Jessica Jahiel's HORSE-SENSE Newsletter Archives

Horse wants his butt scratched

From: Lisa

Hi: My horse is a 7 yr old gelding. He is a very well mannered horse, never bites or kicks at humans, has wonderful manners. He approaches you slowly in the field, lowers his head for the kids to pet him, puts his head on your shoulders if you rub his neck. He begs for food but never chases you after you with the feed bucket. He lets you groom him while he is eating etc. BUT. He will literally back his butt right up to you for you to scratch it. He did this with his other owner also. If you don't scratch it he stomps one of his front feet and turns around and looks all sad eyed at you. He never gets aggressive.

We have had him checked for worms etc. and there is nothing wrong... Is it ok to get a brush and brush his butt? We have been doing it most of the time when he asks. I was just wondering if it was a bad thing that we do it? He loves his tail hair to be brushed and his butt. I am not making a mistake by granting him his wish am I? Lisa

Hi Lisa! No, you're not making a mistake. He sounds like a wonderful, quiet, gentle horse. Every horse (and every dog and cat, for that matter) has some areas where it loves to be groomed, brushed, and scratched. The neck, the withers, and the area above and around the tail are typical favourite "scratching spots". Your horse obviously enjoys your company and likes human contact, grooming, and having his itchy areas scratched. He is telling you, very clearly, where it is that he most likes to be brushed and scratched. There's nothing wrong with granting his wish. ;-) If he were being aggressive and pushy or unpleasant, the situation would be very different.

Right now, he's doing what he learned to do with his previous owner, and what he's done very successfully with you - when he wants his hindquarters brushed and scratched, he presents his backside to you! He isn't actually doing anything wrong by asking to be scratched - foals learn to do this very young, and many horse-owners think that it's extremely cute, and encourage it. If a foal's owner always rewards the behaviour by providing scratching "on demand", the behaviour can become a habit.

I would suggest, however, that you teach him to stand quietly and let YOU walk around to his backside before you begin your brushing and scratching routine. That way, it will be clear to everyone that it's you who are initiating the scratching activity. Just making it a regular part of your petting and grooming sessions will help. If your horse knows that he will get the brushing and scratching he wants, he won't be preoccupied with trying to make you understand what he's trying to tell you.

When you are brushing and scratching your horse - and at all times when you are handling him - be safe. Some horses will stand forever whilst you scratch their necks or withers. Your horse is no different, but you need to be careful because scratching your horse's backside can put you in a position that isn't safe. Horses can't see directly behind them, and a startled horse can kick out and hurt you even if he would NEVER hurt you deliberately. ANY horse can jump and/or kick out if it is startled or hurt, and all it takes to startle or hurt a horse is a sudden unfamiliar noise or a vicious bite from a large fly. Keep yourself safe - stand to the side and reach around to do your brushing and scratching. Never position yourself directly behind a horse where a sudden reaction could get you kicked - or directly in front of one, for that matter (a horse can't see what's directly in front of its forehead, either), where a sudden reaction could get you run over. You can still brush and scratch your horse thoroughly, from forehead to tail, but be sensible and careful about your body's position relative to your horse's body, and always remember that a thousand pounds of fast-moving animal with very hard feet can do a great deal of damage to a human body, even if it has no bad intentions whatsoever. Don't take unncessary chances.

Jessica

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