Petting, hugging and kissing Horses... be careful because for them it has another meaning

"When you are afraid, you should not touch an animal.": great advice!

Why have I not seen a video address these things? They sound extremely important. I learned a lot as a new horse owner today. Thank you so much for making this video and sharing it with us.

Hello Nicole, I am very blessed to be the caregiver of a wild mustang stallion who was found alone and starving on the range due to the fact that he is so old that he has worn his teeth down to nubs. He is estimated to be 25+ years old. While many people said I would never be able to "gentle" him (touch him, halter him, etc.) due to his age and how wild he was at capture, he has proven to be a very affectionate horse who bonds deeply with the few people he knows and trusts, particularly me. I would say he is still quite wild in that he reacts quickly and "big" if something is unusual or startling, and as he was a herd stallion for many, many years, he has a real sense of himself, how life is supposed to be, and what his position is in the world. That said, he is without a mean bone in his body and has never tried to hurt me in any way, though he tells me quite clearly when I have done something that displeases him. I often feel that I am dealing with a "king", who graciously deigns to interact with me! I have tried extremely hard to work with him in a way that allows him to choose what he is okay with, and when he is okay with it. Thus, we have developed a way of being together that feels deeply respectful and pleasing on both sides, I would say. What I wanted to ask you about is the fact that he really, really likes it when I use my hands to gently "nibble" at the corners of his mouth, and to cup and rub his chin. He gets very calm and soft-eyed, and these things seem to comfort him. Often, I will do this for a bit, then stop and step slightly away, and he will step closer to me again and touch me softly with his lips to "ask" for more. He will also sometimes very gently nibble my hand or even sometimes hold the edge of my hand between his lips, all with a very soft, quiet expression. He also enjoys having the sides of his face stroked and his forehead rubbed. Doesn't really seem to like being stroked anywhere else very much, though I can touch him all over if he is in a quiet mood. Anyway, sorry about going on here, but I would be very interested to hear your take on his apparent touch preferences. He is fascinating to me -- such a "pure" horse, and so expressive! Thank you!

most beautiful creatures on this earth

You are very wise about horses. I have grown up around horses and I just learned a few new things from you. Your English is very good. Don't be self conscious. The words you are using are correct. Thank you sooo very much for this educational video. This is the first I have seen but I will now be a faithful watcher and fan.

Hmm. I never knew about the erogenous zone between their front legs but it does make sense when you mentioned why. Thanks for that tip.

6:40 and then he looks up like "Whoa! Is this girl hittin' on me!?!?"

When you were petting between his front legs, I like how you said "Thank you for cooperating." That made me laugh. A lot. :)

I am SO glad that you explained this - my friends called me all kinds of names (from paranoid to plain 'moron'!) when I told them that a stallion could misinterpret things! Some male dogs (non-castrated) sniff around the crotch area of women who menstruate, for example! Strange how many people just say that this behaviour isn't sexually related!

1965, we were working on a horse ranch. Race horses. It was the weekend and I was ready to go out to the tavern but hubby was still at the barns. I went looking for him and found him in the stud barn still feeding, watering. I started walking down the breeze way and opposite the box of The Haug when he started shaking his head, stomping and squealing. Jim stepped out of the stall he was in and came down to see what was upsetting the big stud. He noticed my perfume and told me to get out of the barn on the run. Must have been good perfume, but never wore it around horses ever again.

About petting their front....I did not know that! Thanks for this useful information.

Good job explaining some of the reasons horses react to being touched in different places. I find light touches will also cause them to shake their skin thinking flies have landed. I find it is better to be firm with contact and to rub, not pat, horses. Patting mimics other horses picking at each other so don't pick at your horse rub them. Rubbing mimics mutual grooming and they enjoy that. Great video!

What a beautiful and well behaved boy! He is so calm and trusting. And what a great talk. Too many people lack this simple knowlege of horses and their body language. It is such a shame to see a horse suffer for a humans stupidity as so often they are the ones punished not the human.

That part low on the chest is very soft and feels nice that's why people touch it, not realising it is a sexual place on a stallion/gelding. Same with the muzzle, it's very soft. Very helpful video, thank you.

Twenty years working with horses and I never knew that either! Thank you. I've never been around stallions though because I knew I did not know enough. Thank you for such useful information.

I have ridden and trained many horses as a young teen and young adult. Many of which had a  very strong bond with me. Yes the mouth and nose is ver sensitive but also an erogenous/ emotional space. However, once a strong bond is achieved, I would find my horses allowing me to pet, nibble and even kiss their snouts and noses. I had one gelding nibbling on my ears and I enjoyed him breathing on me in moments of complete relaxation after a working session when I rewarded him with a solarium (infrared lamps). He loved it. Horses are insanely smart and have emotional intelligence.

Very helpful...I never knew about the errogenous zone between their front legs but it certainly makes sense. Also, your video has given me an even deeper appreciation for how I show respect and reverence for the horse when touching it. Thank you.

to be honest, at first I was a little sceptical about this video, but it turned out to be VERY informative! I'll also be honest again and say I scratch my gelding between the front legs and he stretches his neck and drops his....and it never crossed my mind that it could be an erotic area!! just thought he was relaxed and it felt good cuz it's a hard place for them to scratch. well now I know! You have to learn something new everyday, otherwise your not trying hard enough. 😊 so thank you for the knowledge!!

I wish all the instructors were as wise as you...I'm learning more with your videos than in my two riding schools.

The zone between their legs makes sense now. I have a german warmblood, white male. I'm a woman myself and always cuddle with him. Of course I also pet him between his front legs and I noticed that he was indeed responding, but at the time I didn't know why he did that because he wasn't peeing. My really strong big mare is a kind of sassy horse. I always wish to pet her too but before I got her (I rescued her) she was beaten and many other stuff. Now everytime I want to scratch her bum or her neck she gets so angry at me and it makes me sad because I want her to enjoy human contact, she means so much to me. Though when I ride her she's always having a fun time so that's good. Thanks for making this vid, very helpful!