# How do you deal with your horse rubbing their head on you?



## dejavuchicka (Feb 27, 2012)

It seems some people think its a sign of affection while others think its a sign of disrespect. I'm leaning more toward a sign of disrespect, and I want to get her to stop, but I don't want to hit her on the head being as she is already pretty head shy. And thats another thing, I don't want to punish her when she gets her face close to me, since she already has problems with it. 

How do you deal with head rubbing? Is there a fine line between affection and dominance, or is it completely unacceptable? I know she is itchy as well, so I don't want to completely ignore the fact that she's itchy.  Thank youuu


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## ~*~anebel~*~ (Aug 21, 2008)

My horse gets a sweaty, itchy head after rides.
He waits to be untacked and unbridled and for me to get his rubber scratchy mitt on my hand before he starts itching.
He dis not rub in his bridle, on his leg, or on me, walls are OK when his bridle is off.

You just have to tell her what is acceptable and what isn't. You don't have to hit her, she just gets to smack into your elbow, or your fist, or if you really need it, a hoofpick, when she tries to rub on you. Back it up with a verbal "Uh-uh" or something, and maybe a touch on her neck or shoulder. Then eventually a touch and a verbal commend will get her to stop scratching. 
I also find it useful to provide an acceptable rubbing surface, a bar, or a wall or in my horse's case his rubber mitt (which he loves lol). So that you can direct their scratches in a positive way instead of saying - no scratching ever, which can be hard to enforce because you will have to be constantly correcting them.

Good luck!


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## Remy410 (Nov 7, 2011)

I was told by my trainer it was disrespectful. Really it doesn't bother me, but in the interest of instilling proper manners I give a "No, sir" and push Remy's nose away.


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## bsms (Dec 31, 2010)

When we got back from riding this morning, my mare rubbed her head against my shoulder. I just gave her head a shove with my forearm, because I don't want her rubbing against me just whenever.

However, I then gave her a quick rub with my hand, and then held my hand firm while she rubbed her face, nose & one ear against it. She was itchy and wanted a rub, but we'll do rubs on my terms. I'll hold my hand up as long as she needs, but we're not going to have her noggin rubbing against my shoulder anytime she wants. She is too strong, and I can imagine bad things coming from it...


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## ~*~anebel~*~ (Aug 21, 2008)

bsms said:


> When we got back from riding this morning, my mare rubbed her head against my shoulder. I just gave her head a shove with my forearm, because I don't want her rubbing against me just whenever.
> 
> However, I then gave her a quick rub with my hand, and then held my hand firm while she rubbed her face, nose & one ear against it. She was itchy and wanted a rub, but we'll do rubs on my terms. I'll hold my hand up as long as she needs, but we're not going to have her noggin rubbing against my shoulder anytime she wants. She is too strong, and I can imagine bad things coming from it...



My favorite story is the lady that got strung up by her bra strap in the horse's curb chain when she let the horse rub his head on her -snickers-


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## QHriderKE (Aug 3, 2011)

I'm not a fencepost  I tend to just push them away and then offer a scratch where they're itchy on the face. I just don't like it when they go to rub and push you around, so I push back!


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## Amlalriiee (Feb 22, 2010)

My mare was headshy too, and I understand not wanting to scare them off. However, it IS disrespectful, and dangerous. (What would happen if they bumped into an elderly person, young child, or someone physically disabled in that manner???) If your horse is sensitive, a harsh NO or BACK OFF might work just fine. With my mare, I combined that with a strong push away in place of a slap, since she had issues being headshy as well. With her she stopped being headshy after I had her long enough to build up some trust. I make her wait and don't let her rub on me. When she is backed off and being respectful, I scratch her allllll over and tell her what a good girl she is. Once I have all her gear off and have my hands on her, she's allowed to lean into my hands and rub in whatever direction she's itchy in. The second she tries to rub on my body, we're done. She's pretty patient and well-behaved with it now.


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## Joe4d (Sep 1, 2011)

you need to teach her to respect your space, I use a hand wave side to side parallel t the ground under their face as a reminder. But that is level one after training them to back up with a crop first. basically just waving it and my hand and walk towards them, If they dont back up they get told "BACK" and smacked in the chest with the crop. Then u rub them a bit with the crop. Basically wave wave "BACK" smack. Pretty soon they will get just the wave. COmes in handy at feeding time,


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## Palomine (Oct 30, 2010)

I teach horse to back by running hand down face, while using command to back, and that is what is used in fields, paddocks or stalls. That also is used to get horse to step away from me as needed.

I don't allow rubbing like this, as it can throw you off balance, and is bad manners on horse's part too.


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## Jessabel (Mar 19, 2009)

I always let Victor rub on me after I take his bridle off. It's kind of a ritual for us. He never does it unless I allow him to, though. In his case, I don't see it as disrespect or affection. He's just itchy. 

I wouldn't do that with a disrespectful horse. If you don't want your horse to do it, give her a smack on the neck and tell her no. Maybe scratch her with a curry comb instead.


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## HarleyWood (Oct 14, 2011)

i teach my horses that when i touch the point of their shoulder/chest to back up. or when i start to move back and they will back with me, and if i move to their hip they will pivoit with me and if i touch their hip they stop turning. i will flick their nose if they try to nibble, rub, bite at me. my little 3 year old paint was very head shy i still did this and he started to come close to me and more of a personal horse.


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## Joidigm (May 8, 2012)

A horse cannot rub on me. They're getting an elbow to the face. I'll put my hand out and let them scratch against my nails, but that is on my terms.

It is a dominance thing. Make him back off. Slap his cheek, flick his nose with the crop, use an elbow or forearm to push or shove him away. Make him move on your terms. Give him affection on your terms. Not the other way around. If he wants to touch you, without your permission, you are giving him dominance over you. There is also the issue of the pressure and weight against your torso, forcing your to move your feet. Him making you move your feet is a sign that he is dominant over you as well.

You see it when two horses are together. The submissive horse tries to touch the face of the dominant horse, and the dominant horse moves his head away, but does not move his feet. Then he may or may not come back and force the submissive horse away, making the submissive horse move his feet. It is giving control of the head and giving ground to the dominant horse. These are things practiced in horse and rider relationships as well, although not always obvious.


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## waresbear (Jun 18, 2011)

It is a sign of disrespect and all it takes is one poke with your finger in the fleshy part of the face, between the jaw & mouth.


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## Sharpie (May 24, 2009)

I make the 'no' noise, and run at his shoulder and run him down to the other side of the stall if he doesn't immediately get out of my space.

I do however, rub on his face, hug his face, stick my fingers in his nose, rub around his ears and 'force' cookies into the side of his mouth on a regular basis. He loves all of that. He just knows that all he's allowed to do is stand quietly and hopefully with his head nearby but NOT touching me when he'd like some of it.


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## dejavuchicka (Feb 27, 2012)

Thank you guys!! I'll try some of these techniques and hopefully it will work fabulously  I'll update when I see progress!


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## Faceman (Nov 29, 2007)

It depends on the reason for the behavior. There are several reasons for that behavior to manifest itself. I have no problem with a gentle nudge or rub if it is to get attention or get scrateched - that is absolutely not a "sign of dominance". But a shove with the head is a different matter, and I don't permit that.

As with many horse behaviors, there is not just one reason for the behavior. If you fail to stop the behavior if it is for the wrong reason, that is a mistake, but if you fail to acknowledge the behavior if it is for the right reasons, that is a mistake too. And no offense, but an elbow to the face is never a proper correction unless you are in danger...if you must throw an elbow, throwing it to the neck, shoulder, or ribs, is just as effective and far more prudent. Corrections to the head just condition a horse to become head shy or to become a head jerker...


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## Just Me (Jun 14, 2012)

My mare never does it, I scratch her all over before she even tries; the gelding, yeah, so we keep a brush around after dismounting, and let him scratch against it and then we help, all over the head, ears, everything, until he stops, then he just stops, permanently, doesn't try to rub anymore, was just scratchy. 

He's not allowed to rub on us if he has no reason to be scratchy  And he's still not allowed to rub on us even if he is...scratch on the brush, not us. We'd rather we control the scratching sessions because heaven only knows what he'll try to scratch on if we don't do it for him before turning him back into pasture.
He'll end up with something stuck in his head or eye.


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## farley (May 23, 2010)

I never scratch my kids while they are haltered or bridle, just because I like it when they stand quietly while I am at their side. It just drives me nuts to see a horse rub and bump its handler. 
When teaching a horse not to rub, it strickly depends on the horse. I would never hit a sensitive horse, because if they started to rub and catch themselves, or if you moved in a way that would make them believe they did something wrong, they could jerk their head away and that could cause problems not to mention possible injury to the handler. Instead, I would jerk the lead, ask them to back, or shout at them just before they touchted you. However, if its a tough horse I would elbow them in the face, gentely back hand their nose, or slap thier neck. 

Good Luck!!!


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