dilemma.

N

Nailed

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when i got Cato she was nowty to tack up and rug. she's now good to take up but still nowty to rug.

the reason we believe she is like this is because she has been handled roughly. there for, shouting is not going to help.

any ideas. x
 
Some horses just do this because they don't like you doing their rugs. Flame's been told a million times in various ways not to bite me while I do up her rug, and she still gets a sneaky one in if I forget to watch her.
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I think live with it and tie her up if she might hurt you.
 
Could you try something like only rugging before she is fed - so rugging becomes a positive thing?

Myself, I would be inclined to either tie her up or get a willing stooge to hold her to rug up and take it very slowly, with lots of praise when she is good.

Also I would be very BHS - folding the rug so it isn't looming at her, making sure there are no flappy straps etc.

Ignore the bad behaviour, reward the good. As you say, she has good reasons not to be keen on this, she is not being stroppy for the hell of it.

That's my two penn'orth anyway

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I found on a reallly bad gelding i used to share (who would take your head off if he could reach, and sometimes snap the bailer twine so he could) That rugging him up somewhere different, ie the arena completely changed him. He would stand loose in the arena and let me throw his rug over and do it all up as if he was the sweetest thing in the world. Maybe he associated it with something bad when he was tied up in the yard or in his stable (he would actually kill you in there- big no no).

Worth a try? He got better after a bit.
 
I found that my very sensitive mare was better if I rugged her from the 'wrong' side. I was always careful to fold the rug into quarters before putting it on her.
 
Have been working on same problem last fortnight.Fed up with mare trying to take chunks out of me she hates rugs and saddles.Had saddle pain in past.
I have been working on positive re inforcement.I give her carrot when I put rug on if she is good whilst I strap up she gets another seems to be working seen plenty of improvement.
 
Thanks for all the replys, Sorry not wrote back, been at work.

I think I will see what shes like if i rug in the school.

Perserverence is gonna be the key I think.

Mrs M... Come on then MONTY .. get ya as over here!! HEHEHEHE

Lou x
 
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