Best way to reprimand a horse

[Gingerwitch]

I squeal like a pig ? lol

 

[Keira 8888]

Funny you should mention it as my much- loved RS horse (with whom I spend a lot of time) did it this morning. I never give any treats as he easily gets over excited and exuberant, but someone must have slipped him something recently and today he had an exploratory nip. My reflex reaction was a loud bark and hard shove on his shoulder to get him out of my space. The look of hurt astonishment! After that he tried so hard to be The Best Boy in the World it made me laugh ?

Awwwww what a good boy ?? and well done you ????

 

[jkitten]

Old horseman's trick with a biter: have a stiff dandy brush to hand. When horse comes at you, let him run into the brush. You obviously don't want to smack it with the brush -- your brush-holding has to be pretty passive so it seems self-inflicted. You yourself must stand there and not react, like it's not even happening. A lot of nippy horses who get handlers smacking them for it will see it as a game, because if you're a horse, it totally is (or they'll just get really headshy). Have you ever seen (usually) geldings or stallions playing the face-nippy game? Anyway, a nose full of dandy brush can't be pleasant.

I saw this done once, albeit accidentally. Riding school Shetland was known to be the most stubborn, opinionated, cheeky so-and-so to hand. He was honestly lucky he was gorgeous, bright fluffy chestnut with the biggest ginger mane you ever did see spraying out in all directions like a Thelwell pony. Ahem. Anyway, this character was known to try to nip his attendant on the bum for entertainment when he got bored.

Various tricks were tried, but really you just had to be on your toes around him, until one day: The girl grooming leapt out of the way, turning just right so that, by complete accident, the business end of the brush ended up at precisely the correct angle for him to get two nostrils full of hard bristle. Let me tell you, from the look he gave that brush, that pony was Offended. He was Betrayed. But he was never bitey again. (Though he remained an adorable ginger twat for ever after, and nobody would have had him any different!)

 

[Keira 8888]

If you give treats when he comes in, can he smell food in your pockets ? Perhaps stop any hand feeding and give rewards in a bucket in the stable.
When repremanding a rude horse, I generally keep it low key, unless it's a sudden dangerous moment. I don't shout, flap or smack.
For horses that mug for treats, I let them accidently (not accidentally) knock their head on my elbow and give their muzzle a rub saying ' oh dear, poor you. '

Hmmmmmm what a good point ?? I am a little like a human horse treat dispenser ? Note taken: no more polos in my pocket!! Xx

 

[doodle]

I saw this done once, albeit accidentally. Riding school Shetland was known to be the most stubborn, opinionated, cheeky so-and-so to hand. He was honestly lucky he was gorgeous, bright fluffy chestnut with the biggest ginger mane you ever did see spraying out in all directions like a Thelwell pony. Ahem. Anyway, this character was known to try to nip his attendant on the bum for entertainment when he got bored.

Various tricks were tried, but really you just had to be on your toes around him, until one day: The girl grooming leapt out of the way, turning just right so that, by complete accident, the business end of the brush ended up at precisely the correct angle for him to get two nostrils full of hard bristle. Let me tell you, from the look he gave that brush, that pony was Offended. He was Betrayed. But he was never bitey again. (Though he remained an adorable ginger twat for ever after, and nobody would have had him any different!)

Oh that’s brilliant! I can just see the offended look!!

 

[PurBee]

Brilliant suggestions...i might try a few myself! Especially the star jump ‘bam!’ Combo! ? I can see courageous gelding, flinch his 1mm flinch and stare at me like im nuts! That gelding, the bigger my expressions get, the less he bothers moving. He’s the opposite of a real horse....curious about potential freaky things, and jumps out of his skin at familiar stuff!

Normally i pinch the shoulder just below withers quite firm and fast, to mimic a reprimand bite they get from other horses. It does work well for mine.

The comment about biting back is funny...sometimes instincts over-rule!
I once minded an 8yr old boy at a fair while mum and dad went off to get coffee. The boy was abit of a character and loved being naughty, so he’s trying to jibe me...i was playful then he bit my arm! I told him ‘no!’ Mum and dad arrived soon after, and asked what was wrong, i told them..showed the teeth marks, mum tells me to bite him back! i said noooo....i cant do that...so she grabbed his arm and bit him where he bit me, he cried then was well-behaved the rest of the trip! It evidently works! ??

 

[smolmaus]

I’m a small person with a big voice. I can shock most horses into stopping unwanted/naughty behaviour with a loud ‘oi’.

The day I discovered I had inherited my mums Scary Voice was the day I had 4 shitlands come pelting towards me and the wheelbarrow kicking and biting the b'jesus out of eachother having the time of their lives, not caring a bit that I was in the way. Scattered like a flock of hairy muddy sparrows ? I had never needed The Mum Voice before but it's come in handy since!

 

[Annagain]

Charlie does this and has obviously had a whack for it in the past because if I do what I would do with any other horse - a loud "No" and waving my arms about he's terrified. I don't give him treats but sometimes have some in my pocket as Archie has them for carrot stretches. I try not to have them around him as it's just not fair but sometimes forget. He could obviously smell them the other day as he grabbed my pocket, then realised what he'd done - thinking he'd bitten me and not just my clothes - and shot to the back of his stable absolutely petrified. So with him, I just push his head away firmly but gently and slowly or put my elbows in a position where his nose is going to hit them before his teeth make contact and as he bangs into them say a firm, quiet "no". He's getting there but he's very head shy in general bless him. The other day, without thinking I walked towards him with the yard brush in my hand as he was tied up, just to give him a scratch and the look in his eyes was sheer terror. I felt awful.

 

[Keith_Beef]

If Keira hadn't started this thread, then I would have! I also wonder about the best way to react to a horse that starts invading my space, biting or otherwise misbehaving.

I'm generally not at all nervous or apprehensive around animals, whether they are spiders, snakes, geese, swans, dogs, horses, cows or camels... OK, maybe camels... And when I think hard about it, no animal has ever really hurt me other than accidentally and superficially.

OH thinks that it's weird that I speak to animals, but I'm convinced that mammals know the difference between a soft and reassuring tone of voice, a stern but fair tone and an angry or aggressive tone.

At the school I sometimes get given a mare who snaps er teeth around me while I'm tacking her up. She'll stand still, and not try to move away, so I tack her up without puttin gon a head collar or tying her to a ring set in the wall. She never makes contact, even though my arm is within easy reach, so I imagine that she is just showing me that she's unhappy and is trying to scare me... I just speak to her in a stern but calm voice and carry on.

There's a gelding who refuses to stand still to be brushed, but practically puts his head into the head collar that I hold in front of him. After I've attached him he stands as still as a stock to be brushed and tacked up. After the lesson, I have to attach him to brush again, and he follows me around for the treats that he expects for doing carrot stretches, but I can have treats in my coat pocket and turn my back on him and although he might place his head on my shoulder he never pushes me and he backs off as soon as I turn around to face him.

 

[Keira 8888]

The day I discovered I had inherited my mums Scary Voice was the day I had 4 shitlands come pelting towards me and the wheelbarrow kicking and biting the b'jesus out of eachother having the time of their lives, not caring a bit that I was in the way. Scattered like a flock of hairy muddy sparrows ? I had never needed The Mum Voice before but it's come in handy since!

Hairy muddy sparrows!!!!!!!!!!! I love that ????

 

[Keira 8888]

Charlie does this and has obviously had a whack for it in the past because if I do what I would do with any other horse - a loud "No" and waving my arms about he's terrified. I don't give him treats but sometimes have some in my pocket as Archie has them for carrot stretches. I try not to have them around him as it's just not fair but sometimes forget. He could obviously smell them the other day as he grabbed my pocket, then realised what he'd done - thinking he'd bitten me and not just my clothes - and shot to the back of his stable absolutely petrified. So with him, I just push his head away firmly but gently and slowly or put my elbows in a position where his nose is going to hit them before his teeth make contact and as he bangs into them say a firm, quiet "no". He's getting there but he's very head shy in general bless him. The other day, without thinking I walked towards him with the yard brush in my hand as he was tied up, just to give him a scratch and the look in his eyes was sheer terror. I felt awful.

Thank you so much for this. I have just successful tried the elbow technique and it worked a treat! Prince looked so surprised he stood there chewing for a few minutes while I happily carried on with my business (with a wry smile on my face ?)

 

[GreyMane]

The biting reminded me of this from Lucy Rees - Appendix 1 of The Horse's Mind. I love the bit about the vet.
(The "canful of stones" is used to make a noise, the horse soon learns the noise stops whenever it turns to face the handler).

“Fire was a four-year-old Arab stallion who bit, incessantly and viciously, when he was handled, although it was clear he neither feared nor disliked people. In the bull-pen it was at first difficult to get his attention until he was worked hard and fast, using a canful of stones. When finally he was allowed to approach he appreciated being rubbed and stroked, but soon bit. He was immediately driven away angrily and set to work again. Within three such bouts (about 15 minutes’ work) he had realized that he was allowed to muzzle and lick, but not bite. His delight in finding an acceptable way of making contact with people was almost laughable; he even licked the vet tenderly.

“Admire the horse for the good things he does and just kinda ignore the rest. First thing you know, the good things get better.” Ray Hunt

Fire’s need to make contact with his mouth is typical of stallions. As often happens, it had built up to such a point that, combined with the certainty of punishment, it was expressed violently. In a herd, older mares teach colts how to approach and muzzle politely in exactly the same way, by driving them away angrily when they are too rough. But when a horse is restrained by a lead rope he cannot go away, and so cannot learn.”

 

[Keira 8888]

Update on reprimand techniques suggested:

1) Star jump and BAM

Impressive success rate! I achieved instant reprimand and without hurting him he certainly didn’t like it! It was approx 6 minutes before he tried anything rude again.

2) Well placed elbow in anticipation of strike

Extremely happy with this one. He knew something strange had happened but I got the impression he wasn’t quite sure what had caused it - approx 11 minutes till he tried anything again. He stood chewing it over for a long time.

3) The wither pinch

Sadly I didn’t get good enough contact on his flesh to make a substantial pinch! It was more a handful of hair that slipped out of my hand too quickly. I will try this again though.

4) The ignoring bad behaviour and rewarding good

This also worked surprisingly well. After firmly and calmly moving his nose away and saying NO in a low controlled voice he got bored and ate his hay.

So all in all, excellent advice! Thanks guys! I know the prascend he is on for his cushings is affecting him right now so I will just be firm and consistent until he comes out of the “veil”

Happy Saturday darlings! ?

 

[Not_so_brave_anymore]

OH thinks that it's weird that I speak to animals, but I'm convinced that mammals know the difference between a soft and reassuring tone of voice, a stern but fair tone and an angry or aggressive tone.

My lovely vet always tells the horses "sharp scratch coming" when she's doing jabs. She says they're much less likely to jump or get stressed when she gives them a warning.

 

[Pippity]

If you do want to treat - and it can be useful to have them associate you with Nice Tasty Things - I've taught Blue that she only gets a treat if she looks away from me. She was getting a bit greedy at times but, with this, it's very difficult for her to get particularly demanding. The worst she does is look very ostentatiously at my pocket and then look away.