People with horses...

[Doberluv]

Brisa would kind of nuzzle in close. I don't know if you'd call it a hug. Here in this picture, she looks like she's kissing Andrew. She was a very affectionate horse...totally loved people. She was the one whose mother got struck by lightening when she was just 2 weeks old, so was a bottle fed baby.

[Miakoda]

Raja, my Arab, will get as close as possible and put his head/neck over my shoulder. On several occasions, he's proceeds to take a nap with me holding him up. o_O Raja is very affectionate with me, but NOT with anyone else. We truly have a bond that's unexplainable in words.

Bullseye doesn't get that close, but he'll stand right in front of me so I can rub his muzzle and chin with my fingertips. He loves that.

With all that said, I only allow Raja to do it because he knows and respects boundaries. We have it worked out between us. But with many horses, it's a rude behavior used to show you the horse has little respect for you.

[Romy]

Oh wow Dober, that is so random with the lightning. Poor mom and baby horse. I'm glad you were able to help her out.

It's really interesting to hear who does and doesn't do it. Mia, do the disrespectful horses do it to anybody or just to people they don't have boundaries around? Rocky only started doing it to me after I cleaned some really caked in mud out of his hooves one time. lol. My cousin was jealous because he's always grooming Rocky and the horse always acted indifferent, unless he climbed on Rocky's back.

Rocky was so passive aggressive with my cousin. He'd hold his breath while getting saddled up and then wait until my cousin was on his back, let it all out at once and watch him slide off sideways. That and "accidentally" bump his leg into the electric fence. He was the only horse I felt safe riding though, because he'd never try that crap on me and never spooked ever.

[Barbara!]

The Fresian I used to look after would do that. She would get a little testy if I didn't let her.

[Maliraptor]

Valor likes to hug, which I admit made me very nervous when I first got him (since he is a stallion). He doesn't do it as the others here describe, he just bows down his head and lightly presses his forehead into your chest. He likes the scratches he gets.

Arriva will stop and rest her head in the crook of your arm, and sigh.

I love my Lipizzans.

[sillysally]

My STB gelding did that- it was adorable. The first full sized horse I ever rode was an Arab called Horizon. He was fantastic--I was able to trail ride on him by myself at 5 years old

[Shai]

Several of the Arabians and NSHs I used to work with hugged like that.

[Doberluv]

Well, they do that to each other in affection; nuzzle, wrap their necks around each other's necks, nibble on the other's withers, rub their faces on each other. My two Arabian mares were half sisters and were raised together from birth...were crazy about each other. Those things aren't disrespect imo. They're affection. If a horse is too rough or pushes on you, it can be dangerous. But I don't think it's disrespect. It's just something that needs to be taught...if a horse doesn't know his own strength. My Arabians were so smart about that kind of thing. (as opposed to a horse I had growing up) They would race up to see me when I came into the pasture and stop just before running into me. It looked like they might, but they always avoided me...either by dashing off to the side or stopping, bounce, bounce, bounce. Then I'd give them a pat and a carrot and tell them, "go play!" they would turn with lots of spirit, but not run until they were about 15 or 20 feet away from me....as if they knew they could hurt me if they charged away right close. Then they'd run and buck and be all silly. They were super spirited, but very gentle and loving and smart about people. It's in their genes. Those Arabian people really, really loved their horses and treated them like we do our dogs.

[-bogart-]

This thread makes me want horse snuggles.

[Cali Mae]

Major likes to walk with his head nuzzled up to my arm or side, although I've always been taught that it's a sign of disrespect.. even though I like to think it's love, haha.