Can you/how do you cure a kicker???

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Tizzy01

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My friend and I were chatting about how neither has ever been kicked (touches wood frantically) and I have never owned a kicker. If you did or do own a kicker, can it be cured- and if so, how do you go about it?
 
hi horses kick for a number of reasons , one is dominance , one is cause they are nasty and the other is past treatment and old memories and self protection ,i know a horse that is a bad kicker and i got the pleasure of looking after her for 5 weeks while the owner went away , she didnt tell me about the kicking before she went didnt know the horse but had to really watch myself with her, she had the farrier twice and another helper 3 times , the owner has returned and she has not attempted to kick her at all , couldnt believe it so that was def a trust issue , i have refused to change rugs with her but will still turn out and bring in if needed but stuff anything else , she is so quick and fast and means it , broken bones if she caught me , stuff that if she was mine im not sure what i would do , she is old and others think she is in pain , yet she will gallop around the field like no ones business , go figure x
 
Yes, that is a weird one! I have known horses that kick out at other horses or perhaps kick out if obviously afraid. I suppose I am referring more to those that seem to just kick out for the hell of it (I suppose this is likely to be learned behaviour, they have done it once and noticed it had the desired effect!)
 
A bullet, stops it.
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Eeek, I suppose it would. I personally wouldn't want a kicker as I like to get pleasure from owning and being around horses. I cannot imagine having to be on my toes all the time in case I got a metal shoe in my face
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I suppose in some competition horses it is accepted as a quirk if they are very talented!
 
Some years ago I worked for a dealer who sent me in to the stable to change the rugs on a new horse. After I came out safely she told me that it was a kicker but didn't tell beforehand so that I was confident when I went into the stable. Horses are certainly very quick to pick up on body language so whilst I wasn't thrilled her method seemed to work.
 
When I used to help out at the local riding school when I was younger their were a few ponies that would 'wave a leg' at the children and they would run away- the ponies never tried it on with me or the grooms because we were confident. However, I really don't think these ponies ever actually kicked out, they just took pleasure in frightening the little ones
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Horses can kick during feeding too, initially because they were so hungry or had competition for food - this can then become a learned behaviour, difficult to "unlearn" and transfer to the stable, even when hunger and competition is taken away.
 
I have cured a kicker along with her owner.

Horse kicked when being caught. Booted about 3 people. Used to swing for me in the stable if untied.

Once caught was perfect and brilliant to ride.

Reason for kicking, I think, was - limited turnout in old home and over schooled.
Handled by a young teenager and learnt that she could get out of work by being agressive.

Cure was pretty much patience and perserverance - firm handling, variety of routine, and jumping (fun)!

She turned out a perfect horse in the end and is still enjoying life as a happy hacker at 25.

As Piebaldsparkle has said, she was lucky to end up with someone who took the time to help her rather than just shoot her
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My mare kicks out hunting, hounds and other hourses. Any suggestions for stopping that? Its made her impossible to hunt.
 
My old pony used to have a habit of kicking when we first got her, this did include out hunting once :/ she was only 14hh and was turned out with the 'big' hunters for a couple of days, in amongst these was another one who was 'stroppy' and known to be a bit of a madam. Pony got one belt off of this thing and never lifted a leg again.
 
Clodagh, I used to hack out (but never hunted) a little welsh(ish) pony who kicked others, including his 'best friend' a massive warmblood. He'd had a bad past life (visible scars, poor little man) and was always funny with men in his stable but learnt to trust women.

As I knew him well and felt quite confident on him I could usually spot when he was thinking about doing it. LOTS of leg on the side of the potential victim and asking him to move up a gear/leg yield/make a small circle/anything to divert his attention usually worked. Took practice though... Is there anything relatively safe sturdy and not too likely to retaliate you could practice going out with?

Not sure about dogs as is quite a risk for them... The little jack russels ruled on that pony's yard. They'd bite the nose of anything that wanted hay when they were busy sleeping in a manger! So he was OK with dogs.
 
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My mare kicks out hunting, hounds and other hourses. Any suggestions for stopping that? Its made her impossible to hunt.

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Have you tried smacking her when she does it? With a growl for added effect lol x
 
She gets severely beaten when she does it, especially the one time she actually got a hound. I have dogs here and shes fine with them, my lurcher hacks out with us, right under her tail, and shes fine. Hounds she HATES, she even cow kicks if they are beside her.
Other horses she has improved with, unless they ram her, but with a red ribbon and my hand behind my back I'm afraid people should know better. I always keep her bum out the way - usually parked in a hedge - when we are standing. Again out hacking she never does it, even if my sons pony hits her full on. She is top mare here, I only have 3, but never kicks in the field either.
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My mare has been known to kick out apparently before I got her but I haven't had an issue with her yet. i'm always cautious around her back end but I think it was a case of her having no one to one relationship with anyone before I got her.....she was a bit of a barrel of nerves
 
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