Why Don't horses "react" to people?

[Boo Radley]

I came across a few horses yesterday during the parade. I've always wondered why, unlike dogs and most animals, they don't react to you at all. So if you pet, touch, hug, it just stands there doing nothing, not returning back any feelings?

Since April is an expert with horses I thought I'd post and ask

[Love2save]

horses are very responsive to people, they have a lot of personality, usually parade horses are accustomed to people and crowds and they are supposed to be pretty quiet. We have and have been around horses for years and they are extremely intelligent

[MissScrooge]

[...] not returning back any feelings?

And what kind of feelings were you hoping it would return? LOL


Seriously though, they do respond to people, it's what they're trained to do.

As far as affection goes, which is more accurately the word you're looking for - I think it all depends on the horse and their training - maybe even their age. I rode a horse when I was younger and he was the happiest when he was fed and groomed. The odd time I'd get "kisses". Horses generally have a quiet sense of affection I'd say, regardless, they do acknowledge your presence.

[dwankrista]

^ What the others have said.

My pony is a VERY personality-filled critter. Cisco is more human than horse. LOL He'll give kisses by putting his lips on your cheek and wiggling, grab my sleeve when I'm leaving the barn and he wants me to stay, will have snowball fights with me where he kicks snow at me and runs away, will hide behind the barn and sneak up on me, etc. It really depends on the situation and what the horse has been trained to do. As others have said, parade horses are usually so desensitized to people they're just all, "yeah, yeah, yeah, this is swell, is it over yet?" LOL

[Duff]

I never really thought about it, horses are so beautiful.

[April07]

I came across a few horses yesterday during the parade. I've always wondered why, unlike dogs and most animals, they don't react to you at all. So if you pet, touch, hug, it just stands there doing nothing, not returning back any feelings?

Since April is an expert with horses I thought I'd post and ask

Horses in parades are desensitized to what is going on around them. It take months or even years to get a horse to that point. Most horses would be freaking about all the crowds and things going on that they are not use to.

My horses are very responsive to me and other people. Most of mine LOVE attention and my mare Gypsy who is my heart horse has actually wrapped her neck and head around me like a hug, she also will play with me not like a dog but we will chase each other and deek each other out. LOL!!! I think she learnt the hugging from me hugging her neck. All of my horses will nicker to me when I come out to see them and some even call when they see me or hubs. Most of them love the attention they get when they are groomed.

Once you get to know horses you will see they communicate with each otehr through body language and you get to know what they are comunicating to each other and you.

[Love2save]

one of my daughter's horses would stick his tongue out for you to pull it, he was hilarious, he was also very sensitive, he was a thoroughbred and it was hard to keep the weight on him and if anyone at the barn commented on him being to skinny or something he would feel insulted and get depressed- I kid you not