Horse's Gentle Stomps to Beg Mom to Work With Her Couldn't Be More Demure

Pets of all kinds demand attention from their humans, even if they don't live in our homes. Even if they're supposed to work for us, they can often be found doing everything but that. Sure, the time we spend with them may literally cost us money, but it's worth it. We love them.

Recently, one horse mom/trainer was working with her other horses, but the most dramatic one would not stand for it. As she walked, her followed her, walking along so well-behaved that she just had to let her skip the line:

Dr. Nadine Lindblom definitely knows a whole lot about horses, but this sweet girl is keeping her on her toes. That's good: being too comfortable can lead to slips!

Related: Formerly Bullied Horse Marks a Year of Joy at Sanctuary and It's Perfect

The horse in this video's name is Nina, and she's one of Dr. Lindblom's favorites: she's pretty easy to work with, not to mention the fact that she's also gorgeous. Nina is bouncy, eager, and incredibly sweet. Her mom says she sometimes has "popcorn" in her hooves, which just means that she's bouncing and happy to be walking around.

Apparently, this demure little trot is not the first of its kind: she does this whenever she wants her mom to work with her next. Her gentle steps show her that she's just happy, not upset or charging at her. In fact, her mom says that this is part of her positive reinforcement training. As it should be!

How to Read a Horse's Movements

Horses are known for the way they move, and it's not as simple as it sounds. You can tell a lot about a horse's mood based on how they're standing or stepping - being able to decipher that stuff could legitimately save your life.

Horses typically have a few different movements:

1. Bucking: they're either scared, in pain, or excited. Context is important here.
2. Trotting: if a horse is trotting around without direction, they're usually just in a good mood. Trotting like Nina in this video means they're ready to work!
3. Stomping: something is bothering them , they're on-edge, and you should approach carefully.
4. Kicking: like stomping, kicking is usually indicative that something is bothering them.

Movements are often accompanied with other sounds, and context is always important when trying to decipher a horse's movement. For example, Nina's sweet ears show her mom that she's serious and ready to work, while her feet are gently asking. Every horse is a little different, though!