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sallypops

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poppy is bein really naughty again
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and my confidence has gone.

since i was last on she has been put in the field with the 2 other horses, a mare and a gelding, she get on very well with both of them and i think her goin back to how she was is just pure excitement of being with other horses again. but i can't help but let my nerves get the better of me, she's barging about all the time, squishing me against the wall in the stable and biting (like mouth wide open go for ya) obviously me being scared is helpin in anyway

i'm trying to stay confident and not give up, but its just so hard
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hopefully with persiverance things will improve again
 
Oh no Im so sorry to read this!

What are you doing when she does these things, she is clealry not scared from what you have said so she is just being a cow bag?
 
i have actually taken a crop in the stable with me a couple of times to tell her off when she bites, i am leading her in a bridle for safety, can't do alot when she squishes me but push her back as hard as i can to escape :S

i have to say when she has been barging off back to the field i have been able to stop her just, but i would rather be safe than sorry cause there is tractors an stuff at the farm
 
oops forgot to put in that the other horses go in at night she stays out. due to my work shifts and the fact that her stable door doesn't work properly still
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so i think that because their in at night she is just so over excited when the get back out, and then when i bring her in away from them she isn't very happy. should i look into gettin her a companion that can stay out with her??
 
I would try and seeif she can have the same routine as the others if thats upsetting her, perhaps get your stable door fixed, arrange for someone else to turn out or bring in if you cant, if thats possible.

It sonds like she just needs bringing down a peg or two, how does she react when you bring a crop in, does she respect it?
 
Oh dear I think I would be scared too. have you a more confident friend who could help you until her manners are sorted. I would be inclined to not do anything to her in the stable unless she is tied up short. If you can tie her outside even better then she can't squish you either. I taught my boy to respect my space by prodding him in the side with my finger (about where your heel goes when you are riding) and saying over, and persisting until he moved. He also has to step back when I go into the stable. If she barges when you are leading him always use a bridle or controller headcollar. You need to make yourself big and scary (not easy when you're scared) and I find growling helps. I would slap her nose if she bit but I know opinions vary on this.
 
how long have you had her? newer horses tend to go through a faze of testing their new owner, to find out boundaries of what behaviours are acceptable with that person.

Perseverance and patience is key. Be firm with her and if you not able to do this maybe shes not right for you
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good luck
 
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I would slap her nose if she bit but I know opinions vary on this.

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I would also smack her, this isnt a scared nervous horse, this a litle madam trying it on isnt it.
 
she's not scraed of the crop really at all, makes my feel safer tho. i really would prefer her to be out, its better for her to she prefers it, she does hav some very funny looking sheep as friends at night lol. i will see about bringing her in but i don't want someone else to be burdened with her if she's gonna be difficult if you kno what i mean
 
i've had her for four years but she was away on loan for 6 months as a companion to a horse down south, the problems started when she came home.

she always loads better by herself, with no other horses around, she just becomes so attached
 
LOl if she is happy out then leave her out, I thought you meant she was stressing because she was left out laone, no I agree about not getting anyone else to handle her if she could be dangerous.

Do you smack her when she tries biting etc, I mean really smack her not a pat on the backside.
 
oh aye she get a whack, an i don't care if people think it cruel but she needs to be told.

shes not stressing about being out but it just seems like she is overwhelmed when the horses go back in the field. like she is really bad in the mornings if they have just not long gone out. so i wondered if a companion would help ease this, just give her someone to talk to in the night
 
Perhaps, could you maybe do a trial run by asking someone else at the yard to leave theirs out overnight for a few nights?

Would be a shame to go and find another horse/pony to care for just for the reason of companionship if it didnt work.

Glad you are giving her a proper telling off when she is doing it, you must be so frustrated.
 
i had a 17 .3 that did this ..... not funny , broke my hand ,shoulder got squashed against wall and i was kicked straight in the stomach
all because he loved these two mares he was out with all the time and when i brought him in he freaked out every time spinning round , biting kicking you name it ,,,,, i lost my confidence but after he kicked me across the yard and boy i was winded for about 30 Min's ( and a huge bruise oh was mad )
i decided things needed to change!!
so i changed his routine , i put him in the field next to the mares so he could see them but not get to them ,and then i started stabling him for a few hours day, and yes he fret and broke bits of the stable but after 6 weeks of this routine, he changed completely, he ended up out all day and in at nite , so he could see other horses but not be with the mares to get to clingy

in the end he didn't care for the mares at all no breaking free and running back to the field and no more biting kicking or spinning round and squashing me
infact the mares call to him and he isn't even bothered but before forget it he was mad !

IMO she needs a routine , get the stable fixed
and get her in a routine and you will find she will become more settled not over nite but a few weeks you will see a difference
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Have you tried doing work on the ground with her? I'm not into all that NH stuff but she sounds very much like my mare (apart from the biting), had zero respect for me on the ground and I was much more confident on her back as she isn't scared of anything - shouting, smacking, crops etc, she just barged through me lol! Doing loads of stuff with just a cheap pressure halter really helped to teach her personal space and general manners
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...just a thought, might be worth a try but do get someone to show you how to do it properly
 
Poppy has had these issues for a while though hasnt she, they havent just appeared because she is with these new horses, but she had got better, so its more she has gone back to her old ways I think, rather than picked up new behaviours because of these new horses.
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totally agree that she needs a routine, its just so tricky because i can't use the other fields we only have one, i can't section it or anything, i might try and change my work shifts or somethin an bring her in
 
cant you put them all out in the morning and the other owners take it in turns in bringing her in the afternoon
im sure she will be better coming in with them .... than being left on her todd

people help out if you can help them
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Try changing her feed, our old TBx Welsh D got very dangerous, particularly when brought in for feeding, eventually took two of us to lead her! We stopped all feed (including mints!) except hay and discovered that she had an intolerance to sugar and most grains. We got her sorted out as long as no kind soul had given her a "treat"
 
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