Do You Smack your horse?

I'll only hit her if she's behaving dangerously. Either to herself or me, for example if she was messing around while being led down a road, rearing up at me, prancing about on ice (she learnt that the hard way unfortunately by falling over!) it's never particularly hard or more than once and I very rarely do, but I'd much rather see her get a tap than have her jump out in front of a car.
Usually I'm just firm but fair, she was trying to kick me while I was brushing the mud of her legs yesterday and she never ever even lifts her legs usually so I just brushes imaginary mud until she got bored and stopped :p
 
Agree with Monty, im firm but fair. I have mainly youngsters & i expect manners. I cant be doing with bolshy animals. They do get cuddles too :)
 
Rarely now. The old lad is a gent to handle so definitely not needed there. The young lad came to me with a variety of dangerous handling habits eg/ rearing up & boxing at you,snaking & shaking his head trying to dominate you, kicking out. I've got 2 children & this could not be tolerated, so for a short time he got a fair few whallops. They weren't 'taps' if the situation warrants me to hit a horse then I bloody well want it to register with them, thank you very much (dons flame retardant suit)
Now, I'm glad to say the behaviour has stopped & he is very good to handle. He certainly isn't afraid of me. If anything he is calmer & happier because instead of stressing about dominating me he knows to take his lead from me :)
The pony is an angel. I don't think she's ever had a smack the years she's been with me. In fact if you raise your voice to her she acts like you've ruined her week!
 
Yes, they kick each other to tell each other off. If she's about to barge over me, hit me round the head with her head etc then yes. My gosh if I hadn't told her off over the years I would have a nightmare horse, she's a give an inch take a mile. She us 100 times better behaved now and rarely a bad word said to her but aged 5-6 she was awful as people had let her get away with things before that.
 
i have only ever smacked a horse when he threatened me with his teeth- gave him a tap on the nose . No where near enough to hurt him but just tell him off, he never attempted it again :) My horses have never given me another reason to smack them so far... but I would if need be and it wasn't going to reinforce a negative reaction (eg hitting a horse for spooking as I see many people do!)
 
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No, I don't smack horses.

I will take whatever action necessary to keep myself safe in an emergency situation, although in the rare event that something happens, it would normally be big body language before I ever make contact.

I wouldn't hit a horse as a deliberate punishment - which is my interpretation of a "smack" :)
 
I hit them with a whip if they warrant it. Havn't had to hit anything for years, but will if they need it. I also carry a whip when schooling but wouldn't hit a horse then, just a tap to "quicken" an aid, but again rarely use.

You can "body l;anguage" all you like, if a horse is trying to bite, kick, barge or otherwise damage you a quick wallop will get his attention.
 
Very occasionally, if he is bargy at the gate coming in, doesn't happen often, but when it does, I have to be firm as he was very bargy and rude when I first got him, and I don't want a him to revert to that.
Other than that, the odd tap with a schooling whip when he's not listening when ridden.
 
Yep. My 4yo had poor handling as a foal and knows no boundaries. He will regularly try and squash you against a wall or barge out of his stable and shouting at him falls on deaf ears.

It's dangerous behaviour and I'm lucky he's only small. Any bigger and I'd have been toast. There were a few times I've been against the wall and unable to breathe.

However now, a tap on his chest accompanied with a voice aid gets the job done.

He's actually a lot better now he has consistency and whilst I've been in hospital, Moomin1 on here has reported back he will now move back in his stable on voice commands alone which I'm estatic with :)
 
I can't even remember the last time I even mildly raised my voice to mine, she doesn't need it, she has manners to burn.
Usually with other horses I find a large 'oy' & confident body language prevents the majority of bad behavior occurring in the first place. I have hit or kicked back immediately as a response to a horse attempting to do the same to me, but its more in the manner of making them get out of my space & back away than a punishment for having done it.
 
Only when necessary. Usually only if she isnt listening to the tone of my voice or being dangerously silly. I dont believe in smacking when not needed as both mine are usually very good both to ride and handle :)
 
If she warrents a smack then yes. Firm but fair. Otherwise she would be a right nightmare to handle!
I got kicked a few weeks ago by a another horse it just reversed into me from behind (it is a evil witch, it will target you in the field). And yes it got a smack back. If i hadnt of reponsed ill probaly would have been a very nasty incident.
 
Yep if in danger of hurting me and not paying attention or if actually hurting me say bite or kick them yep definately. You cant hurt a horse with your hands or feet as much as they can hurt each other IMO.
 
With my 5yo I can get a away with a loud sharp "ah ah!" most of the time. He can however be a bit handy with his teeth, in which case he will get a tap on the nose. The thing is now he knows he is wrong when he bites so it takes nothing much. It used to be more of a problem when he was younger. I have only ever really walloped him twice, once when I went to go in his stable and he pretty much walked over the top of me to barge out and another time when he went to kick me. I can safely say he hasn't ever done those again!
 
Yes I give my 5 year old a slap if he is rude, try's to bite or something like that. As its best nipped in the bud straight away I won't tolerate bad manners

Ride wise I do carry a whip some times if he being lazy , ask with leg if no response ask again with a tap of the whip to back it up. Never used a whip to hit him hard and never would, but he not really the horse that does much wrong a laid back type.
 
My riding horse is neurotic about whips to the extent that if you ride him carrying one he is a nervous wreck and wouldn't be capable of doing a thing. If he is a plank just a growl scares the poop out of him so I would gain little with hitting him.
My 2 year old gets an elbow if he forgets his manners and tries to bite being led out to the field but I have never full on hit him.
The old coldger needs a whack sometimes to get him out of everyones face, and I don't think he even notices it!
Horses for courses. I would hit if they kicked at me or did anything unacceptable.
 
Occasionally I will give mine a quick thwack on his side with the lead rope when he is dragging me along doing his best lawnmower impression when I'm turning him out... That said its more of an "OI! I'm here you know" than anything that would hurt/scare him. Ill try to pull his head up first but even with my whole body weight pulling against his head he will often carry on eating.

He's also had a smack on the neck with a crop for dragging me down his neck eating whilst out hacking. Again, not a 'beating', more of a quick reminder that its not appropriate to behave like that.

He's a tank though (a greedy tank), if I didn't give him a smack in these situations I would be dragged along while he eats all the time! I would never 'beat' my horse, but he is a big animal and sometimes a physical reminder that I am there is necessary, for his safety as well as mine!
 
If they warrant it, yes.

It's very rare for them to be smacked on the ground as both have good manners but if one should try to bite/kick then they will get a smack, and not a soft one either. It's so rare that when i do hit them, they know I mean it. Barging doesn't normally get a smack as i find backing them up works better with mine. Well 1 never ever barges, the other is led in a dually head collar so when she has a moment she just needs reminding to get out my space.

Under saddle, 1 is ridden with a schooling whip for flat and hacking and he will get a flick if he gets behind my leg and doesn't respond to it. I carry a short whip for jumping but rarely use it, as 99% of the time, if he stops which is rare anyway, it's my fault.

The other is ridden with a whip whop rope as she hates whips and that works a treat (had a lot of problems in the past). If she even thinks about napping or rearing (and doesn't off my leg instantly) I use that, as she has had serious problems and sometimes I need to re-enforce it s NOT acceptable, under ANY circumstances. It sends her forwards and it works. Then she gets a pat and we getmon with our day :)
 
my horse has probably only been smacked maybe 4 times in 7yrs, each of those times was because he had totally switched off to me being there and would walk over the top of me or something similar, a smack on his chest got his attention again and we were safe.
one of my ponies has only been smacked when he's gone to attack either a small animal or child, he's now very good with all that and works better with praise than a smack.

another of my ponies has been smacked a few times, he is a bargy cob type, he gets on his toes when being led to go do work and then spins round you and kicks out, i will smack him for that but as soon as he's listening/standing still/walking nicely i will praise him so he does know why he's been told off.
 
When I first had my old horse, long since outgrown and with another family, he had revolting stable manners.
Pulling faces I can deal with, lunging at me over the door as i walked past (he was a ruddy ninja! :O) i wasn't going to put up with, a firm no wasn't working so one day as he came with teeth flying he got a smack round the chops, not enough to hurt him but enough that he was shocked.

Never flew at anyone with teeth out again and apart from the odd time when he played up ridden and tried his luck he rarely had a smack.

There's a difference between giving a smack to discipline and beating your horse up. Ours were always well loved, cheeky horses but they knew where the line was and not to cross it.
 
*ruddy phone! 3rd time lucky!*

My leg as i prefer to flick not smack and have strong legs anyway. always carry a whip out hacking but more for safety if i encounter a dog that takes a fancy and wants a chunk, i want something to defend my horse.and i with!
 
When they try to nip me.....smack on nose

When they try to kick me(tho this is rare now as the little bleep bleep is playing in the field in the sky) I with kick back or smack.

Only the once and its quick and sharp to make my point.
 
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