My horse groomed me today

[martini55]

Martini's been pretty scritchy recently and she loves our grooming sessions. Today I was using the rubber curry comb as usual and she was particularly itchy around her withers and so I spent a bit of time with the curry comb on this area. Well, she turned her head around to face me, I took a step back and angled my body a bit (more to see what she was doing really) and then the next thing I knew she was grooming my arm. From a personal perspective I found it very sweet (she has never done it before) and was instantly like this- :D I just wondered what 'natural horsemanship' people thought of mutual grooming between humans and horses? Did I 'invite' her to do it by moving my body?

[mayoguinness]

Well personally I think its sweet but I was told that it wasn't really aceptable in case the horse groomed a little to hard and you might end up with a nip. Still think its sweet though :D

[Joyscarer]

What a moment. This happened with Joy and I for the first time a few weeks ago and it brings tears to my eyes just thinking about it again :o

Mayo has a good point about the mutual grooming posibly getting out og hand but this isn't something I'd be concerned about from Joy.

You just need to keep on reading your horse and go with what you feel is right knowing the dangers :)

[martini55]

She wasn't rough at all and stopped as soon as I stopped grooming her. I think it's most likely a one-off seeing as I have had her 7 years and she's never done it before, I suppose that's the reason I found it nice as well :)

[doris]

My welsh x appy does this. If I scratch her chest, she will nuzzle my hair and gently rub my head. I have no problem with this behaviour as long as she doesn't get rough. It's not so pleasant if she has a slightly snotty nose, or decides to sneeze in my hair!

[No_Angel]

ceryns been doing this lately, shes a very timid horse so it really shows shes growing in confidence.
Personally I think its fine. I let my horses rub on me if I invite them to, most people probably dont like it but it works fine for me. Maddie sometimes wiggles her top lip on me if she wants to be groomed, same as she would do with one of the herd, I like it, i feel like she accepts me and trusts me.

[Widget]

Jasmine grooms me but only when I use the 'special' brush. She is not allowed with normal grooming, but we also have 'itchy sessions'! This involves me scrubbing as hard as I can with rubber brush with thick cone shaped fingers on it. I scrub and she moves about till im hitting the right spot! Then she does me. Usually gently but if she gets too carried away I tell her gently and she softens it.

If I do between her front legs she goes all dopey eyed and wraps her head and neck round me in a hug. Silly mare.

I dont let her do it all the time as one day I could be grooming at a show in nice clothes and not want to be roughed up!