When a horse cocks his leg, he rests the leading edge of the hoof on the ground and drops his hip. When combined with a lowered head or ears hanging to the side, this is the sign of a horse who is relaxed and resting. You may see him occasionally shift his weight, uncocking that back leg and cocking the other one.
Not only can horses understand the various moods and facial expressions of humans, but they can also communicate their own emotions. While they often talk with their ears and eyes, they show feelings through snorts and whinnies. In general, snorts mean horses are happy or feel at peace.
Rearing and pawing
It may look as though your horse is fighting, but rearing up with his front legs at another horse or pawing the ground are often signs he's enjoying himself. Horses generally won't play with each other unless they're happy.
If a horse is grazing in a field and they come towards you when you are around you can be sure they like you. Horses that follow your movements in their presence show they are focused on and give you 100% of their attention. If your horse follows you around when they see you, they consider you as a friend.
In the wild, as well as in domestic care, horses will show affection to one another by sharing breath with one another. Horses will put their noses together and then share the air. This tendency extends to horses showing love to their owners as well.
Horses use body language to communicate with humans (and other horses), and one of the ways they do this is through touch. Nudging is a way for a horse to get your attention, which can signify affection or impatience.
You might think it strange or scary but the horse may be trying to say hello to you. When two horses meet each other for the first time, they usually stand nose to nose breathing into each others nostrils. Some (not all) horses try to do this with humans.
When a horse rests their head on you, it's a sign of trust. They feel comfortable around you and like you enough to rest their head on you. When a horse rests its head on you, it's a way for them to bond with you and show their affection. They are letting you know they enjoy being in your presence.
Horses don't think like we do—especially when it comes to bonding and showing affection. Human affection behaviors—such as kissing on the lips—don't hold the same meaning for horses. We humans are drawn to the head of the horse, especially that sweet, velvety-soft muzzle.
Horses read humans in various ways, such as through our body posture, facial expressions, and attentiveness. Small actions such as a happy facial expression when approaching the horse can allow for a positive experience with the horse.
Blinking – one blink per 10 seconds can mean: “I'm fine”. STRESS LEVEL IS GROWING: The upper eyelid is getting a triangle/diamond-like shape. The higher the stress level, the more wrinkles you can see above your horse's upper eyelid. Blinking – one blink per one second can mean: “please don't hurt me”.
The length of a horse from nose to tail. Used to describe the distance between horses in a race. Equal to 0.17 seconds. Let down: A jockey is said to let down his horse in the final stages of a race when asking it for its final effort.
Some horses enjoy having their heads and ears rubbed. Horses often groom each other on the whither, so this would be a good place to try too.
Horses can read human emotions, too, often in uncannily accurate ways; alerting us to our sadness or nervousness, sometimes before we've even consciously registered it.
Horses not only remember people who have treated them well, they also understand words better than expected, research shows. Human friends may come and go, but a horse could be one of your most loyal, long-term buddies if you treat it right, suggests a new study.
Another good spot is the back and the cheeks and forehead. 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.
For one, when you work with a horse, it's advisable to look him in the eye a lot. Why? Because horse's an extremely observant animal and they study their surroundings. If you're in their surroundings they are studying you too.
Horses can read human facial expressions and remember a person's mood, a study has shown. The animals respond more positively to people they have previously seen smiling and are wary of those they recall frowning, scientists found.
Horses are generally very sensitive on their heads, so it's best to start petting them on their neck. The neck, withers and shoulders are the best places to pet a horse. Horses enjoy being stroked and scratched in these areas.
Horses aren't just for humans to show one another affection. Did you know that horses hug too? Just make sure that you're on the horse's good side before hugging them, and remember that if they start licking you or breathing on you it is often because they appreciate your company.