# When two horses touch noses and share breath....



## iRide Ponies

When two horses touch noses and share breath, does the dominate or non dominate one pull away first?

And whats with the squeal?


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## its lbs not miles

It's a form of greating. Like most greetings it can mean something different. In this case it's depending on how each one "breathes". e.g. a hard snort sort of breath usually = a form of displeasure with the other horse. A soft, easy exchange of breath is just a friendly form. You'll probably find horses doing the same with people at times. Very often when I'm around a horse that's new to me (e.g. someone I know gets a new new horse) they might breathe in my face. My youngest will routinely come up and breathe into my face softly if I'm sitting in the pasture while my older mare seldom does it.


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## iRide Ponies

My horse also enjoys breathing softly into my nose its lbs not miles.

I have found it relaxes her when I do it, yet if I allow her to sniff the nose of another horse at pony club or on a trail she will often flatten her ears and squeal. So I don't allow her to sniff horses with another horse while under saddle or in hand.

When she behaves by lashing out at the horse whose nose she is sniffing, the other horse steps back or turns their head away. So I hypothetical that perhaps when she is touching noses in an aggressive manner, she is asserting dominance? 

But then what does it mean when me and her touch noses, and she remains quiet and soft? 

I'm just theorizing here. I've been puzzling over this for days, ha!


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## Laffeetaffee

That's why I never let two horses meet for the first time while leading them or riding one of them. It's about as dangerous as walking a dog up to a new dog and letting them meet through a chainlink fence. It almost always results in a small fight. Horses that are allowed to interact for the first time need to figure out who is boss of the other, and that's where the squealing comes from. The nose touching = "are you another horse?" And the squealing = "okay, but I'M THE BOSS!" Then they race around and throw a few small kicks and pin their ears, and then they become friends.


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## iRide Ponies

Good idea Laffeetaffee. I also realized the dangers of the practice and now flex my mares nose away when standing close to another horse.


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## DancingArabian

It really is a strange way to say hello isn't it? Imagine huffing in someone's face and going SQUEEEEE *stomp!*
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## OliviaMyee

think think think Olivia ! I think that the horse that pulls away first which lifts their head up and shows aggression (what you call dominance) by standing taller and making themselves appear stronger is trying to be more dominant.


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## existentialpony

I don't have much of an opinion, but this thread made me smile because there's a gelding at my barn, Cash, whose owner we ride with frequently, and Jax LOVES him. They have their dominance scheme worked out and are total buddies. If we're both riding in the arena and I let my guard down, Jax will mosey right up to Cash and go nose-to-nose, forehead-to-forehead with him and sit happily like that for as long as I let him!


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## QOS

I went to try out a little gaited mare one day - I wasn't going to buy her - just trying a gaited horse. We rode for about an hour and the little mare reached out to my cousin's gelding and touched him on the nose - they sniffed for a second and then she squealed like a wild woman. Elan was so affronted he did a 180 and took off. My cousin and I laughed til we nearly fell off. 

My hubby's horse Sarge always wants to put his muzzle right by my face and he sniffs in deeply...on my hair too. He is the funniest little fellow!!


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## Breezy2011

If you blow in a horses nose lightly, they will almost always blow back. I do that to my filly every once in a while, and she will put up her ears and blow back lightly. It is a way of greeting, and is not always bad.


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## iRide Ponies

Breezy, My horse also breathes back when I breathe at her. I think its a good sign, showing she accepts me.


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## Breezy2011

iride ponies, yes, I think the same as you.


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## Cherie

My 2 cents worth.

I do not think it is a dominance thing. I think it is a horse saying "Don't be mean to me. I'm not going to try to hurt you. I just want to meet you."

I think it is the behavior that replaces 'clacking' in babies. Babies 'clack' up through yearlings and some 2 year olds. [Clacking is the chewing motion while stretching their necks out when a baby is saying "Don't hurt me. I am just a baby."]

When horses greet and bow their necks tightly they are 'posturing'. I do not think you have a 'threat' or 'warning' when ears are up and horses are sniffing instead of bowing up. Horses, especially really broke horses, should never posture under saddle or in hand. They're very tense and not just sniffing when bowed up. The neck that is 'bowed up' is hard as a rock.


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## katec1991

It's just a greeting. One horse is learning the other's scent. Like my pony and his friend Caesar in the picture below. Ears are forward and noses touch. The squeal doesn't always happen, but I think it usually comes from the horse that has more tendency to be dominant. I have never heard Joe squeal and he is always near the bottom of the herd - by no means a dominant horse.


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## iRide Ponies

Good thoughts everyone. Cherie- It seems maybe me and my pony have something to work on then!


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## Skyseternalangel

What if your horse pulls away when you go to breathe/blow?


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## Dustbunny

^^^^^ Scope!!!!!

(that's a mouthwash)


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## Skyseternalangel

Dustbunny said:


> ^^^^^ Scope!!!!!
> 
> (that's a mouthwash)


****, no I'm asking seriously! Sky doesn't seem too fond of it. He's happy to do it with horses but people that try he just shifts away.


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## Dustbunny

^^^^ : )

We have two mares who don't care for the blowing in the nose thing.But the gelding...he is much more interested in the activity. Blow-sniff-blow-sniff. But what he really is looking for is a beard to scratch his nose on. So far I have disappointed him as far as the beard thing goes.


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## iRide Ponies

Sky- Perhaps he is not yet comfortable with the idea of his head being so close to your mouth? (remember, predators eat things with their mouth!) Or maybe he doesn't think that humans *do* that (by that, I mean the breath exchange thing). He may have never considred that he could greet you in this way.


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## Skyseternalangel

iRide Ponies said:


> Sky- Perhaps he is not yet comfortable with the idea of his head being so close to your mouth? (remember, predators eat things with their mouth!) Or maybe he doesn't think that humans *do* that (by that, I mean the breath exchange thing). *He may have never considred that he could greet you in this way.*


Yeah that's what I figured. Heck it took him a long time to trust people, let alone how to play with other horses. I think the bold seems on point


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## iRide Ponies

Sky- That's assuming horses do *consider* things. Or are theeir brains not wired that way? I don't know.


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## Palomine

Old way is to blow your breath into cup of hand, and let horse smell to get your scent. I do this when meeting a new horse.

As for letting a horse under saddle, or being handled from ground do any of this?

Good way to get skin peeled off shin if standing in wrong place when one strikes.

And, as food for thought? This is very bad manners to let a horse do this when they are under control of human, unless handling a horse to tease.

Horses can understand that when in new group of horses, they are to keep noses to themselves, and their mind on business.


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## TBforever

miover scratches my face with his lips when i blow in his nose and the he smiles lol


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