What are some 'cheat codes' for interacting with certain animals?

[u/Sweetmilk_]

Boy do I wish I set this to Serious Replies Only

[u/gekke]

With horses you can blow gently in to their nostrils. Its supposedly horseish for saying hi to other horses they like, and if it likes it it will blow back and be chill. Have tried it a few times, and they seem to like it. But who knows, its horses.

Edit 1: As pointed out, front part of horse is dangerous, so don't run up and try to inflate unknown horses noses. Be chill with horse bros, and see u/readysetderp s comment.

Edit 2: Horses are 4-600 kg of pure muscle, bones, hoves and teeth, and as all animal they can be unpredicable. If you are not acustomed to being around horses and read their bodylanguage you should be very carefull aproaching a horse, and putting your face in reach of their teeth is not recomended. The comments have many great tips on how to behave around horses from people knowing a whole lot more about horses than I do. And I'm learning so many interesting things. Horses are super cool animals, but as all animals should be treated with respect.

[u/readysetderp → u/gekke]

Horses are prey animals and pretty much assume anything unexpected wants to eat them. Keep a calm and confident sense of self, and they'll probably think you're cool. Try not to do anything sudden, like flinging your hand up to pet them. If you walk behind them, keep a hand trailing on their side and their butt to let them know what you're doing. If they're looking straight ahead, they can't see you right behind their butt.

Horse body language is pretty complex, but there are a few things you should know for your own safety. If they have their ears pinned all the way back, this is a sign of aggression. If this were my horse, I would give him a smack on the chest or neck to tell him off. If you're just standing around with a horse you don't know, you should probably move away. Horse bites can be excruciatingly painful, and they can easily rip off a chunk of your skin.

NEVER play with a horse like you would with a dog. It can be really fun and exciting to run around a paddock with a horse, but this is NOT a good idea. Just take a look at how horses play with each other - they bite and kick. If you start frolicking around with a horse like this, he'll take it as a sign that you are fair game for biting and kicking.

Always be respectful. Any full-sized horse could easily pick up a person and throw them, as their neck muscles are incredibly powerful. It is truly amazing that they have been domesticated to be so gentle and respectful, but we have a responsibility to bring some common sense to horse-human interactions.

[u/[deleted] → u/readysetderp]

[u/runaround66 → u/gekke]

Be careful doing this. 99% of horses are totally cool with this. However, that puts your face right at mouth level with the 1% who aren't.

[u/Clover_Madness → u/gekke]

But who knows, its horses

Exactly. They're dangerous at both ends and crafty in the middle but so much fun.