Any Advise Please

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PIP17

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Just wondered if someone could advise how best to deal with the following... my horse who I have owned since April gets very protective over his food to the extent that he pulls faces and lifts his hind leg to cow kick when you approach him. His personaility apart from this is one of being laid back and relaxed and he is genuine and honest with his ridden work and hacking out etc. Im not sure how to deal with this because I have to change his rugs etc while he is eating his breakfast because of time limit I have to get everything done before I go to work. I am reluctant to react at the moment because he is just starting to bond with me and become a real sweetheart (following me round field etc etc) but I feel I should do something to correct this. If I am changing his rugs, tacking up, grooming with no food etc he is absolutely fine - he is also brilliant to shoe and clip. Does anyone think he may have been extremely hungary at some point in his life? He is nearly 13. Any ideas anyone? :rolleyes:
 
Hate to say this, but I think he has a point. Yes, of course he should be respectful while he's eating, but personally, I'd be peeved too if I couldn't enjoy my meal in peace. Could you possibly change your jobs around so that you're doing something else while he's eating ? As he's perfect in every other way, I'd let him have a stressfree mealtime.
 
First of all I would avoid the stress if he is very protective of his food. Can you not put his food out in the field or just give him tea so he isn't eating while you are rugging up?
If he just lifts a leg then I would ignore and carry on doing what you want with quiet confidence and perhaps a growl. If he actually kicks out then (tin hat securely on) I would smack him hard (it is never ever on to kick out at you) and then carry on. That said - you need to be reasnoble with him while not allowing him to scare you out of his space when it suits, but while not putting you in a dangerous situation. He might have a very good reason to be protective over his food, who knows. Either way though he just can't find it acceptable to kick out at you to get you to do as he wants.
I would not accept kicking at all from mine. It is simply not on at all.
 
My Big lad is exactly the same and has been since he was 6 (now 15!) I leave him to eat his dinner, smacking ect doesnt help just aggravates him.
He's had the habit too long to break it.

Last year I pushed my luck and was in a rush to rug him up and he kicked me. I was alone at the yard, blacked out from the pain, and it wasnt until I came too that I could phone an ambulance. I had done severe damage to my leg and was on crutches for a long time!!

Its not worth arguing with him about, if he is like my lad and its just when he's eating.. let him eat!!
 
Ok thanks everyone - advise taken on board, will leave him in peace and change routine slightly so Im not annoying him, but will keep a close eye on things and react accordingly if I have to. Thanks again :)
 
Can you quickly change his rugs before you feed him? Then the rug bit is done and he can eat in peace and also he will only associate rug changing with something nice afterwards.

Some horses are always funny about their meal times. We always change or put on our horses rugs when they are eating and they are absolutely fine. A couple of them can get a bit fidgety sometimes but would never kick out and the rug's done within a few seconds so they can then get on with their eating.

My youngster didn't really like being bothered when eating and had not been rugged before. Now he will have his rug put on/taken off when he's eating and doesn't move. He knows what we are doing and knows we are not trying to interfere with his food.
 
I have a TB does exactly the same & I have no option but to sometimes check & sort rug out whilst eating. Also is it an option to not change rugs I just straighten his rug which he copes with a lot better. If he pulls a face or lifts his leg I growl at him & occasional tap & tell him to stop being a miserable old fart, this usually only has to be done once as I make sure I am quick so he does get some of his dinner in peace. He was very bargy to get at his dinner I have tried to address this first & go back to basics with manners. Yes we should respect their space but also they should respect that we should be able to be around them when they are eating & not worry about getting kicked. I do try & do his rugs before or after dinner on some days but on those days I muck out around him so he gets used to me being there but not always touching him.
 
One of mine is exactly the same and I generally leave him to it. Just make sure everyone else involved in his care is aware to leave him alone too. Mine double barrelled my friend which didn't go down too well!

You can usually desensitise them if you really must. I really wouldn't bother though if he's perfect in every other sense.
 
Thanks everyone - feel better now Ive got some advise on it - I do let other people know how he is when fed :) just to be on the safe side.
 
My horse does exactly the same. He has to be left to eat in peace. I can go in to hang a haynet but do this cautiously. He is also terrible if he is in stables with bars (i.e. can see the horse next door) as he thinks they are going to "steal" his dinner and paces around pulling faces and kicking the walls.

I try to work around it so that maybe i give him his dinner and go empty wheelbarrow, fill haynets, tidy up so i'm not disturbing him and can get on with other things whilst he is eating. Likes yours in every other respect he is great, lovely temperment and personality, it's just his little quirk. Maybe he has had to fight for his food at some stage in his life.
 
Hi everyone - thanks for the replies - changed my routine slightly this morning and left him to eat in peace. Happy Horse!! :)
 
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