Do you smack your horses?

I occasionally give my horse a sharp smack on the shoulder if he is being rude, usually not moving back when I tell him or trying to barge. He is well mannered most of the time. I wouldnt mind someone else doing the same but would be annoyed if anything more was done to reprimand him as he is a good boy. Not just with me but the yard staff who turn him out in morning and bring him in during the winter for me say he is one of the best to handle.

I wouldnt smack anothers horse unless it was trying to bite me and the owner wasnt there to reprimand it.
 
i will smack my boys shoulder when he "smacks " me - ie kicking out when im doing his feet.
I know hes not in pain, he is being rude and bad tempered so yes when he tries to smack me with his hoof i do smack back on his shoulder - saying that when he is beign good he gets lots of "good boys " and strokes too
Funnily enough ive not had to smack him in a long time - and its always with my hand, and most importantly done intentionallly - ie not in out of control temper :)
 
team barney said:
would you think it ok to smack another person's child? I don't see any difference, especially if you aren't in charge of the training or day to day care of that animal.
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I'm sorry, but there is a HUGE difference between a child and a half a ton (or more) of animal that can potentially cause a lot of damage to someone! There is no comparison! If a horse in the wild did it to another horse they would get a sharp kick. I don't think a quick tap on the shoulder or a flick of the nose for biting is going to hurt them!
 
Yes I do when it's needed but I wouldn't smack someone elses horse.

I have a 15.2 Welsh Sec D, she's built like a brick s*** house and does need discipline very now and then.

99% of the time she's a dream, but she is a typical Welsh and has that 1% when she's on one.

The other day I was putting her boots on, she lifted her hind hoof to kick out, she got a slap on the bum and quickly put it down. She sometimes swings her bum in my face when she's in a mood, again she gets a growl and a slapped bum and doesn't do it again.

Most of the time a growl and a telling off is enough but if it's dangerous - ie a hoof could land in my head or I could end up squashed - she'll get a slap.

My poor beaten horse greeted me with a whinny, head over the stable door and a nuzzle today, I hadn't seen her for a couple of days ;)
 
The way the post is written makes it sound like you hit other people's horses. I really hope this isn't the case.

I find a growl works a lot better so no, wouldn't smack mine.
 
Never smack, never shout. I tend to block, or push quite agressively. If a block winds up in a sharp feeling then so be it, but I never ever go out and smack. If I have to do something then it's a very sharp push or pinch.
 
Piglit said:
Never smack, never shout. I tend to block, or push quite agressively. If a block winds up in a sharp feeling then so be it, but I never ever go out and smack. If I have to do something then it's a very sharp push or pinch.
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So you still physically reprimand your horses. I think "smack" was meant as a general term rather than a specific all hands flailing about the place :)
 
I'm quite happy to give mine a sharp smack if they're being rude or potentially dangerous, and I would encourage anyone else who had to handle them (or come into contact with them in a field) to do the same. I rarely have to remind any of them of the rules, other than my yearling who can be a bit sharp at barging through the gate (better grass on the other side), thus I keep a schooling whip by the gate to remind him who's in charge. I don't beat them or handle them unfairly - they don't seem too bothered, they're very friendly and easy to do, very happy in my company too :)

I've shared fields with ill-mannered horses before and I have always handled them in the same manner as my own - I won't allow some 600kg beast to try and squish me!
 
I have done in the past, but my last 3 horses I haven't had the need to. Maybe it's because I've become a better more experinced owner over the past few years, which is more then likely the case.

I find that I don't place myself in the way, and have a lot more patients.

Mine respond well to a lound hiss or a no. Or if they enter my space I throw up my hands and that is more then enough.
 
If the situation requires a smack, then I don't hesitate to do so. Like to meet/see those who say they are against it as I personally don't think that could be 100% true. And as someone has already pointed out, this has been done before.
 
Yes when i have too

i playfully smack him each side of chops he loves it then i grab his snout and shake it till his lips wobble then he rest his head on my shoulder . he is like a kid loves a bit of rough horse play ( scuse the pun)
 
There is a world of difference, I think, between a smack and full on abuse. And horses aren't averse to being positively thuggish to each other. It's a bit like the difference between lightly smacking your child on the bottom to issue a quick reprimand from beating them. I don't have a problem with the former, but the latter is obviously wrong
 
No I dont need to. When Orion was 3 months old and double barrelled my mare when in a playfull mood I distinctly remember her telling him in a very severe voice "You'll be in a hole heap of trouble if you try that again" and he's been a paragon of virtue ever since :)
 
I smack my pony if he has bitten/stomped/squashed me but only if he needs reminding that what he is doing is not right. Its just a smack on the shoulder and as he is built like a tank it doesnt hurt him, just remind him.

There is a horse in my field that i have had to smack a few times for chasing my pony away or trying to bite me or him but nothing horrible, just a reminder.

But if the pony is well behaved, he gets treats :)
 
I will give my horse a slap on the shoulder if she is trying to walk over me (doesn't happen very often as I have instilled good manners in her with firm consistent handling) and I have done the same with her field mates in the past if they won't move away so I can open the gate or tried to push the wheelbarrow over when poo picking. I know my yard manager has given her a smack on the chest/ shoulder as she can be quite grouchy and threaten to bite and I have no problem with this either. I would never hit a horse round the head regardless of what it did. My mare became very headshy suddenly last winter and we believe another livery had hit her over the head as Tilly was quite grumpy about people going past her stable and would put her ears back and go as if to bite. Everyone else would just give her a wide berth but this woman hated all other horses and obviously felt it was ok to belt her consequently she is now an ex livery! Tilly has now moved to an end stable that no one has to walk past!
 
Doesn't continuing punishment imply ineffective punishment in the past? Put another way - one shouldn't have to punish the same horse repeatedly for the same misbehaviour.
 
I must admit I gave my mare a damn good (flat handed) slap on the quarters when she kicked me when I was picking one of her back feet out but it was more of a reaction than a punishment (not one I'm particularly proud of). I think most of the time (I say most, I know there will be exceptions) if you're horse respects you and you understand his/her body language there shouldn't be any real need for smacking as a punishment.
 
I don't ever 'hit' any of mine for any reason but I have been known to give them a slap with either the palm or back of my hand if I need to remind them of manners and make them pay attention to what they are doing. I would never raise a hand near their faces as I have seen too many head shy ones and would hate mine to be afraid of my hand. It would usually be a quick flick onto a shoulder if they are being bargy whilst being groomed. Lil sometimes gets either a flick to the top of a hind leg or a gentle dig in the ribs with an elbow, along with a growl, because she will often snatch a hind when you lift it for the first time, it just depends where it is easier to get to her and she has come a long way from the cow kicking when she first arrived! It is never done to try to cause pain, just to prod them back to the moment.

I do think that there are occasions where a hard smack would be appropriate with some horses, I suppose it is down to each owner knowing their horse best. I don't however think there is ever any excuse to beat them.
 
I've only ever hit a horse so hard it made my hand hurt once.

He was a frisky youngster and was getting FAR too 'playful' for my liking. I didn't mind the nudging, but when I felt his leg on my side when I turned my back, I knew what he was thinking. I spun round and whacked him as hard as I could with the back of my hand. It certainly made him back off, but neither of us held a grudge, he was back for sensible hugs within moments.


I've come across a few riding schools, where "beat it!!!" seems to be the only answer to every problem (Which are usually the rider's fault). It's just lazy and not nice to see.
 
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Fburton

Watch horses in the field. They still get punished from those higher up being idiots and who push the line. Apparently some just like to keep pushing. And sometimes in a herd situation you have disaster days in which the hierarchy is really challenged. A normal happy group can become chaos every now and again. Obviously lessons have not been learned.

I have actually used certain pasture mates that can put manners on an unruly youngster better than I can. And no not to beat snot out of them but to show them there is a certain order to things. Works wonders. But you must know your herd. I had a yearling colt one time for a client. Absolutely spoiled rotten with zero manners around humans. There was no point in a well timed smack. So chucked him out my gelding Frank. He wasn't long about having manners. Frank never ever kicks. He threatens and he does bite the jumped up little gits
 
Geez I hate hitting the wrong buttons!

At any rate that colt came in a different horse. Mindful and respectful and I didn't have to lay a finger on him.

All this talk about communication and using horses body language to make us more connected and yet we ignore the unpleasant bits. No we'd be much happier in a round pen teaching them to piaffe at liberty.

And I would never advocate a beating on any horse but feel anyone who does give a smack is an abuser than you just haven't been around very many horses.

Terri
 
team barney said:
would you think it ok to smack another person's child? I don't see any difference, especially if you aren't in charge of the training or day to day care of that animal.
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LOL - if I could get away with it yes. Some kids need a bloody good wallop!

Back on subject though - if I am in a field with some bargy horses trying to get mine out, I will use anything to hand to get them out of my way rather than being kicked!
 
I live by the 3 second rule. If you are in a bad situation in which you are possibly harmed such as biting, kicking, or barged through then you have 3 seconds to "kill" them. As in a smack on the shoulder or belly. After a few seconds the moment is lost and the horse really has no clue what they've done wrong. Same as in a herd. Punishment is swift and done.

Having said that I've had all mine for a bit now bar the yearling. I know when something is coming and usually the "barn voice" is all that's needed. But if you forget who you are or your manners you will get a smack.
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^This

And once the three seconds are over, it's up to you to bring the status quo down again. Not to stay cross, not to be aggressive with them, but to carry on as if nothing happened. I think more damage is done to horses by losing your rag and getting angry and not thinking clearly, than is done by a well timed smack. When people say there is no room for emotion in horse training, that's what they mean - getting angry is an emotion.

I've distressed and confused my horses far more when I've dealt with them when I'm stressed out than I have on the very very few occasions when I've made a very well timed sharp reaction because a line has been crossed.
 
I think there is a difference between a tap, and a 'smack'. A tap is simply the equivalent of what the horse would experience if it was doing something similar to another horse - bargey, bitey etc. This I would not object to any one doing to my horse so long as it was a valid reason.

I don't 'smack' my horse often at all. However in certain dangerous situations it has been necessarily, particularly when its stopped me landing under a car!! For those people that never 'hit' there horses, then hats off to you, well done. Unlike your horse mine is more than capable of being a rude and ignorant ******* at the best of times! And if it stops him doing it then I see no problem!!
 
No. Sensitive Tb gets a chest grab and twist if she won't listen to conventional methods and is becoming dangerous/bargy on the ground, though. A hit would cause more problems/flight.
Big lad is an Angel - no need for correction and definately no need for punishment - yes, I'm lucky:).
 
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