Head Shy

You probably noticed that most interactions between a horse and her guardian begin with touching the horse’s head. Interactions begin with haltering or gaining control over the horse’s head to direct her movements. You touch the head of the horse for basic husbandry such as stall cleaning, grooming, worming and health inspections and enjoying the horse as a companion by leading, riding, driving and other activities.

You probably noticed also that most horses accept this handling with no resistance. However, there are also horses that react poorly when people try to touch their head or ears. Some horses might even flinch, toss their head, hold their head high and away from the handler, or even rear or try to strike the person attempting to touch their head.