head shy

English

Alternative forms

• headshy
• head-shy

Adjective

head shy (comparative more head shy, superlative most head shy)

1. (of an animal) Disposed to evade having one's head touched.
   • 1952, John Steinbeck, East of Eden, →LCCN, →OL:

     And as a few strokes on the nose will make a puppy head shy, so a few rebuffs will make a boy shy all over.

   • 1975 September, Bill Tarrant, “The gun dog horse: part II”, in Field & Stream, volume 80, number 5, →ISSN, page 129:

     But let's say the horse is neither head shy, nor rank, and you can bridle him without fuss.

   • 1991, John Lyons, Lyons on Horses: John Lyons' Proven Conditioned-Response Training Program, Doubleday, →ISBN, →OL, page 78:

     When we climb up to ride the horse, if we have not taken care of any fear he may have of our touching his ears, and we reach down to pet him while we're on his back, he may get scared and begin bucking, because he is head shy.

Anagrams

• hayshed