Horses, just like humans, all have different personalities and display affection in different ways. Since horses cannot come right out and tell us what they are thinking or how they are feeling in our language, we need to learn how to understand their way of communicating.
Here’s an at-a-glance quick guide to the ways horses show affection:
6 Ways Horses Show Affection
| 🐴 Affection Indicator: |
|---|
| 🐎 Body Language |
| 👂 Ears |
| 👃 Nuzzling |
| 🚶 Following |
| 🎾 Playtime |
| 🤝 Willingness |
Much can be learned about how horses show affection just by watching them interact with each other in the pasture. You are able to see how they communicate with one another, and how each horse projects their mood, likes, dislikes, and comfort level. Horses are very physical thinkers and communicators. Knowing how to read a horse’s body language will give you an insight into the emotions of your horse at any given moment and will help you to understand how they feel about you in particular.
Body Language
Body language is the primary way horses communicate, both with humans and each other. If you want to know what your horse is thinking or feeling, you will need to be able to understand how they communicate first. You can learn each horse’s cues by observing them out in the field with other horses, and while they are interacting with you.
One of the most common ways a horse will show affection toward people and horses alike, is by displaying relaxed body cues. If a horse is not comfortable with someone, they will not be relaxed around them.
When uncomfortable, they will often show this by pawing at the ground, snorting, or tossing their head around. Horses will show several physical signs that they are relaxed and comfortable while in your company. Lowering their head, closing their eyes, and resting a back foot are all ways your horse is telling you that they are comfortable around you. Sometimes they will rest their head against you as well. They will typically display many of these relaxation signs at once. The RSPCA offers a crash course in equine body language here.
Ears
A lot about a horse’s mood can be learned by watching their ears. If their ears are pinned back flat, it means to keep your distance. However, ears pointed forward show they are interested in what is in front of them. Ears slowly flicking back and forth or pointed to the sides are signs your horse is relaxed. You will often see this while they are grazing.
When a horse keeps their ears focused on you, it means you have their attention and they are interested in what you are doing. A common sign of affection from a horse is if they perk their ears up and softly nicker while moving toward you when they hear your voice. It is their way of greeting you and showing that they are happy to see one of their favorite people.
Nuzzling
A horse will often show that it likes someone by nuzzling them. Horses will frequently nuzzle and groom each other, particularly in hard-to-reach places like along the tops of their necks. They will only do this with other horses that they feel comfortable and relaxed with. If your horse starts trying to groom you too, it is a good sign that they feel safe and relaxed with you as well.
Since horses are so much larger than humans, remember that it is important to have them respect your boundaries. If the nuzzling turns into nibbling, it is a good idea to nudge their head away so as not to reinforce that particular behavior.
Following
If you find yourself walking through the pasture and your horse starts following you of their own accord (and you do not have food with you), it is a good sign that they like you and want to be near you. Some horses will want to come up close to you to investigate what you are doing. Others may stay further back and observe you from a distance.
Either way, they are showing that they are interested in what you are doing by following you around. When they choose to spend this time with you instead of grazing or interacting with other horses, it means they are showing you affection and that your horse has bonded with you.
Playtime
Some horses will try to invite you to play with them. This invitation usually comes in the form of running back and forth, nickers, and small hops. They will sometimes try to encourage you to run with them or engage in their version of a game of tag. This can be quite dangerous for people because of the size difference, and if the horse gets too excited then hooves may start flying.
If you have built up a lot of trust with your horse you can engage in playtime a bit, but it is still a good idea to keep a fence or some other kind of barrier in between you just in case they get a little rambunctious. Some horses get overly excited while playing, and may forget how much bigger they are than you.
Willingness
When horses are attached to someone, they are likely to show a willingness to listen and a responsiveness to that person that they may not otherwise show as much. They may be more willing to do something or allow you to do something that they do not particularly like. Or, they may become more responsive under saddle once you have cultivated a bond.
When this happens you will begin to notice your horse seems happier to do things that may not be their favorite, but they are displaying a willingness to do it because you asked, and they want to do it for you. This is a great sign of not just affection but also trust built between you and your horse.
Some horses are more likely to show affection than others, and they each have their own way of doing so. The best advice for building a bond with your horse is to just spend time with them, whether it be while riding, grooming, or just sitting in the field or stall with them. The more time you spend around a particular horse, the more familiar you will become with their social cues and their signs of affection.