You want to communicate to the horse that you like it, that you re glad it s there, that you like to be around it. You re not going to grab the horse and beat it into submission. In terms of horse-speak, grooming can be a powerful influence you can use to gain control and trust. Wild horse survival requires strong herd instinct. Mutual grooming expresses camaraderie among horses and helps wild ones bond into a herd.
Horses love to be groomed.
Use this to your advantage to make friends with a horse when you first start working with it and to study how your horse communicates things to you. For example, if the horse is totally relaxed and looking around and sometimes looking back at you, then you ve got some good quality time going on. Pay attention as you groom the horse to see where its sensitive areas are and where it really enjoys a good scratching. Horses often signal their pleasure by screwing up their upper lip or by arching or stretching their neck when you hit an itchy spot. If the horse pins its ears, swishes its tail, or threatens a kick, it s saying, back off.