Do Horses Like Hugs?

My son had his friends round to our homestead the other day, and they couldn’t wait to see the horses.

They went out straight to the backyard, and I came with them just to make sure everything was safe.

They all enjoyed petting and stroking the horses, and a couple of them even went for a full hug around the neck.

I’d never really done this before as I’d guessed they wouldn’t like it, but it wasn’t actually all that clear from the horse’s reactions.

So, I decided to look into it.

So, do horses like hugs?

Horses are highly social animals that can form deep bonds with human companions, and this extends to physical affection as well. A hug around the horse’s neck may be very welcome for the horse! However, all individuals are different, and you should carefully note how your horse reacts to hugs.

So, the simple answer is yes.

However, you still need to be very careful and considerate of the horse’s behavior, and don’t hug it if it seems to make the horse uncomfortable.

There are things your horse might be inclined to do that you wouldn’t like—such as licking your face!

So, just note carefully your horse’s response to behaviors.

Let’s look at this question in more detail.

Is it OK to hug a horse?

For the most part, yes. You must, however, be very careful and mindful of your horse’s response when you do hug it.

There’s certainly nothing wrong with having a deep bond with your horse, and in fact this is what you want.

However, horses don’t think like we do.

They don’t have the same implicit understanding and appreciation for what a hug is supposed to express.

They do, most importantly, have an understanding of physical affection and intimacy.

Think about how they relate to other horses, and how you’ve seen your horses interacting with one another.

There is a lot of closeness and sharing body space.

So, give your horse a light hug by placing your arm gently around its neck, and perhaps resting your face on its neck.

See how it responds; if it appears uncomfortable or seems startled, give it a lot of space.

After giving it some space, very slowly and gently try again.

If the horse is still not receptive, then it must not like hugs and you would be best not to try again.

Find another way to express physical intimacy.

Do horses show affection?

Horses certainly do show affection, and they do so in many different ways.

One of the big ways we express affection is through gestures with our arms, including hugs.

Horses, I’m sure you’re aware, do not have arms, and so they must make use of other means.

One way they like to express affection is using their mouth.

Horses have very expressive faces, and they’re able to communicate a lot just by how they position their lips or bare their teeth.

When horses have soft eyes and their ears are up, this use of the mouth (when it makes contact with us) is a show of affection.

They will also do the same thing with other horses, often appearing to groom them with their mouths.

They may even rest their heads on your shoulders, and close their eyes.

This is about as close to a horse giving you a hug as you can expect, and it certainly feels very affectionate.

They will do the same thing with one another, resting their heads together.

As I said, horses are highly social animals, and being able to form these deep bonds is absolutely essential their wellbeing and even survival in the wild.

Without these complex bonds, herds would be much less in tune with one another.

But what about how they relate to us?

Do horses love their owners?

Horses need other members of their own species around to be happy, but that doesn’t mean they don’t form equally strong bonds with the humans around them.

Being able to form a bond with a horse is really essential to keeping that horse.

Whether you’re riding it or not, they will learn to know you, and if you treat it properly, they will begin to ‘love’ you, in the sense of having a deep affection for you.

Indeed, it may only be at this point that your horse allows you to hug it.

They may wince at a hug before you have formed a bond, but once that bond is made, they may allow you to get closer to them.

Hugs are a very important expression of affection for humans, then, and it’s easy to understand why that can translate well to horses sometimes and not so well other times.

Horses are all different, and they will have different individual quirks about how they express themselves.

Just think of your horse like another person, and carefully mind their reactions to things.

Don’t go hugging it excessively if it doesn’t seem to like it.