how cuddly is your horse?

Esme is the cuddliest, cutest, most irresistible little fluff-ball. She is a proper little time waster:

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What an adorable picture!

I love cuddly horses. My old mare was the cuddliest horse I knew. She loved being fussed and having her head and ears played with. My current mare loves attention and will put her nose in your face and nuzzle you. She's not so keen as my old mare to have her head and ears played with, but will choose having a nuzzle and a scratch over her food. She's a very itch horse so that may be part of it. My other horses have all been geldings and although friendly, not half so keen on the close contact stuff.
 
My mare too. She has lovely manners but likes to keep it business-like.

Mine too.

She doesn't dislike attention, infact, she rather enjoys being brushed and bathed, my friends 8 year old daughter comes up alot to brush her and Buffy loves her visits. Actual cuddles are quite another thing, she doesn't paticularly enjoy them, she tolerates them, but then I don't push it. She isn't keen so I don't force her.
 
Chestnut mare, would rather you left her in a field, or the side of a mountain and threw hay at her from a distance. Will tolerate a bit of a cuddle if is in the mood but doesn't look happy about it. She does like my husband though and will let him play with her and pet her.

Black mare, likes attention but would much rather have a scratch than a cuddle. You can scratch her for hours and hours before she gets bored though! Will follow you around the field so she knows what you are up to and hates being left out. Gets cross if you pet the chestnut and ignore her.
 
Erm I'm not sure, my ISH gelding is rather affectionate and friendly but he would prefer a scratch rather than a cuddle ... which makes me desperately sad because I just love cuddling him and smelling his neck so I tend to resort to bribing him with food which is a bit depressing but saying that he is a very lovely sweet horse.

One of my liveries is a small black shitland mare and we fell out over the most trivial thing a few weeks ago and she hasn't looked at me since and every time i go in her field she squeals and runs off even when Im the opposite side of the field to her. She only used me for belly scratches anyway the tinker but man I've never known a pony to hold such a grudge!!
 
Mine isn't at all cuddly I'd say but he is incredibly friendly and sociable. He wants to know what you're doing and be fully involved at all times, and will greet anyone and everyone with a big grin on his face, be they person, horse, dog, cat or chicken (even quite liking sheep now after initial fear...cows are still a bit scary to be friends with). He thinks everyone is his new best friend and cannot understand it at all when strange horses grump at him when he tries to make friends. But he doesn't have time to be cuddled, he's far too busy being a nosy pest for that!
 
I think it depends on the person as much as the horse... one of my dearest friends would hate to think horses as cuddly and certainly thinks it's a modern scourge!

However, I firmly believe horses can be affectionate if its offered as a reciprocal relationship. I cuddle my own "girl" (my friend would barf!!) by asking for a "kiss" and she offers it herself every morning. It's whatever you offer as an appreciation... a pat may suffice, a good groom, a stroke of the face or neck, words of appreciation.. I firmly believe they know the signs we offer and it's personal between human and horse.

How lovely and it is natural.
 
My mare isn't cuddly at all, she's known to give filthy looks for touching her or looking at her and she hates kids.

My gelding is my cuddlebug though he loves to snuggle into my coat in winter and he'll put his head by mine for nose kisses :) if you hold his head up he'll fall asleep in your arms he's such a sweet guy :)
 
I currently have 2 mares (both gypsy cobs) and 2 geldings (sec A and Anglo) they all LOVE hugs and are equally very affectionate! (to those they like anyway and they are quite selective lol)
I have found generally geldings to be more affectionate than mares but mares are more intelligent and once gain their trust they will always go that extra mile for you
 
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