I spend a lot of time with Red, both riding and on the ground. He loooves to be groomed and is a perfect gentleman during the process-we play the "pretend like you're a great statue" game and he's awesome. However, if a friend stops by to chat, or we're hanging out while he's drying after a bath (he's an Appy with a white blanket, and when he rolls when its wet the white blanket gets stained black from the rubber footing in his stall), he nudges me with his head. a lot. gently-never enough to push.

The part of me that wants to anthropomorphize him says "oh he's nuzzling me with affection". The horsewoman in me says "he's trying to dominate, slowly but surely...."

I usually just gently push his nose away and that stops it for a few minutes.

When I feed in the morning, our alpha mare is the one and only horse in the breezeway. She gets to go into her stall first, and she does not allow anyone else in the breezeway area. She lays back her ears, snakes her neck, runs at them, swings her hips or kicks at them, or just gives them the "evil alpha eye." Every day they test her, but every day she reinforces her leadership and they back off and wait their turns. This is what you have to do everyday to reinforce your leadership - make your horse be the one who moves.

PS: Once the alpha mare has chased everyone away in the mornings, then I have to be sure I make HER move away from ME. I make her back off, move out of my way, and stand still until I open the stall gate and let her in. If she paws impatiently, she is the last to get her food and gets it only when she is standing quietly. When she comes out, I make her stand for her fly mask and spray, and then she comes out only when I am out of the way and tell her to come. I have to reinforce this EVERY day. The day I don't will be the day she thinks she can take over and then I could get hurt if she pushes me or rushes past me. It also helps the others to see that I can make the alpha move and do what I say.

So this is all to say that a horse that rubs on you or pushes you with his head is showing disregard for you as a leader. It's not necessarily a mean thing or intended to hurt you, but it is clearly a sign that the horse does not think of you as his alpha.

Dixie Mom

"The art of riding:
Keeping a horse between you and the ground!"

Several of my barn buddies have told me "when he nudges you, push his head away-and try to match the weight of his nudge. The second time he even turns his head to nudge you, push it away. If he looks at you after that, hold your ground, and the second he starts to move toward you, push his head away. You go in his space, not him in yours. Be persistent, not pushy, and don't stop until the behavior is gone."

There is a lot of room for closeness, but it is when I approach her, not when she approaches me. Now there are times when she looks at me and I can tell she is asking for some attention or butt scratching or whatever, and I am happy to go into her space and love on her. But she just can't come up and swing her head into me or swing her butt around into me.

I believe in approaching a horse with respect, however. You just don't charge up like a predador, looking them in the eye and going for the head. I have a soft approach, usually to the shoulder first, and sometimes in a curving arc, like horses do with each other. My little Maggie was abused and was very hard to catch at first. I approach her gently and stop, turning 90 degrees away, so I am not facing her directly. Then I back off and approach again. Using the approach and retreat method, I wait until SHE turns toward me, which is a horsey way of asking, "Can I be with you?" Then I can easily walk right up and halter her. So respect goes both ways. I don't mess with them when they are eating. That is their time to enjoy themselves with their favorite activity in life. I don't use their turn out for a training arena - that is their place to be themselves in their own herd.
But I do expect them to respect my space at all times and to move off if I tell them, and to also stand still if I tell them. They are happy knowing the rules. Makes them happy and keeps me safe. :)
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Dixie Mom

"The art of riding:
Keeping a horse between you and the ground!"