Bonding with your horse?

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Harliquin

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I have been reading up about how to better bond with your horse etc.

I read an article that stated that horses do not really bond with their owners or with people but more just 'get used' to them. This kind of worried me because lately I had been feeling that the horse I am loaning was beginning to bond with me. She used to pull her head away when I tried to smooth her etc. But now she is looking to me for rubbing her nose and neck etc. And our riding has even improved because I felt we had 'melded' better :D

Do you think horses do make a bond with their owners? Do you have a strong bond?

(Kind of looking for reassurance that I can make a connection with my horsey :D )
 
I had a bond with my horse but you would never have guessed it. She knew who she could con into giving her treats etc but as she wasnt an affectionate horse, she never whinnied at me and didnt do hugs or anything.
The way i know was she would watch me, if i moved out of sight she would face that direction until i appeared again, it i was talking to someone she would stand between me and them, if i was siting against a wall she would stand between me and the rest of the yard. Her ear was on me where ever i was and she could hear me. I knew what i ment to her when she was ill on her final day, there where other people around but her ear only ever flicked when she heard my voice. She shouldnt have been still standing but she was and she still looked for me and only wanted me near.
That to me is a bond but i could be wrong.
 
But isn’t getting used to one person classed as bonding with that person?

Or are you mixing bonding with a horse as in getting attached to it?

You can't deniy the fact that there has to be a good partnership between horse and rider and that some horses develop better once they feel at ease with a particular person.

Its think it's true to say that some people don’t bond with some horses very well, so yes I think they do form a bond with the right person.
 
I think you can definitely bond with a horse. I've had my new horse for 7 months and he watches me wherever I go and has just started calling to me, he nuzzles, gives cuddles tries to pull my hairbands out, and when I first got him he was so jumpy! He is still jumpy with my instructor and friend sometimes and they see him and interact with him a lot but i feel that we really have bonded.

My pony who I've had for 13 years still calls to me, he even called out to me so much when I went away to uni and came back and visited him. One of my sharers always said she wished that my pony would hug her like he does me... Plus he is a little saint for me now but plays the sharers up a lot of the time! haha.

My friend's pony loves her so much he calls out all the time, watches her every move and gets thoroughly depressed if she goes away on holiday!

Yes, I think you can bond. I hope I'm not just soppy :)
 
There is definitely such a thing. Ive had my gelding for 9 years and although we get on well, I never feel a direct communication.

With my mare who I have had since she was 3 (now rising 7) and backed with my RIs help, I feel like we just talk as equals and have a massively close bond. Noone else has ridden her since after she was backed and noone will! She is also very vocal and nuzzly which helps. I feel lucky to have experienced that partnership after not having it with my old chap, even tho I love him.
 
I definitely think you can bond with your horse! Some horses are more susceptible to it than others, but after a time if the two of you get on well, then you can! I've heard grooming is a really good way! :) xx
 
I would definately peole can bond with their horse. Horses can have a strong bond with a person as they can another horse.
Horses are incredibly senstive creatures.
 
i've owned 2 horses and with my first, there was absolutely no bond at all. she would not have cared if she hadnt been fed, groomed etc, so long as she had other horses, she would have been fine. i later found out, she'd had a hard start to life and didnt trust people in general and had been the same with other owners. my boy who i have now, i've had him 11 months. he has bonded so strongly. he only has to see me, my dog or kids and he comes running to the gate, whinnying. another owner's house overlooks the field and she has told me he waits by the gate on the days i'm not there bang on time. he's not particularly soppy, but he does like to nuzzle and sniff. he always watches me and where i am. i never feed him titbits, so its not food-love. there's just a kind of un-said communication there. altho i have to admit, i probably need him more than he needs me!!! i simply adore him, even when he's being a little bit naughty.
 
I agree, i feel like i have a bond with my boy, the other girls on the yard say he hears my car coming and calls out and stands at the gate to see me when i arrive!

He is always happy to see me and once i have given him a cuddle and a fuss he will happily go off grazing again.

I think that classes as a bond!
 
I do think horses can bond with people. Like Hannahbelle, I had a very sensitive horse who was really sharpe and jumpy. He would also watch evrything I did, I never noticed until my Dad pointed out that he never took his eyes off me. He was very clingy to me when we were away from home at shows. My RI rode him once and as soon as he dropped the reins to let the horse relax, he came straight over to me as if to say "get him off me, mum!"

My Dad's horse has bonded with him more than anyone else despite the fact that my Dad has had hardly anything to do with her for years and has never really looked after or fed her, he has always left that to me or his wife or anyone else willing! I was sitting on her at a show a few years ago and we had our backs towards the parking area. She looked round and whinnied, so I looked round to see my Dad walking over from the parking area, he wasn't even that close! When she was on loan to Hartpury, where they are stabled in barns, all my Dad needed to do to find out which barn she was in was to call her from the barn door, and if she was inside she would call back to him! He has had her since she was foaled and she has never been so attatched to anyone else.
 
Definately you can bond with your horse!! I think this is really important as how can you ask them to do things for you if they don't look to you for leadership and to keep them safe and tell them they can achieve all these things you ask them to do.

I have had my 2yo for 4 months now and feel already we have made a good start with creating a bond. She is in a field with a few other mares but she knows me and my voice and always comes over when I go to the field.

The other day I just sat in the field and she came over to see what I was doing. We had a lovely 5 mins while she stood with her nose resting on the ground next to me while I gave her a good scratch all round her head and neck. :-)
 
yes! i believe you can i mean they are animals they do have feelings theybond wth other horses and arent we just like herd leader to them? me and my mare who i have had for bout 8 months have bonded sooo much i can do things with her and risk my life whereas other people couldnt :)
 
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