Horses 101 Things to Know.....Autism, Aspergers

I am by no means an expert...but I have been working and riding horses for a few months and have learned a number of things that can be helpful to someone first meeting a horse. These are things either someone told me or I experienced myself. As someone with Aspergers, I thought these tips would especially benefit the autistic.
Greeting a Horse
Horses rely very much on body movements to tell them if someone is safe. Approach a horse slowly and from the side, not directly head-to-head...this is how horses approach each other. Keep your hands open and to your side, no fists or in pockets and carry nothing in your hands. Standing a little in front or alongside a horse hold out you hand, fingers together, palm up or down, and allow the horse to smell your hand. You will feel two or more warm horse breaths or snorts as the horse gets to know you.
These are important things to remember as most newbies, including myself, want to run up to a horse and pet it's face and nose without a friendly introduction. Take the time to say hello before touching...the horse will appreciate it.
To first pet a horse after greeting, start at the neck or alongside the face. Horses have a blind spot, an area where they cannt see anything, directly in front of them, so start petting in an area they can see before you pet their forehead.
Horses have very soft, sensitive noses so be extra gentle there.
One thing that surprised me is that like cats and dogs, horses have whiskers but theirs are under their chin and bottom lip. These help the animal to feel and sense his surroundings.
Each horse has it's own personality and some like their ears pet and some do not.
I work with a couple horses that routinely smell my hand, then lick it and sometimes give me a rather gentle nip. A horses tongue does feel different, yes it is warm and wet but not really slimey, and I think it's pretty cool and a usual routine for these two. I think it's because they know me pretty well as they are quite gentle about it.
When being around horses remember they can startle so walk and talk softly. They do like attention and being talked to. Grooming with a brush or combing their mane are a couple of things they really enjoy and the beginner can easily do.
Horses are wonderful, magnificent animals..especially up close.
Enjoy

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