Do You Smack your horse?

[maisie06]

Yes - when they get disrespectful or get into my space. 500kgs of horse is not going to get away with pushing me around and having no comeback!! Have you seen how horse's reprimand each other when they overstep the mark? A good kick or a bite, I don't think my pathetic little smack is going to hurt as much as another horse! I start with a growl and a bit of body language and if that is ignored a smack is in order.
I very rarely have to smack any of mine - I am proud to say they have great manners and are lovely to be around, due to having boundries, leadership and respect.

 

[Starbucks]

I don't carry a stick so not generally - he doesn't really do stuff wrong that a smack would help.

Although! He booted another horse out hunting and I grabbed a stick off someone else and he got a smack for that, might have been a bit late but I hate it when people do nothing!

He'll get a slap and a shout if he's pratting about with the hose pipe etc. but otherwise he doesn't get in troubs.

 

[AdorableAlice]

I do lots of things, but spoiling youngsters isn't one of them.

Am I the only one, after reading some of PR's posts on various subjects, beginning to doubt if PR actually keeps horses ? There is something not quite right. That is cyberspace I guess.

 

[Dizzy socks]

I do lots of things, but spoiling youngsters isn't one of them.

Wait..so you have bred all your horses? Or you have just only ever bought perfect ones?

 

[muckypony]

Again, yes - when needed. My current ones are just foals and they only time they've been told off is for biting (gentle tap on the nose and a stern 'no'), kicking (smack on the bum, one got a broom up his arse, hasn't dared since!) and sometimes they will not move over when I ask, so get a push in the side! Although sometimes I don't think they even feel it through their coats

With my last pony, they only time she got a smack was when she bit (very rare, always happened when doing the front of her rugs up).

I think its quite important to use a stern voice with them more often than hitting, I've always found they respond well to that. But I smack mine when they deserve it at the moment. They're shetland colts and I absolutely do not want them thinking that they're more superior than me, but I think it depend son the situtation - the other night one of them went to bite me while I gave the other a fuss in the stable (jealous!) I gave him a sharp tap on the nose and a stern 'no' and he just put his ears back at me and turned his bum! Cue being marched out of the stable backwards and tied up outside on his lonesome!

Its all depending on the situation and horse, I think sometimes smacking can make them more aggressive so another method should be used, but I don't disagree with a smack every now and then. After all, if they kicked/bit/barged another horse, they'd get a lot worse back!

 

[Pale Rider]

Am I the only one, after reading some of PR's posts on various subjects, beginning to doubt if PR actually keeps horses ? There is something not quite right. That is cyberspace I guess.

I could be a Troll.

LOL.

 

[DosyMare]

I do lots of things, but spoiling youngsters isn't one of them.

You didn't actually answer the question on how you would handle a spoilt youngster?

 

[Pale Rider]

You didn't actually answer the question on how you would handle a spoilt youngster?

Young horses try things out with their teeth, they are just being curious really. You should never knock the curiosity out of a young horse, so hitting and slapping is out.

'Spoilt' could mean anything, everyone has different ideas about whats spoilt. Most people cannot bring up a horse without making a pigs ear of it, when its at its most impressionable, they turn it away for a couple of years and ignore it.

Be appropreate with youngsters, don't let them invade your space and they cannot bite you. You don't have to belt them to keep them out of your space, if you don't know how, learn.

 

[glamourpuss]

Youngsters do try things out with their teeth that is true. In fact my 18 year old is still mouthy & likes to catch hold of things in his gob. This is very different from a nip or a bite....& given how experienced you put yourself as being you should know this. So how do you deal with a youngster who has started nipping? Your post suggests that you just ignore it, its just a youngster trying things out with it's mouth,lovely. So it escalates to biting...what do you do then? This is a serious question. Please don't be disparaging about how we handle our horses unless you are prepared to 'educate' us to your *better* way.

You say that we should keep them out of our space without hitting. Can I ask how you would handle this situation.
16.3 TB, last chance saloon for being dangerous. If you go to catch him from the field he rears up at you & attempts to box at you with his front legs. Leading in he snakes his head at you & lunges at you. He has learnt that this behaviour has allowed him to be released to go where he wants so even if you adopt dominant body language or use a firm voice with him does not make him back down.
So really, please inform me where I went wrong & how I should've handled him?

 

[Pigeon]

He's ticklish and I've smacked him once or twice when I've been putting his rug on and he's kicked at me. Tbh I don't think smacking a horse with your hand is going to do it that much damage Wouldn't hit him with a stick unless I wanted to be chucked off.

 

[windand rain]

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.

this
I cant remember hitting any one of them for a very long time but have responded to being bitten or threatened with a kick with a slap of an open hand from time to time it is mostly the noise that startles them and I would never beat one or hit with a stick of any kind

 

[Tickles]

Never any more.

It isn't fun for me and I've never had great results with it that I couldn't have got being a better handler.

Would to prevent immediate danger to self/horse/another person/animal but have rarely been in such situations and not had another better option (e.g. sideways spook on road probably better dealt with by pushing onwards and back towards the side).

 

[Pale Rider]

Youngsters do try things out with their teeth that is true. In fact my 18 year old is still mouthy & likes to catch hold of things in his gob. This is very different from a nip or a bite....& given how experienced you put yourself as being you should know this. So how do you deal with a youngster who has started nipping? Your post suggests that you just ignore it, its just a youngster trying things out with it's mouth,lovely. So it escalates to biting...what do you do then? This is a serious question. Please don't be disparaging about how we handle our horses unless you are prepared to 'educate' us to your *better* way.

You say that we should keep them out of our space without hitting. Can I ask how you would handle this situation.
16.3 TB, last chance saloon for being dangerous. If you go to catch him from the field he rears up at you & attempts to box at you with his front legs. Leading in he snakes his head at you & lunges at you. He has learnt that this behaviour has allowed him to be released to go where he wants so even if you adopt dominant body language or use a firm voice with him does not make him back down.
So really, please inform me where I went wrong & how I should've handled him?

Why is it when people have turned what was probably a nice young horse into a car crash they start asking people like me where they went wrong. I'm disparaging about how people handle horses because of posts like this.

I certainly don't ignore anything, but I do less, sooner.

What your now talking about is a remedial project, which really needs to be seen.

 

[DosyMare]

Youngsters do try things out with their teeth that is true. In fact my 18 year old is still mouthy & likes to catch hold of things in his gob. This is very different from a nip or a bite....& given how experienced you put yourself as being you should know this. So how do you deal with a youngster who has started nipping? Your post suggests that you just ignore it, its just a youngster trying things out with it's mouth,lovely. So it escalates to biting...what do you do then? This is a serious question. Please don't be disparaging about how we handle our horses unless you are prepared to 'educate' us to your *better* way.

Everyone knows how colts behaviour; mine was a big lad and he liked to play and he thought i was his plaything. I was told to act like his mother would and squee and stamp my feet at him, yeah this really didn't work on him. I was then told to not be in his way and avoid the situation, this didn't work either when I needed to turn him out and bring him in. I was then advised to use various head collars and halters which made him worse.
So what do you do when a 15hh colt nips your arms then moves on to swinging down and biting your thighs and ever once bite someone on the head?
Not in anyway spoilt just a typical colt being a colt.
I had a great lesson with a natural horseman halter to which he just reared continually and I'm not one for yackin and that messing around.
We resulted in a plain old smack. I'm not by anyway saying I punched him or kicked him or slapped him round the nose. But firm and fair and learn some manners. If he bite/nipped or attempted to he got a firm NO and elbow in the chest when leading and when tied up or in stable a slap. But it does have to be instant so they relate the two not 3 minutes later.

 

[spotty_pony]

I can honestly say, I very rarely raise my hand to a horse (and even then it is just a firm tap on their shoulder.) I find raising my voice is much more effective as I am quite a quiet person and very calm around the horses usually, this really surprises them and makes them listen as it is rare that I raise my voice on the yard. Once I have reprimanded the horse with my voice, I will go back to my normal calm self and 9 times out of 10 the horse will never repeat what it did to cause me to shout.

 

[Pale Rider]

So what do you do when a 15hh colt nips your arms then moves on to swinging down and biting your thighs and ever once bite someone on the head?
Not in anyway spoilt just a typical colt being a colt.

Not being picky, but, why is he this close?

 

[DosyMare]

Not being picky, but, why is he this close?

Because your leading him from field to stable or because I'm grooming him or changing his rugs.

 

[Pale Rider]

Because your leading him from field to stable or because I'm grooming him or changing his rugs.

You need to learn to manage your personal space. You can invade his, but he cannot invade yours.

This is alot easier if you start properly rather than having to put things right.

 

[glamourpuss]

Pale Rider he was a remedial piece of work. One that I have completely straightened out thank you very much!
I did it my way, it involved him getting a few smacks. I'm intrigued how you would've done it.

 

[glamourpuss]

FFS I'm outraged that you think I was the one that made the horse it was.
That horse is now happy & confident yet able to be led by a 7 year old!

You are not actually answering any questions here just diverting them. Answers like 'they should respect your space & you should respect theirs' is all well & good we all know that but how? How?
How do you get the horse I mentioned in my post to respect my space?
I can tell you how I did it. I adopted a dominant body stance & eye contact, he got a sharp verbal warning & a shaking of the rope, if he still continued he got a sharp smack. This was hard enough to get a 'ooh that wasn't nice' reaction from him. I let that sink in. When he behaved & was caught nicely or led nicely he was praised copiously. He soon learnt that following my lead was a nice place to be

 

[Pale Rider]

Pale Rider he was a remedial piece of work. One that I have completely straightened out thank you very much!
I did it my way, it involved him getting a few smacks. I'm intrigued how you would've done it.

Well done you, what you asking me for then?

 

[glamourpuss]

...because I'm intrigued how you would've done it?
I believe I was firm but fair with him. Earlier in the thread you said that people posting had no idea what Firm but fair was. So educate me, was I firm but fair with this horse,.... If not how would you have handled him differently?

 

[DosyMare]

...because I'm intrigued how you would've done it?
I believe I was firm but fair with him. Earlier in the thread you said that people posting had no idea what Firm but fair was. So educate me, was I firm but fair with this horse,.... If not how would you have handled him differently?

Palerider you give no examples or experiences and never answer the actual question.
I therefore question if you have any experience with horses that have issues.
Obv a well mannered horse does not require a smack and so it's lovely to see a majority that does not require a smack but there are a few that have not had the education that others have had therefore need to learn.

 

[Pale Rider]

FFS I'm outraged that you think I was the one that made the horse it was.
That horse is now happy & confident yet able to be led by a 7 year old!

You are not actually answering any questions here just diverting them. Answers like 'they should respect your space & you should respect theirs' is all well & good we all know that but how? How?
How do you get the horse I mentioned in my post to respect my space?
I can tell you how I did it. I adopted a dominant body stance & eye contact, he got a sharp verbal warning & a shaking of the rope, if he still continued he got a sharp smack. This was hard enough to get a 'ooh that wasn't nice' reaction from him. I let that sink in. When he behaved & was caught nicely or led nicely he was praised copiously. He soon learnt that following my lead was a nice place to be

Sorry, I've just been falling about here, brilliant.

I'm not going to tell you I'd do this or that, because until I'd seen and worked with the horse I really don't know what approach I'd take.

I'm sure you're spectacularly dominant, lol,

 

[Kallibear]

Pale Rider he was a remedial piece of work. One that I have completely straightened out thank you very much!
I did it my way, it involved him getting a few smacks. I'm intrigued how you would've done it.

You're wasting your breathe ( fingers?!). Pale Rider NEVER shares his extensive wisdom, only states that everyone else is wrong Im beginning to suspect AdorableAlice might be right!

Yes, I will smack occasionally for rudeness, bad manners or dangerous behaviour. It depends whether a smack or putting the fear of god into them with voice or body language is more appropriate. I very very rarely have to smack my own (Pink hasn't had a smack for years as she a gentle polite old soul. Roo has had three smacks in a year: one for biting, one for kicking out and one for rearing. He hasn't done any of those since. And Piper is just a star, always.) I have prob smacks other peoples rude horses more in the last year than I have my own.

 

[Pale Rider]

Palerider you give no examples or experiences and never answer the actual question.

All horses are different, they all need an individual approach. People who say do this or that are talking crap, you have to work in broad strokes when your just talking about things without seeing that actual horse. I don't give specifics because it would be wrong to do this.

 

[Pale Rider]

You're wasting your breathe ( fingers?!). Pale Rider NEVER shares his extensive wisdom, only states that everyone else is wrong Im beginning to suspect AdorableAlice might be right!.

Not everyone, I've never said everyone, just most.

 

[burtondog]

I have a 3 year old gelding who's a bit 'nippy'. I smack him if he manages to bite me (even though he's usually tied up). He doesn't do it too often and when I smack him I try to remember to just smack him on the neck or shoulder so he doesn't get headshy. He seems to understand he's done wrong and doesn't seem to stress about being told off in this way.

Apart from the above I can usually deal with any other misbehaving by just 'growling' at him.

I do carry and if necessary use a whip when riding - does this count as smacking ?

 

[mandwhy]

My horse is quite sensitive to body language, voice and getting out of your space and whatnot, but sometimes she is a nobber and tries to bite me so I deflect her face with my hand and it turns into a slap if she is still coming towards me! I am more likely to direct an elbow so they bop their nose on it, or if barging will walk into it, but will do a smack if necessary.

I had a horse on loan before who was just ridiculous with biting, considering this was about 6 months ago I still have a mark on my thigh where he bit me and I was absolutely covered in bruises. For a while I wouldn't smack him and tried everything else but I did eventually, fairly hard too, and he stopped, along with all the other dangerous things that had escalated from this behaviour.

I do not approve of kicking a horse however, that is too much, unless you are really about to get flattened in which case do whatever you need to!

 

[showpony]

Honestly, I would only ever if it was a potentially dangerous situation. . I do use schooling whip( a tickle to re-inforce leg aids but that's it. . My pet hate is watching people smacking the "crap" out of there horses on the show jumping circuit where 9 times out of 10 what they are smacking the horse for is the riders fault!