MAYBE…MAYBE NOT…
Touch is important to horses. It’s also important to people. But how horses and people interpret touch are two different things.
Horses touch to groom each other. They nudge each other if another horse is in their space. They use their sense of touch to navigate their environment. Horses show affection to their person by nuzzles or breathing close by.
In general, most horses do like to be touched; however, not every horse experiences touch the same way or wants to be touched all the time.
Some horses like to be touched on the neck, shoulder, hip, or the chest; others enjoy having their heads and ears rubbed. Some horses like baths and being scrubbed and rinsed.
Touch is also is a major part of humans interactions with horses, such as grooming, haltering, walking, riding, checking legs, massage, and picking up feet.
The reality is that horses really don’t “need” to be touched. Humans sometimes touch too much; our needs seems to be higher to touch horses than horses needing to be touched by us.
What’s important about humans and horses is that we do need to be in tune with how we touch, and how the touch is being received. If we are thinking about someone or if we are distracted, the act of being present with the horse will be missed. I’m sure you know this to be true about people in your life, as well as with yourself. Some people are huggers and others don’t even like to shake hands. Some are comfortable with casual touch and others don’t want to be anywhere near another person.
So to answer the question, “Do horses like to be touched?” The answer is, “It depends.”
With Brayleigh, she likes to be touched. She loves to have her mane combed. She doesn’t always like to have her feet picked up, nor does she always enjoy her head being touched.
A horse will tell you when they want to touch. A horse will tell you when to stop, too. A horse will also tell you when to slow down to give them time to want to be touched.