Pat, Scratch or Rub ?

"Pats or Scratches and rubs?"
Does your horse really like that slap on the neck,
or does he liken it to that overzealous great-aunt
that used to pinch your cheeks when you were a young child?
My guess is unless he has acclimated to, and accepted, hard pats
as a sign of your affection, he'd really prefer a nice rub or scratch.
While dogs may slap each other around in play, horses
generally associate "sudden contact" with a reproach or sign
of annoyance. Countless times I've observed an eager rider
rewarding his or her horse for a job well done with several
slaps to the neck. When I see it coming, I try to observe
the horse's facial expressions. Many times the horse
will briefly act surprised or annoyed, ears briefly laying
flat or whites of the eyes showing, and then they
appear to realize "Oh, it's OK" and their expressions relax.
I try to avoid slapping any horse unless I'm initiating some
form of correction. I particularly don't want to confuse
young, inexperienced or former "wild" horses. I want
my corrections and rewards to be distincively
different and I figure my reward to the horse
should appear to be just that to the animal
which I am praising. I certainly don't want
any horse to think I'm displeased or being
aggressive after he has done something well.
Neck and wither rubs or scratches are a normal
part of horse social behavior and are associated
with pleasure. Particularly when learning, I always
try to provide a few rubs for a well earned effort,
and I'll use scratches as a relaxation tool for a nervous
horse or a horse in a completely new situation such as
carrying a rider for the first time. If you're a "patter",
try a scratch or a rub or two next time.
Your horse may really like it!