didn’t think about a request for the foreleg scratch - that’s entirely possible.

I definitely didn’t love it, but was just so puzzled by it!

[2DogsFarm]

Agree, horse’s hugs can be damaging to puny humans

Also, watch where your head is.
A friend got a compression fracture of her cervical spine from her horse when he popped her on the head as she walked past. Just as you described, her head went between his lower jawbones.

“Shake Hands” is another not cute trick.
Horse I shareboarded was taught this by his owner. Random “shake” - expecting a treat reward - would happen when I was grooming. Foreleg popping up was dangerous!

[Alterration]

@NancyM

He is responding to you as if you were another horse. While this is kinda cute, and it’s nice that he feels that you two are “tight”, it needs to be not participated in by YOU, though it shows he likes his relationship with you. So politely remove yourself from this embrace, because he is 10 X bigger than you, and isn’t considering your puny stature and chance of injury with his embrace.

Oh for sure - and I totally would never encourage it!

He’s ridiculously polite normally. He’s the horse that will spook hard but never pull on the lead rope, and wouldn’t dream of spooking into me. Even when he’s being a bit of a dingbat he knows exactly where I am at all times.

[Alterration]

@2DogsFarm

Also, watch where your head is.
A friend got a compression fracture of her cervical spine from her horse when he popped her on the head as she walked past. Just as you described, her head went between his lower jawbones.

“Shake Hands” is another not cute trick.
Horse I shareboarded was taught this by his owner. Random “shake” - expecting a treat reward - would happen when I was grooming. Foreleg popping up was dangerous!

Ouch! I’ve been cracked a few times in my life with accidental head bops, but a compression fracture sounds awful!

I’ve never been into trick training. Horses have enough random volunteer behavior that I don’t need more. And this particular horse is one of those “A+” students that likes to volunteer anyway, so I don’t really need additional things in his repertoire.

[eponacelt]

Mine will reach her head around and mutually groom me when she’s particularly enjoying a scratch. I didn’t allow it for a long time, having been bitten that way in the past. But when it became apparent she only uses her nose on me and wouldn’t progress to teeth, I now allow it. 6 years with her and its one of our favorite activities together. Like you, I wouldn’t let her put her leg on me though!

[RhythmNCruise]

Ha. I’ve never had one do that, thankfully, but I can envision it. My guy will throw a body block up no matter how you try to escape him in the pasture when he’s demanding that his itchies get scratched. Start and you have to retreat rapidly or he’ll just keep walking in front of you and blocking you with his shoulder/wither area. “Mom. Scratch. Now.”

I’ve known a few horses that were taught to “kiss” for a treat. I’m not a fan of that. Just what I want…a horse bopping me in the face with its nose expecting to be fed something. No. You get no treat from me for that.

[Jackie_Cochran]

I have had only one horse “hug” me in my life. I was looking at a horse in a sales barn, scratched his breast between his front legs and he “hugged” me with his neck.

The guy who showed him to me said that an Indian (American Indian) had owned him once and might have trained this horse to do it.

None of my own horses ever “hugged” me though some would very gently mutually groom me on occasion. None of my horses ever rested their heads on me either, something I would rapidly and gently discourage because horses’ heads are HEAVY.

Hugging is NOT something I would want in a horse, too many occasions for misunderstandings between horse and human, especially if a child or adult beginner accidentally triggered this behavior.

[Texarkana]

My donkey does this!

[lenapesadie]

If my horse did this, I would presume he wanted scratches low on his chest between legs. Not just bc of the foreleg coming up but also bc of the lifting his head on top of yours.

My horse is very experienced with positioning himself for scratches. I accommodate while keeping my body in a “safe” position.

YMMV

[usernameTaken]

I have one, previously owned by a teenaged girl, who does the hug and the head thing. He also bows. She had told me she had taught him to do tricks. He’s very respectful and well behaved and will stop if he is told ‘no’, though it feels weird to tell him no to something he was trained to do. He’s very sensitive, always trying to please. He’s very gentle about it, and it’s not like it comes out of nowhere. Usually happens when grooming or giving him scratches, so I haven’t been worried I would get hurt. I am glad she told me. I can see where I would find this behavior without context worrisome.

[RMJacobs]

My Hackney pony was a cuddlebug. Our heads were at the same height, and he liked to be hugged. He would drop his head over my shoulder and hug back, gently. I never discouraged it because he was so careful, plus he only weighed about 500 pounds.

He fell asleep while I was grooming him one day, and I hadn’t realized it. He’d picked up his foot to be picked out, and lost his balance. He essentially rode me down to the ground. Somehow he managed to miss me with all four feet, and looked very embarrassed when he realized what he’d done. He somehow managed to scramble to his feet without hurting me, and we went on with grooming. But I did keep an eye out to make sure he wasn’t falling asleep after that.

I was definitely glad he was just a small pony.

Rebecca

[Trot_On]

My horse did a version of a hug today. A friend had just done a Reiki session on my horse, at the end he turned his head around to place it in the center of her chest gently curling his neck around her. He did not use any pressure, just leaving his head there for about 5 seconds before lifting it away. I think I have a pretty good relationship with him, but he has never offered to do this with me. He must have really responded to the session.

[eightpondfarm]

mmmm. Well, first of all, i would not want a horse to put his head on top of mine. Even though i am lower, my head…my brain and my will, is above theirs. I don’t want them raising their head either… their jaw needs to tip down. No lifting up. I DO allow one of my mules to put his head into my arms and ask me to cradle his head like a baby though.

Second… I am perfectly okay with a neck-hug by a horse. I appreciate the gesture. Same with cows and sheep. It’s a universal gesture of affection.
Same with mutual grooming, i appreciate the gesture, though i do intercede, interrupt and redirect… I have seen how rough they can get with that on eachother…those teeeef!!!

But the leg. Nope. That is not ok. Dominance behavior and not acceptable. I would vocal a “Nein!” (not loud, just assertive) and put my hand on it and press it down…moving off to the side when i do.

[Alterration]

Yeah, that’s what I was concerned about too (the leg). I definitely haven’t encouraged it. Just not a behavior I’ve ever experienced!