horse rubbing his head on you

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ZELDAMELDA

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Oct 18, 2004
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I read something from Jessica Jahiel's Horse Sense that you shouldn't let a horse rub his head on you unless you give permission. I just got my horse and for the first week, he was so skittish and then he started warming up to me. Sometimes, he comes up and rubs his head on me. He has even done this to my husband and trainer. At first, I thought he was scratching an itch because he does the same thing on the fence post. Then I'm thinking that it's a form of affection. He loves on me and then I love on him back. Is it really bad to let him do this without giving permission?

I'm confused because if I say 'no' and then later give permission, then he'll probably not even want to do it or won't know what I'm giving him permission to do. Do I grab his head and rub it on me so he'll know? Or do I rub my head on him first?
 
ha ha ha
would love to see you going up and rubbing your head on his!
i see nothing wrong with head rubbin but if i remember rightly there was a thread a while back on this and many people had many differing opinions... i invite my horse to rub his head, (he likes it after he has been ridden) but i push him off until his bridle is off then i'll rub a patch on his face, he then knows this is his invitation to rub his head on me... its usually because he is itchy after his bridle has been worn or he has sweated a bit..
As for you rubbing your head on his head, if you want that to be your invitation i see no problem in that although you may get a few funny looks! :D :D :D :) :)
 
Some of my horses can and some cannot, But then I am ALPHA female!:D :D All my horses know where they stand, some forget and are NEER allowed to take such liberties.

My old horse who I had to have put to sleep in August was allowed. We had been through thick and thin together, he knew where the boundaries lay and never over stepped them, but it was a 25 year relationship. Kvikur is allowed to, nobody else is, only the mares seem to try though, and one gelding, who was brought up with less than perfect manners.


The long and short of it is, if you are new to each other- and I mean a less than 2 year relationship, then NO head rubbing! Once you are an undisputed boss, then tiny, mutual signals can allow the odd invasion, but remember it can be then thin edge of the wedge.

As boss of the herd you can invade his space and be allowed, as an underling he HAS to be invited in to your space and never allowed to come in uninvited.
 
thats one of the things angel is NOT allowed to do. she tried it a couple of times when i first got her, but quickly cottoned on to the thought that this was NOT a good idea :)

i usually just got hold of her head, moved it away and vigorously scratched HER nose. just to make the point that this is something *I* (im supposedly her boss, remember :D ) can do but she cant.

julia
x

ps: its usually a sign that they dont accept you as being above them in the pecking order (people have hammered that into my brain for a decade now!) which is not what you want.
 
Murphy's allowed to rub his head on my shoulder, but only ever after riding once I've taken his bridle off. He's not allowed to rub too hard or punt me over though. He's happy enough if I use my hands to rub under his chin, but I never seem to get just quite the right spot round his ears! To me it would be like having that really annoying feeling of having worn a hat for a while, and not being allowed to rub my head once I'd taken it off.

Not sure about occasions other than after bridle coming off though - that to me would be like crossing a boundary.

I'm sure I read somewhere that horses appreciate being rubbed fairly firmly on their forehead between the eyes because it's supposed to be like when their mothers lick them with their tongues? Wonder if that's why some try to rub?
 
I don't allow it because I had a bargy gelding who next thing you knew he'd be pushing you off your feet! I do allow mutual grooming with only their upper lip on my shoulder when I am scratching their withers, I give them the verbal cue 'nuzzies' and they will then respond. And that's it. Although my mare does like to rest her head on my shoulder, but she's pretty reliable and I'm not afraid she will hit me with her head.

I also teach them all the word "gentle" and use it when small pets or children come into the field or barn. They know that means they have to be very careful. I taught them that by using the verbal cue whenever they were being super soft or blowing breath at me, and they seem to know what I want. At least they haven't trompled any of the cats yet!

(Excluding the filly I sold who managed to step on and break the cat's middle hind toe....)
 
Eric is allowed to rub his head on my shoulder. When he came at first he was so shut down that he didn't understand affection, so when he figured out that he was returning my pats and head rubs by nearly knocking me off my feet, I couldn't not let him.

He knows now not to be too violent, and it only lasts long enough for a greeting. Wee dote. But I wouldn't take it from just any horse!
 
My gleding does attempt to head rub when I get him in from the field. I did allow it a couple of times, but he is so strong he used to push me off balance. The YO suggested I stop this as it is a sign of him not accepting my authority - so I did. I do feel guilty though when he goes to rub my shoulder. I would like to think it was a sign of affection!
 
head rubbing

I don't think there is a right or wrong on this one, but rather your opinoin on whether you think its an annoying habit or not.

If your horse is very gentle and only rubs lightly, and you enjoy the contact, perhaps its fine. If your horse acts like you'd make a better scracthing post if only he could knock you on the gorund first, then I'd bet you don't like it. Just keep in mind that its not fair to the horse to let him do it on some days and then get mad at him on other days. Like other people said, sometimes its good to have a "time" when it is ok, like after his bridle is off.

Some people see it as a vice and others as a sign of affection. Its completely up to you, but only let him start doing it now if you are ok with him doing it later. It just like when people let their "cute little puppy" bite or jump up on them. You can't change your mind later when you decide its an annoying habit afterall. Well, you can but its not very fair. :).

For the record, I don't let my horse rub me, except when I have him in the cross ties after riding and I'm already rubbing his face and ears. Then I let him softly rub me. But never when I'm leading him around or standing in front of him.
 
Head rubbing annoys me to no end! My horse is definatly not allowed to rub on me, but if someone else wants their horse to rub on them that's their choice, and I don't think it's a big deal. The only time I got really upset with someone letting a horse rub was when I was working with a 17.3HH gelding, who was also very large boned (ok so he was completely huge in every way!) If he tried to rub you he would literally send you flying! He also tried to rub as an evasion to being bridled and has even ripped someones shirt right off (Wrestler Style). So when I saw a girl letting him rub I had to tell her not to because he would and could easily injure someone. If you horsey is gentle and not pushy, it should be ok, but I would still only allow it at certain times, when you decide you want to. The horse and owner relationship is really delicate and you definatly don't want your horse to decide that they are in control, it's a really hard attitude to reverse. For example, my horse is allowed to rub only after schooling, when I have taken his bridle off. I hold out my hands and he puts his nose between them and itches himself between my hands. He knows when I hold my hands out in that way that I'm inviting him to scratch. You'll probably find things like mutual grooming more pleasant than being rubbed on, and I can honestly say I've never seen two horses who are friends in the herd rub each other because they like each other, they usually give that affection to the fence post.;)
 
riding school horse head rubbing

I went to a new riding school yesterday, and the horse that I rode on Malone rubbed his head on me after our lesson. Is this acceptable, and what does it mean to the horse to rub his head? is it just an itch or a greeting of some kind?

Please let me know as I have only been around horses for a little while so not used to their little habits...

:confused:

Paula
 
I have never minded a bit of it.

I had to break Solo out of being so pushy with her head. She would literally push you around. I finally managed to get through to her that she shouldn't be pushing me around, and she never scratched her head against me once.
 
if you don't stop letting your horse rub on you she'll just push you over or start bitting or something. I train horses and have found it's the horses that can rub on you that dont pay attention to you. in essence your hrose is saying "you make an excellent fence post!" Instead hold up your hand when she starts getting pushy, say "no!" and if she keeps rubbing hit her in the face. But if you have to hit her make sure you rub her head and neck so that she knows that you aren't there to hurt her. That way you both get what you want: you aren't her scratch post and she gets her face scratched.
 
Some horses are pushy already and quickly try to climb the pecking herd order. Some are content to stay on the bottom. Allowing a pushy horse liberties can cause more bad habits down the road, basically believing you are the insignificant one. I never let my horses make contact with my person. If I rub, they can **** the head and get that heavenly look, but no contact. I don't believe in ever hitting in the head as it (IMO)causes head shyness. I will push the head away, or take the muzzle in both my hands and rub, just brisk enough to be irritating. They will not want it in my space if it is irritating. If it is a symptom of already being disrespectful then we go back to Round Pen training. You move your feet, you move them where I say and as fast as I say and you get to rest when I allow you to come in to me. I am in control of you! Sometimes we have disrespect problems with them turning their butt to me when I go to put the halter on too.
 
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