Milton’s signature move is to lick and chew while pinning his ears.
What’s up with that?
Milton doesn’t like to be touched. We’ve ruled out the physical reasons. His skin feels smooth and clean. No rough spots, no scruff. The hair lays down as it should. He doesn’t quite shed dirt the way Rodney does but Rodney is greasy enough to qualify as a seal. You know, the good kind of greasy that means a healthy, shiny, happy coat.
Milton loves attention. One of his favorite activities is to hang with his people. You can touch, pat, & cuddle Milton all over his head. However, anything behind the ears is a no-go zone. If you continue to touch him, lets say brushing him because he has plastered the mud on with a trowel, he will eventually give you all kinds of releases, with the ears still back. If you massage him, he will threaten to kick you and then yawn.
Can horses be conflicted? I guess so, because Milton certainly is.
Thank you for reading,
Katherine Walcott
Virtual Brush Box 
Horses are so like people.
Strange fellow….
@ Jane, Actually, I find that horses are usually more straightforward than people. One reason I find them easier to deal with than people. They don’t have agendas, other than food, and safety, and companionship, and seeking/avoiding pleasure/pain, and so on.
@debandtoby. Too right.