Can Grooming Be Dangerous?

Bronzz says, Not that brush on my belly

Can grooming be dangerous? Yes indeed. 25% of equestrian injuries happen when the person is unmounted, including serious injuries. In a study where people were observed while grooming horses, half of the horses showed pain or aggression. The people were mostly unaware of the horses’ discomfort, even when some of their behavior escalated to dangerous threats. Only 5% of the horses showed positive behaviors like seeking closer contact or offering mutual grooming. In a second study, horses showed significantly more positive behaviors when the person grooming adjusted her technique according to the horse’s emotional responses, positive or negative. This is why I like grooming loose when possible. It leaves horses free to communicate before they are upset as Bronzz is doing in the photo above.

But he likes that brush on his face

There are 2 issues here. First, horses are very sensitive to touch, and will naturally have individual preferences for (or aversions to) different types of touch and different grooming tools. Second, grooming is an intense invasion of a horse’s Personal Space. This can make horses anxious just as it does people. More details in this article. Personal Space: Why the Double Standard? This is another example of how tuning in to horses’ emotions improves their welfare, our bonds, and our safety.

Shiloh's posture and lip say, That's the spot!

References:
Do Horses Like Being Groomed? Probably Not, Study Finds
by Robin Foster, PhD, Cert. Applied Animal Behaviorist (CAAB), Cert. Horse Behavior Consultant (CHBC)
https://thehorse.com/177049/do-horses-like-being-groomed-probably-not-study-finds/
Study: Many Riders Don’t Groom Horses Properly or Safely
by Christa Lesté-Lasserre, MA |
https://thehorse.com/136865/study-many-riders-dont-groom-horses-properly-or-safely/
Lansade, L., Bonneau, C., Parias, C., & Biau, S. (2019). Horse’s emotional state and rider safety during grooming practices, a field study. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 217, 43–47.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0168159119300620
Lansade, L., Nowak, R., Lainé, A.-L., Leterrier, C., Bonneau, C., Parias, C., Bertin, A. (2018). Facial expression and oxytocin as possible markers of positive emotions in horses. Scientific Reports 8, 14680. DOI:10.1038/s41598-018-32993-z
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/328028808_Facial_expression_and_oxytocin_as_possible_markers_of_positive_emotions_in_horses
Equestrian Safety
ThinkFirst National Injury Prevention Foundation
https://www.brainline.org/article/equestrian-safety