My dad grew up on a farm. He didn’t like horses. He liked mules. I was around them when my daughter owned one and rode. She could make a 2000 pound horse lift his or her foot to “pick it out.” The horse we bought her was cheap because he did bite. By the time we had to donate him to a college, she was putting her hands in his mouth and would have put her head if it had fit. He loved her so much that when he heard my car bringing her to the stable where he was boarded he would start calling to her. He let me feed him but you learn quickly that you put the carrot on a flat hands for them to take. I love horses or at least equines. We have a small farm and one of my goals is to get a donkey. I don’t want to ride a horse or a mule but just hang out with an equine animal. Maybe a small mule. I love the smell and the energy.
Get a donkey, they have way more personality and also make great watch-animals as well. They get attached to you and can be as loyal as any dog if you raise it right.