Post by here to stay on Nov 21, 2017 15:10:14 GMT
I'm a hugger. Always have been. Not a cuddler or petter but a hugger. And trying to find a companion animal for someone like me is hard.
I mean, my dogs were loyal companions, would sit with me endlessly. Loved scratching and stroking but hugging? They might tolerate but their stiffness made it clear that being hugged was not to their liking.
But horses now. There is a creature to hug on. Horses, maybe not all but most, seem to be fine with the hug. Tall enough, you can fit under their neck and really give a big hug. Smaller, you can still hug their neck.
This has been driven home to me lately during the cleaning out after Tessie's surgery. She will actually rest her forehead gently on my arm when we're done. I then give her head a hug, sometimes with a scratch under her jaw. Very gentle.
Of course, this is not a procedure I can recommend as with a toss of a head a horse can send you flying minus some of your teeth plus a concussion. But, for a hugger, it's a risk I will take at times.
I mean, my dogs were loyal companions, would sit with me endlessly. Loved scratching and stroking but hugging? They might tolerate but their stiffness made it clear that being hugged was not to their liking.
But horses now. There is a creature to hug on. Horses, maybe not all but most, seem to be fine with the hug. Tall enough, you can fit under their neck and really give a big hug. Smaller, you can still hug their neck.
This has been driven home to me lately during the cleaning out after Tessie's surgery. She will actually rest her forehead gently on my arm when we're done. I then give her head a hug, sometimes with a scratch under her jaw. Very gentle.
Of course, this is not a procedure I can recommend as with a toss of a head a horse can send you flying minus some of your teeth plus a concussion. But, for a hugger, it's a risk I will take at times.
