What to do if a horse approaches you?

Move confidently and slowly when approaching a horse; walk, never run. Approach the horse from the front, toward their shoulder.
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What does it mean when a horse approaches you?

Coming to You

What is this? If a horse is willing to approach you on their own, without being asked, it shows that they like your presence. That's why it's important to always remain calm and relaxed when working with your horse.
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Why shouldn't you look a horse in the eye?

Never look a horse in the eye

You're only a predator if you intend to eat what you're looking at. Horses can easily tell the difference between a predator looking to eat and predator looking in curiosity and wonder. Horses do, however, struggle to understand the intention of a human who hides his eyes.
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What does it mean when a horse stares at you?

Horses may stare at you when they want your attention. If you are distracted or out of reach, your horse may stare at you to get you to focus on them. If there's a barrier such as a fence between you and your horse, they may stare at you since they can't reach you to nudge you.
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How do you tell if a horse disrespects you?

Disrespectful Horse Behaviors
  1. Grazing While Being Led or Ridden.
  2. Bumping Into You.
  3. Dragging You or Walking Too Slow When Being Led.
  4. Being Aggressive Towards You When It's Time to Eat.
  5. Acting Out When Riding.
  6. Not Letting You Pick Up Its Feet.
  7. Refusing to Be Tied.
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How to Approach a Horse



Can horses sense when you are afraid of them?

According to results of a study conducted by researchers at the University of Guelph in Ontario, Canada, horses do seem to read some signals to indicate whether a nearby person is stressed or afraid, at least in certain circumstances.
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How can you tell if a horse is mad?

The ears laid flat against the neck, head raised and the horse may lunge at you, whites of the eyes showing, and their mouth open showing their teeth. You should avoid approaching a horse from behind. If you do, they may warn you if they're angry and want you to stay away or go away. If you ignore this, they may kick.
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Why do horses whinny when they see you?

“Horses generally neigh to attract attention of other horses or of people.” She adds that it can also be “a sign of separation anxiety or a sign of social isolation.
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What to do when horse turns back to you?

Your horse turns his butt towards you when you walk into the stall.
  1. The ultimate sign of disrespect is when a horse turns his butt towards you when you enter a stall. ...
  2. Apply pressure to the horse's hindquarters to get him to face you with two eyes. ...
  3. Rub the horse and put the halter on him.
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How can you tell if a horse likes you?

Here are 8 Signs a Horse Likes and Trusts You
  • They Come Up to Greet You. ...
  • They Nicker or Whinny For You. ...
  • They Rest Their Head on You. ...
  • They Nudge You. ...
  • They Are Relaxed Around You. ...
  • They Groom You Back. ...
  • They Show You Respect. ...
  • They Breathe on Your Face.
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Where should you not touch a horse?

Be sure to stay away from the sensitive areas of the horse like the eyes, ears, muzzle, and belly of the horse. While some horses might be OK with you petting these areas, many are sensitive and won't like to be touched there.
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What should you not do to a horse?

Helpful Hints to Remember
  1. Do not stand directly behind the horse.
  2. Never wrap the lead around your hand or body.
  3. Teach your horse to be patient when being turned loose.
  4. Do not allow the lead to drag on the ground.
  5. Never stand, lead, or back standing directly in front of the horse.
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How do you teach a horse to respect you?

So how do you get your horse's respect? A horse's respect is earned by moving his feet forward, backward, left, and right, and always rewarding the slightest try. Think about respect from your horse's point of view. When horses are thrown together out in a pasture, it's natural for them to establish a pecking order.
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Can horses sense a good person?

In one study, the heart rhythms of horses and humans were analyzed over the course of various interactions with one another. The findings indicated that horses care capable of detecting when a human is expressing and projecting positive feelings towards them and is likely to reciprocate those positive feelings.
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How do you show respect to a horse?

Always Be the Leader

Always use confident body language around your horse, being firm with your commands and staying in control at all times. Make your horse respect your personal space, and do not yield to any pushiness or misbehavior.
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How do you know if your horse doesn't trust you?

Something every horseback rider wants to know is whether or not their horse trusts them.
...
Here are a few signs that a horse isn't at ease:
  1. Their bottom lip is tight.
  2. Their nostrils are tense.
  3. Their tail is moving quickly or not at all.
  4. Their ears are pinned back on their head, or alert and facing you.
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Can horses sense your energy?

“And when in a horses' presence, the human's nervous system automatically syncs up with the horse. They can sense everything that's going on in your body – your thoughts, your energy and the other most important amazing thing standing by a horse being in their presence can calm your entire body.”
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What does it mean when a horse blows through his nose?

Experts say that horses produce three different non-vocal sounds, all by passing air through their large nostrils. Who knew? Snores are very short raspy sounds produced when a horse is examining something new. Blows are described as short and very intense exhalations and are associated with vigilance or alarm.
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What does it mean when a horse snorts at you?

Overall, snorting horses showed low levels of stress. Not everyone agrees, though. Other horse behavior experts say that snorting doesn't mean anything — the horses are just clearing their noses or responding to itchiness and discomfort, just like we humans do.
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How do you calm a sensitive horse?

Let the horse release some of its nervous energy by giving it a simple and familiar task. Doing one or two basic training exercises or going for a brisk trot can put your horse's attention elsewhere and lessen their anxiety. “He [the horse] can think of just one thing at a time,” said Zdenek.
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Can horses sense anger?

Research shows that horses recognize and react to human emotions expressed by facial cues alone. We've all been taught that horses can readily pick up on our anxiety, anger and other emotions from our body language. Now, research from England suggests that they can read our facial expressions as well.
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How do you handle an aggressive horse?

Here are some easy ways to handle an aggressive equine.
  1. Understand the cause of aggression. Some equines are dominant by temperament, and they can act violent at any time. ...
  2. Help the horse to relax. ...
  3. Seek professional help. ...
  4. Set some boundaries. ...
  5. Bonding is important.
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What scares horses the most?

10 common things humans do that scare and confuse horses
  1. Invasive veterinary care. ...
  2. Patting them. ...
  3. Picking up feet, hoof trimming and shoeing. ...
  4. Grooming sensitive areas. ...
  5. Pulling or clipping hairs and whiskers. ...
  6. Spraying them with chemicals such as flyspray. ...
  7. Feeding by hand or from a bucket. ...
  8. Putting them in a trailer or horse box.
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How do you get a nervous horse to trust you?

The number one trust builder is to be predictable by being consistent! Be consistent with your energy level, emotions, and how you show up around your horse. Stay consistent with your communication, always sending and receiving messages in the same way — a way that both you and your horse clearly understand.
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