A lot of horse trainers with really good feel for the horse say that horses do better with a stroke , rather than a pat. It is NOT a crime and I think that if the horse is used to it, i am sure he will know that this is "good boy". But a hard , smacking pat, is probably not as pleasant to a horse. The woman could have said all this without comimg off so bruskly.

NOt a regional thing, btw.

 

I have always pet horses like that....and my dog LOVES it, seriously the harder the better and she'll start wagging her tail and playing or lean into you wanting more pats. But that's off topic.

I don't see a problem with a good pat and I've never seen a horse upset by a nice pat on the shoulder or neck. Maybe im crazy tho...
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I dont think it's patting horses=slapping a person, to me it is more like
patting horses=patting a person on the back. Like saying 'good job'.

 

I have never heard of that....

I always thought of patting a horse like saying good job and thank you. Some poepl beleive that stroking a horse would be better though. It's a personal preferance maybe?

There is nothing saying patting a horse is bad.

 

I've heard that before, but don't really believe it. Although i have delt with horses that if you just ever so slightly patted their neck they'd get a fright and panic a little. However i put that down to the fact that those horses weren't handled at all until they were the age of 5.
My horse doesn't seem to mind it, i mean it's not like i'm full on slapping her with all the force i have, and as others have mentioned it's kinda like a pat on the back kinda thing.

 

I...I used to squirt down my horses with cool water to cool them off in the hot summer, until I read on this forum that is a mistake, because the water ends up heating up on them and feeling like a warm soggy blanket. That made sense to me, and I feel like "Duh...can't believe I used to do that!" It's fine if you scrape the water off after hosing them off - it colls them down faster - as long as they're not too hot (breathing VERY heavily) before you hose them down.

... On his neck, kind of "pat pat pat." Not hard, but yeah, you could hear my hand make contact. I have done this all my life, especially from the saddle at the end of the ride, kind of a like a "good job" pat. ...
.... I just kind of said, "Oh, hmm, I have never heard that." I told her to have a nice day and left.

Sooooo, anyone out there agree with her? Is this a regional thing...maybe breed specific? Was she a nutjob?

She was totally off base unless the horse was shying away from the contact. Suggest you just stay away from her.

 

Suggest you just stay away from her.

In other words - stay away from anyone who has a different opinion?

Really?

I've heard the pat vs stroke argument many, many times. Think about it. How are are they bit or kicked in turnout by their equine buddies? I am sure they FEEL a pat more than the tickle of a stroke.

 

I've always, from the time I was a kid first being around horses, instinctively felt that people should quit slapping their necks to say, "Good horse!"

Yet, in the 50's & 60's, I hardly saw anyone NOT doing it (although I wasn't spending time with people who don't slap, like the Dorrance brothers). So, I just kept it to myself & always stroked my own horse.

35 years later, I read in Parelli's book that "horses don't like the neck-slapping".

Whether a dog or a human likes it is irrelevant: what's the horse's preference?

I'm sorry if the woman was brusque with you, but it's good that you didn't argue, imo. Perhaps you'll look back on this issue the same way that you now look back on hosing a hot horse with cool water.

 

I've always, from the time I was a kid first being around horses, instinctively felt that people should quit slapping their necks to say, "Good horse!"

Yet, in the 50's & 60's, I hardly saw anyone NOT doing it (although I wasn't spending time with people who don't slap, like the Dorrance brothers). So, I just kept it to myself & always stroked my own horse.

35 years later, I read in Parelli's book that "horses don't like the neck-slapping".

Whether a dog or a human likes it is irrelevant: what's the horse's preference?

I'm sorry if the woman was brusque with you, but it's good that you didn't argue, imo. Perhaps you'll look back on this issue the same way that you now look back on hosing a hot horse with cool water.

Good post and you do not see horses patting each other, they nuzzle and nibble the wither area

 

Okay, I am certainly not an expert, but this is how it was explained to me...

1) A horse's skin is sooo sensitive as to feel the most minute insect alight upon them, imagine what a light pat of our hand might really actually feel like to them then?

2) Yes, horses are all individuals, and what bothers one may not another.
Yes, it is also what they may or may not have become accustomed to in their life.

3) Dogs are a Predator, Horses are Prey.
They look at things in completely different ways as far as how they are "handled" physically, and how their minds look at things.
You have to remember that horses are a flight animal, and patting is actually looked at by them as a predatory action. Yes, seriously.

I find my own horses personally prefer a nice affectionate, loving stroke as apposed to being patted.
I see other horses who are completely used to a "good job" pat as well. (I am going to ad, they are USED to it, may not mean they actually LIKE it)

So in the end, I think it really comes down to your own personal preference, and what you and your horse(s) are accustomed to.
No, it is not a crime, just keep it in the back of your head that some owners will not appreciate you patting on their horse, and others won't give it a second thought....:wink:

Just my two cents.

 

Okay, I am certainly not an expert, but this is how it was explained to me...

1) A horse's skin is sooo sensitive as to feel the most minute insect alight upon them, imagine what a light pat of our hand might really actually feel like to them then?

2) Yes, horses are all individuals, and what bothers one may not another.
Yes, it is also what they may or may not have become accustomed to in their life.

3) Dogs are a Predator, Horses are Prey.
They look at things in completely different ways as far as how they are "handled" physically, and how their minds look at things.
You have to remember that horses are a flight animal, and patting is actually looked at by them as a predatory action. Yes, seriously.

I find my own horses personally prefer a nice affectionate, loving stroke as apposed to being patted.
I see other horses who are completely used to a "good job" pat as well. (I am going to ad, they are USED to it, may not mean they actually LIKE it)

So in the end, I think it really comes down to your own personal preference, and what you and your horse(s) are accustomed to.
No, it is not a crime, just keep it in the back of your head that some owners will not appreciate you patting on their horse, and others won't give it a second thought....:wink:

Just my two cents.

This make ALOT of sense! Nicly put!

 

No, the vast majority of horses do not like patting, and find it intimidating. I wouldn't quite say it's equivalent to slapping, but it's not much better. Stroking/rubbing is soothing....patting is stressful. Temple Grandin agrees.

 

No one knows what it really feels like. That's all personal opinion. And honestly she really shouldn't act like she knows it all when really, she has no idea. I pat my horse while training. I pet him mostly though, only because I like to. If you were patting his nose or something then yeah I could see why she would say that, but a friendly pat on the neck is harmless. I think she probably just lays in bed and thinks about this kind of crap. "Man now that I think about it, I wouldn't want someone smacking me like that!"

 

I don't pat my horse very hard though. Probably less hard than most. I like to pet him him mostly and feel his soft fur

 

^^ Yes, but my horses are buddies, and are both full of bite marks from the nibbling/playing. They will stand at eachothers' shoulder, taking turns chomping, when they are not snoozing, lol.
So patting doesn't hurt them, worst case I would think it would be annoying. Of course, we are talking about sane, handled horses who are used to it.

 

I agree stroking is preferred. I had a horse would go into attack mode at even the lightest pat (as I told the vet, who forgot, and "Good Girl"-- pat pat--- got him two hooves and a set of teeth almost in his face.:shock

But horses can learn to tolerate, and even get to like this sign of approval. I taught my horse it was a good thing (it took a loooong time). For safety, every horse should be taught not to react to it. Patting comes naturally to a lot of us humans.

 

When I started learning about natural horsmanship from a friend of mine, he corrected me when I patted his horse, stating what everyone else has been saying: about the horse being extremely sensitive.

I was told to stroke the horse instead, but I don't know what to believe. Human skin is sensitive too (maybe not AS sensitive as horses) and I guess I find someone patting me to be less pleasant than a stroke.

When someone comes up and pats me on the shoulder, I find it feels more threatening and kind of disheveling than any other form of touch, so maybe that's how a horse sees it. I could be completely wrong of course, as this is just my thoughts on the subject.

 

One of my horses enjoys patting. The harder the better. In fact I would go so far as to say he enjoys being slapped on the neck. But then he is a massive, bold, thick skinned carriage horse who loves nothing more than being scrubbed with a metal curry comb. (and I mean scrubbed, it would take the skin off you if you did it to a human. He has the hide of a rhinocerous)

My more hotblooded horses don't enjoy it so much. If their adrenaline is going, for example riding to hounds, across country or jumping a track, they seem to like it as they are fired up and take it as encouragement. During more relaxed rides though they would be very adverse to hard patting, and would probably leap out of their skin. (I have some pretty pathetic horses.) Stroking however means nothing to them, they wouldn't even flick an ear if I stroked them. So they get a rub on the shoulder or neck or I scratch their mane, which they love.

I think the form a reward takes depends on both the situation and the horse, although most will understand that a pat means 'well done'. Remember that horses bite each other out of affection. Their skin is about four times the thickness of ours, and they have a layer of hair, so it is silly to compare them to humans in that respect

 

I think it's better to rub a horse than pat it. I don't particularly like someone patting me on the back or shoulder but that's irrelevent. A horse has nothing like that in it's relatinships with other horses so I don't think it communicates what it is meant to very effectively. However, I think that most horsemen have much more important things to work on than how to pet thier horse. If you really want to tell your horse "good boy" then release pressure when he does what you ask. Don't nag at him. Don't treat him like a human child. Respect his body while you are on his back (don't wiggle and screw around up there). See things from his point of view and engage YOUR brain before you ask the horse to engage his.

 

Also, re the hot horse and cold water.

Yes, the water forms a layer over the skin, and this layer heats up. Same as with humans.

However, a horse left to cool by himself will need a much longer recovery period than a horse that is cold hosed. The quicker a horse is returned to resting temperature, the quicker he will recover from rigorous excercise, and so less strain is put on his system.

HOWEVER, you should either use your hand or a sweat scraper to remove as much water as possible, and then hose the horse again, or use a continuous stream of cold water on him until he has returned to his normal temperature, heart rate etc, and then use the sweat scraper to remove the water. This is generally accepted, and is a process used on eventers, polo ponies and racehorses after they have run. These animals are worth £100,000+, so I'm pretty sure their handlers will use whichever method is most beneficial to the horse.

 

I've always done the "pat pat pat" thing my whole like as well. You could SMACK a horse and it will hurt you worse then it will hurt them. So I highly disagree that Patting a horse=Smacking a person

For example. I was trying to get my horse in the trailer, she was being stubborn. The vet tech came out and started smacking her rearend making it her choice to get in. Didn't look like it hurt her, just made her uncomfortable. Then came the next time I had to get her in the trailer, I started doing what the vet tech was doing and god that hurts me more then anything! So yeah, patting is a "Good job thing"

 

The mare I sold in December disliked being petted. She would look annoyed and move away if able. So I decided to go with rubs instead of pets for all 3 horses I own. However, the other two don't act annoyed, and horses are smart enough to pick up in time on human intentions.

It would have been nicer of the woman to simply say, "Would you mind not patting him? He sometimes gets annoyed with pats." That would have covered things without putting you on the defensive.

 

Yep, that lady was right on. Horses prefer strokes rather that pats. Their mothers stroke them and that is what they are used to. You don't see horses going around patting each other. LOL LOL

 

I think this is one of those things where everyone has a different opinion.

Mine is that I think most horses know what a well deserved pat means. My gelding seems to get a little more pep in his step when he's done something and I give him a good "rub-thump" on his shoulder or neck. My filly leans right into them

I think they are built entirely to durable to be bothered by a pat. They stand a swoosh their tails in each others faces. I have gotten a resounding face slap by a tail a few times and by my standards it wasn't at all pleasant

 

I think this is one of those things where everyone has a different opinion.

Agreed, and add to the mix that different horses prefer different things. My first horse hated having his forehead rubbed; he wasn't nasty about it if someone tried, he'd just walk away if he could and act sulky. Scout thrives on being vigorously rubbed right between his eyes. Every horse is an individual.

I do give "atta boy" pats, particularly as we wind up the hard work phase of a workout and start cooling down. Scout has never objected to it. Other horses I know prefer a rub or light scratching on the withers instead of a pat - I try to figure out what the specific horse prefers, and go with that. As far as just greeting/bonding in the stall or cross ties, etc., I tend to go for scratching/rubbing under the mane or around the bridle path; that seems to be a popular sweet spot.

I do disagree that patting horses = slapping people. Within reason, I expect most negative reactions from horses are expressions of a preference not to be patted, or confusion if they aren't used to it. Not pain or fear.

 

I always give my mare a good pat after I am done working with her. And if I keep my hand there, she'll rub against it. She actually looks forward to me patting her, if I don't she acts like she's in trouble. I think it is all the horse. If the horse is timid and fearful of people, like Mum's gelding, they don't like to be patted (he certainly doesn't!) But if a horse trusts people, and is used to yelling kids, barking dogs, (pretty much the usual barn noises) then a nice little pat on the neck shouldn't scare them.

 

Horses don't consciously shoo flies off their skin. Its a nerve reaction, same as a dogs ears twitch being tickled, it's not because their skin is "that" sensitive, if it was, how could they possibly enjoy mutual grooming?

I'm guessing none of you who said horses don't enjoy pats have heard of "strapping" I have done it to Caleb several times but I stopped doing it. I think I'll start again as he never seemed to have an issue with it and he could use it's benefits.

 

I strap all of mine every day.

Stan used to turn into goo when he was strapped.

 

I pat all my horses all the time, especially my customer horses from their neck down their shoulder, on their rump and anywhere else I can reach from the saddle. I use it as a training tool. Patting a horse is a very common thing and I wouldn't want to send a horse home that freaked out when it's owner went to give it a light pat on the neck. Whether they like it or not? That's for them to say, the only horses I have that don't like being patted are Pokey and this brown mare I'm training, but neither of them like being touched at all so.....