Old man working at the stable is bothering me

Hello, I know this might not be the right subreddit, but I wanted to see if anyone here has had a similar experience, I’m 24 years old and I go horse riding regularly. There is an older man (around 50) who works as a stable hand there, and he has been bothering me every time I go. At first, he would just talk to me and greet me whenever he saw me, which seemed harmless. However, over time his behavior has become more intrusive and uncomfortable.

Lately, he has been following me around the stable and actively looking for opportunities to hug me. He keeps telling me that I’m beautiful and even makes heart signs with his hands. He often asks me for hugs, and although I feel very uncomfortable, I also feel awkward saying no because I don’t want to be rude. Still, I really don’t like this physical contact and I don’t feel at ease around him anymore.

One time, when I was about to leave a horse’s stall, he was standing right in front of the exit and didn’t seem willing to move. I had to squeeze past him sideways to get out, which made me feel trapped and anxious. Situations like this make me feel uneasy and stressed whenever I go there.

I don’t really want to report him to the owner of the riding stable, but his behavior is bothering me a lot and I don’t know how to handle the situation