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You are in... Forums > Welcome To Your Horse Forum > The Yard > do you / would you hit your horse?

soniadevereux

Joined:

Jun 08

Posts: 4228

soniadevereux says:

Re: do you / would you hit your horse?

if the horse is bargy, etc not respecting your personal space then yes a slap on the shoulder, elbow in the shoulder/chest wouldnt go amiss. A friend of mine has a 5 yr old horse that wasnt brought up with basic handling and repecting space etc. She is a rude, bargy spoilt horse that will pull you around and knock you out of the way. There is also a 10month old foal on the same yard/herd, he walks well,backs up when you enter his stable, he stands still when asked. he waits for his headcollar to be removed before going for his feed bowl and generally is a nice little lad. He was brought up with the odd shoulder slap, elbow in the chest and of course the well known GROWL!!!My friend says the foal is better behaved than the 5 yr old. I know the 10 month old foal as i handled him since birth he is JJ.  Horses need to know what is expected of them and be persistent, patient and persevere.

Horses - if God made anything more beautiful, he kept it for himself. ~Author Unknown

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  • Posted 2 years ago (09 March 2012 21:33)
Icebunny

Joined:

May 11

Posts: 133

Icebunny says:

Re: do you / would you hit your horse?

Hi,

 

My almost three year old has gone through a faze of trying similar things - particuarly nipping/biting and crowding your space.  When it was really bad i did hit his shoulder and his reaction was to fight back, he does not respond well at all to raised voices or being hit.  He reacts far better to body language and calm handling even  when he is being naughty.  He hates being ignored or sent away from you but  sees you blocking him or getting wound up as a big game and does it all the more.  If you ignore him and send him away from you he doesnt like it so will usually stand calm when you invite him back.

 


 

 

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  • Posted 2 years ago (09 March 2012 21:36)
igglepop

Joined:

Jul 08

Posts: 213

igglepop says:

Re: do you / would you hit your horse?

 I currently share 2 horses one i have never hit used whip on or even felt the need to have a grumble at. The other will get a slap (not hard but enough so he knows) when he decided to headbut me or  rub against me every few days as he seems a little bit too dumb to learn. I think it depends on the horse the situation and what kind of behavior you find aceptable. 

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  • Posted 2 years ago (09 March 2012 21:49)
sunshine2020

Joined:

Mar 11

Posts: 42

sunshine2020 says:

Re: do you / would you hit your horse?

I've never hit mine, I find shouting enough to make them jump and back off its worked for me with colts and stallions but got to admit i prefere mares anyday lol

 

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  • Posted 2 years ago (09 March 2012 23:48)
kevinhiatt

Joined:

Aug 10

Posts: 5164

kevinhiatt says:

Re: do you / would you hit your horse?

Barging is a sharp jab with elbow and a push back, never ever hit the horse on the head. When playing up riding a sharp reminder from a crop wich is the old type more flexible than the new ones as the core is not fibreglass but whale bone so all floppy and covered in leather and a very wide end, now found out that Sabrina tyou can give her the hump by telling her off which is more useful now I know. Alot is reasurrance she is in need of cannot understand how she got away with alot especially as she is a BSJA but saying that another Warmblood Mare an other BSJA on the yard behaves exactly the same don't they teach them manners. When you see a herd in the field just watch how they react to each other mine is very handy with her back legs, the ears back and the nip as does the other mare in charge.

Gypsy Gold does not chink & glitter.It gleams in the sun and neighs in the dark.Tonka & Lara my beautiful horses RIP, Nelson & Chloe the cats.

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  • Posted 2 years ago (10 March 2012 06:25)
greyandbay

Joined:

Mar 10

Posts: 2938

greyandbay says:

Re: do you / would you hit your horse?

I've never had a problem with Bracken, Grouse, or Monty on the ground, and Monty in particular is extremely sensitive to not enter into personal space.

But, since we've had Fate and Captain, my elbows have been in use a lot! Fate is fine, as good as the others, but Captain, being a shettie, wants to be everywhere, finding out what's going on.

He's not nasty or particularly bargy, just curious - if I'm picking out the others feet, he's there looking in, if I'm making a fuss of one of them, he wants to be there too.

He gets the elbow treatment or a slap on the shoulder and a firm 'NO', and very often he'll also get a nip from Monty as well, but he's really game and will be back for more.

He's 14 or 15 now, and we've had him 5 months, so it's going to be a long time before he learns proper manners, but we'll get there :o) 

The outside of a horse is good for the inside of a man - Winston Churchill

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  • Posted 2 years ago (10 March 2012 07:51)
3MoodyMaresMum

Joined:

Jun 09

Posts: 826

3MoodyMaresMum says:

Re: do you / would you hit your horse?

I try to avoid hitting them and tbh Anya and ZZ a really good Oi or NO is enough.  ZZ when she was young did go to kick me and got a slap and she has never done it again!  But I had a farrier that lost his patience with her and whacked her in the belly with the rasp, after this if you do raise a hand to her she will come back at you, but she is now so well mannered it is not a situation we get into.  She is more the type to push you with her head and I just push her back!  Anya, I think the only time she will get a smack is if she kicked or did bite me, but I can't see her ever doing something so naughty!

Welshie, well she is a different kettle of fish and will push to the limits and often gets the elbow or a slap with a lead rope - I try to avoid using a hand because they need to understand the hand as praise.  She has also had the shaving fork slapped across her rear end but I did object to her double barrelling at me when I walked into the stable.  She used to be really nasty and corner you in the box, but she has matured and learned to trust me but every so often she will try it on and you have to be firm with her.

There is no greater gift than to share time with a creature of such beauty - The Horse.

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  • Posted 2 years ago (10 March 2012 10:39)
kezza81

Joined:

Mar 12

Posts: 147

kezza81 says:

Re: do you / would you hit your horse?

 my 22yo has a naturally gentle and submissive nature and was brought up properly by the people who had him his whole life before me so he has excellent manners and never needs to be disciplined. he's the sort of horse you can completely trust with even the tiniest tots. 

my rising 3yo was completely unhandled when i got him two months ago. he started off shy but curious and is now just starting to be confident about having his head and feet touched and with this confidence has come some playful nipping! nothing nasty, just the odd nip to my elbow or my shoulder. i know he doesnt mean to be nasty he is just testing his boundaries and inviting me to play however i have no intention of letting this become a habit. when he tries to nip my elbow it bumps him back , he has a squel and then doesnt try again for long while. if he tries to nip my shoulder he gets a NO! and if necessesary a pinch on the shoulder. he is good natured and gets the message quickly and i havent had to slap him or shout at him yet but if i needed to i would. i would absolutely not ever take a stick, rope, brush to him as punishment though nor would i yank his head about the headcollar. there still has to be respect in discipline.

a pony is a child's dream,a horse is an adult's treasure.

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  • Posted 2 years ago (10 March 2012 10:43)
lauralou15

Joined:

Apr 10

Posts: 453

lauralou15 says:

Re: do you / would you hit your horse?

greyandbay said:

He gets the elbow treatment or a slap on the shoulder and a firm 'NO', and very often he'll also get a nip from Monty as well, but he's really game and will be back for more

------ End Quote ------

made me chukkle....got an image of you having to bend right down to give him the elbow hehe

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  • Posted 2 years ago (10 March 2012 11:26)
kevinhiatt

Joined:

Aug 10

Posts: 5164

kevinhiatt says:

Re: do you / would you hit your horse?

My old Cob Tonka used to barge so the elbow trick worked, also it works when an irate person barges you as well but it works too well as the person who did it to me ended up sliding on their bum on the floor in the pay area of the Tesco petrol station and I was asked by the police to explain and they could not stop laughing as the person attacking just bounced off never touched them. Today Sabrina barged me and I nearly fell over not amused so immediately a sharp slap never later as they would not know what its for she had the slap on her well padded bum never on the head.  

Gypsy Gold does not chink & glitter.It gleams in the sun and neighs in the dark.Tonka & Lara my beautiful horses RIP, Nelson & Chloe the cats.

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  • Posted 2 years ago (10 March 2012 11:40)

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