Kissing a horse can be safe with your own trusted horse if done carefully (e's not above their nose), but carries risks like disease transmission (MRSA, influenza), bites, or accidental injury if the horse spooks or moves suddenly, as horses can carry germs from rolling in dirt or from flies; petting and gentle talking are often better ways to show affection and build bonds without the health/safety risks.
Comments Section The normal greeting among horses that are friends/herdmates is called ``sharing breath''. It's breathing deeply nose to nose. Kissing is a close enough human equivalent. Not accepting the compliment gracefully can confuse a horse or give them idea that you are rejecting them.
Some love it and will go as far as shoving their face at you for kisses, others tolerate it, some don't like it. It depends on the horse.
Not necessarily. Kissing spine on X-ray alone isn't a deal breaker. Many top performance horses have mild cases and never show signs of soreness in this area.
The "3 Fs for horses" stand for Friends, Forage, and Freedom, a widely recognized concept in equine welfare emphasizing natural social interaction (friends), continuous access to fiber-rich food (forage), and ample space for movement and choice (freedom) to ensure a horse's physical and mental well-being. These pillars address core needs, preventing behavioral issues often rooted in confinement and unnatural feeding, promoting happier, healthier horses.
The "20% rule" for horses is a guideline stating the total weight of rider and equipment should not exceed 20% of the horse's body weight for welfare and performance, though many experts suggest a more conservative 10-15% is better for long-term health, with factors like horse build, fitness, rider skill, and activity intensity also crucial. It's a widely cited standard from sources like old Cavalry Manuals, but modern consensus leans towards it being a starting point, not a strict rule, requiring observation of the horse's comfort and fitness.
Here's a quick summary of the top indicators of happiness in horses:
Red flag: An ill-groomed, poorly kept horse that hangs his head, seems depressed, turns tail, and ignores you. As you inspect the environment and greet the horse, ask the seller the following key questions.
Kissing spine is a major issue in horses and needs to be understood and managed. Once a diagnosis has been achieved through your Vet, then in the majority of cases your horse will still be able to be ridden but there are some vital issues that need to be addressed.
If your veterinarian diagnoses kissing spines as a cause of poor performance in your horse, he or she may recommend treatments including systemic non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), mesotherapy, local injections of corticosteroids, and/or extracorporeal shock wave therapy (ESWT).
5 Ways Your Horse Is Saying “I Love You!”
The "Three Second Rule" in horse training means you must reward or release pressure within about three seconds of a desired behavior for the horse to connect the action with the outcome, because their short memory span makes delayed rewards ineffective. This rule applies to both positive reinforcement (like giving a treat or praise) and negative reinforcement (releasing rein tension), ensuring clear communication and building trust by capitalizing on the horse's "in-the-moment" focus.
In fact, apparent homosexual individuals are known from all of the traditional domestic species, from sheep, cattle and horses to cats, dogs and budgerigars.
The "1-2-3 Rule" for horses is a critical guideline for monitoring a newborn foal and mare: the foal should stand within 1 hour, nurse within 2 hours, and the mare should pass the placenta (afterbirth) within 3 hours of birth; any delay in these milestones requires an immediate call to a veterinarian to ensure the health of both animals.
Giving your horse a quick kiss on the muzzle can reveal important information about his health.
Generally speaking, mating is not painful for female horses. This is due in part to the fact that the mare will not typically allow the stallion to mount unless she is in the right stage of her heat cycle and ready to mate.
Horses of any breed can be affected, but thoroughbreds and warmblood-type breeds tend to be overrepresented. The cause of kissing spines is unknown, however training, muscle strength, saddle fit, and genetic factors are all hypothesized, and most likely there are a variety of factors at play in its development.
As I suggested in our first post, horses hollow their backs in response to saddles that create pain. This is the principal cause of Kissing Spine. Trying to recover a horse from this condition by riding in such a saddle makes no sense.
The "20% rule" for horses is a guideline stating the total weight of rider and equipment should not exceed 20% of the horse's body weight for welfare and performance, though many experts suggest a more conservative 10-15% is better for long-term health, with factors like horse build, fitness, rider skill, and activity intensity also crucial. It's a widely cited standard from sources like old Cavalry Manuals, but modern consensus leans towards it being a starting point, not a strict rule, requiring observation of the horse's comfort and fitness.
Flogging a dead horse (or beating a dead horse in American English) is an idiom meaning that a particular effort is futile.
Absolutely without a doubt! We have many horses here in training and they can pick up on the tone of voice very quickly… OP, continue to talk to your horses and always praise them verbally. They definitely enjoy it and respond.
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.
It's usually an attempt to show dominance. A horse really should never get away with pushing on you or at you. Tony Loya yes scratching their heads on you is a disrespectful behavior. If they tried doing that to a dominant horse in the pasture they'd get their butts whooped.