How long does it take for a horse to bond??

doratheexplorer

doratheexplorer

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As title really...

Not expecting my horse to whinny when he see's me or come galloping up the field anytime soon (i have had him for around 6 weeks) but I was just wondering;

A - how long people thought it took for a horse to bond with one person.
B - how "bonded" horses react when they see thier "bondie"?!

*daydreams about the gorgeous black stallion cantering gracefully towards me at the sound of my whistle, joyfully whickering at me and nuzzling me....*
 
TBH as much as I adore my boy I have never felt we really have a 'bond' although we know each other by heart We just don't have the connection I've had with other horses..
Love him to bits though and I would never sell him.
 
My old girl who I've had for 29 years definitely loves me in her own way, but would never come rushing up to me. Our pony who I've had for 10 years whinnies every time I see him, but I have a sneaky suspicion he does that to anyone. They all have their ways, and you will work out what it is at some point.
 
I horse at a yard I was at used to whinny whenever his owers car came down the lane, She'd had him for over 17 years.

Ive had my horse for 5 months and he come to call and carrots (most days) from the field but I dont know if that bonding or bribery :D
A few weeks into owning him he came galloping to the gate, ears forward and everything, I was chuffed until I realised he was after a mare in the feild behind and I had to practically drag him away

We 'clicked' after about 3 months after a hack :), when we got back he rested his head on my shoulder after a big yawn :D

I know someone who puts her nose right up close to her horses nose and breathes in and out really loudly and heavily. I dont know if it works or not
 
ive been sharing a horse for about a month and recently started to feel we've bonded a bit-he follows me about,and when i leave the stable he watches where im going(maybe thats due to the fact ive always got mints though haha),he likes cuddles and seems relaxed around me as i am around him.feel like we're getting a good partnership in the riding side of things now aswell.but have also helped with another horse who didnt feel much of a bond with-its wierd isnt it.
 
I'm an air stewardess, and away for days at a time. I have a girl to ride my horse when I'm away. When I first come home, my horse will drag the girl who rides her over to me, and have a sniff of me, but if I try to pat/ stroke her she pulls a face at me - shes always like that. When I'm eventing her, we have a great team thing going, and I think thats our bond - she's just not a cuddler! My other horse would cuddle you all day, but wouldn't put himself out for me like my mare does - even though he acts like he loves me most! Our pony is somewhere inbetween.

Basically what I'm saying is they are all different - some will really seem to bond with you, others wont - they're like people - all different. Even if you don't get "signs" of bonding, such as neighing etc, the fact that the horse trusts you on a hack to go past scarey things/ jumps fillers etc with you is the real sign of a bond...
 
Ive had my filly for nearly 7 months and she has probably just started to bond with me.

she is only 14 months old so I hope to have many more years for our bond to grow :)

* ewww, that sounds sooooo soppy!!!!*
 
When i got my first boy we had a instant bond. If he was left in the field and i would go down to the house he would have a fit in the field, bucking , cantering, pacing up and down the fence neighing until i cam outside. I would hide behind a tree with some fruit and he would go to one side of the tree to the other looking for me and then i would run he would rear and neigh then come flat out gallop after me. Whenever me and him are together we just have this amazing connection and tonight i was on the phone to someone and he was following me around the field like a puppy bunting me and trying to play with me and when i would go out of sight he would start neighing and pacing up and down. I LOVE him to bits and he will never ever be sold!! And i also have an great bond with my other 4 as well. :D:D but thought i would tell you about the one or this could turn into an school essay lol xx
 
Hi there :)

I think it varies from horse to horse: I've had my little coloured mare for 3 years, and although she always comes to my call (anything from a stroll to a flat out gallop, depending on how happy/hungry she's feeling), she's only just started experimenting with nuzzles in the last year or so :)

She came over to the UK with a dealer from Ireland 10 years ago, and I think had been pretty heavily handled up until that time, and she can still be quite headshy. She then had a good home for several years at a friend's riding centre, but I'm the first 1-to-1 she's known. She's getting there though: you can tell she *wants* to get closer, and even now, she surprises me. So even if it takes ages, it's still worth it!

KR
 
Got my exracer a week ago, we are bonded like super glue. She is in my own yard right outside my door, I think that makes a difference. She goes out into the orchard with a sheep with whom she has also bonded. The easiest relationship I have ever had.
 
one of the reasons i chose my pony was because he nuzzled me when i went to view him but i am under no illusion that i am anything special to him - he is just a naturally friendly pony, yes he does wicker when he sees me but then he also wickers when he see his field mates and sometimes random ponies he likes the look of at shows - he is a wickerer!

he loves food and i am the bringer of food so he how much he likes me depends on how much grass he has in his field. he does sometimes have an extreme soppy day where he will stand by the gate when i put him back in his field and want to have his head scratched or cuddled, the other day we had a 20 minute cuddle in the field.

however i suppose he must quite like me as he does not run away if i want to catch him even when he first goes on to the winter grazing when there is loads of grass and he never tries to bite or kick me.
 
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