head rubbing

Question
Hi, my name is Carmen. I got my first miniature horse about seven months ago. She seems to be doing very well, but whenever I take her back to the barn or take her away from what she likes, she starts to rub her head against my leg or arm. It seems like she does this when she is not happy. She will do it for a few minutes and then settle down. Is there anything I can do to prevent her from rubbing?
Thanks,
Carmen

Answer
Hi Carmen-
Thanks for your question. In my experience, head rubbing or invasion of your space can be interpreted as a lack of respect. In other words, she is not thinking of you as her herd leader but as an equal and therefore is showing her displeasure with you. You really should discourage that behavior. I would either smack/push her away with a loud NO (it doesn't need to be hard) or carry comething blunt in your hand that you can poke into her neck when she starts rubbing that makes it uncomfortable for her (like a clothespin, etc.)Again- the goal is to make it uncomfortable and to show her who's in charge- not to be cruel. If you don't draw the line she could continue to get worse. Hope this helps. Best, Toni