Do you smack your horses?

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Tonty Tont

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I keep Tont in a field with 3 other horses, and I often give them a light smack as discipline.

I only smack to give them manners, as I think it is important for them to respect me and not push me around. For example, I give them a sharp smack on their shoulder if the bite or barge into me.

Because I do reprimand them when they misbehave, they are always lovely mannered horses around me. However, around their owner, they barge into her, bite her, fight around her, and often knock her over.

So, do you smack your horses?

I often see people who say never smack your horses, so I thought it would be an interesting topic to discuss :)
 
i have a youngster and i find a sharp tap on the nose helped big style when he bit me for the first time. he hasn't done it again.

of course a barb wire whip also helps sometimes!!;)
 
I don't as he has been smacked in the past and is very hand shy. I have worked alot on his manners as he had non when we got him a year ago and have done it in a consistent firm way xx
 
No I never hit mine, and I would be furious if I found out someone had been hitting them.

In my experience hitting a biter only makes them worse, and hitting a scared horse does nothing to help the situation or establish their trust in you.

I think you are well out of order smacking someone else's horses.
 
this topics been done to death

but i do think that a sharp smack on the shoulder of a bolshy welsh doesn't go amiss. having said that, her behavior hasn't warranted a smack of late because it keeps her respect up when her behavior does call for it.:p:p
 
Yes I do, but I have found that once I have given them a slight slap once or twice they never need it again. Feel free to shoot me down, my horses are some of the best mannered on my yard.
 
Thank you for the replies, I find it interesting to hear people's opinions on such a controversial subject :)

Team Barney - I still have the scars on my neck from where the one bit me, and because the barge, their owner has spent many nights in hospital after being knocked unconcious.
 
Allover said:
I dont :)
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neither do i ,my horse live's in a field with 2 other horses and one is a night mare he is a big dales who thinks he can just go "through" you or the gate or anyone else in his way

i think he is down right dangerous and regularly (nearly every day) throw the gate at him hard so as to hit him on the shoulder ,he now has a lot more respect for me and behaves better around the gate way

my other horse is a little nervious and shouting at him is enough so i don't hit him ,i think a lot depends on the horse but my bigger horse would be a night mare if i didn't hit him ,i actually keep a naughty stick in the stable and often whack him with it as i feel he needs it
 
I think "outsiders" should have every right to reprimand someone elses kid/dog/horse etc, i think it is part of the reason society is falling to pieces is because no one is allowed to tell any one else that they are behaving in an innapropriate manner unless they are the parent/guardian or owner.

If any of my horses had behaved in an unruly behaviour towards another person i would expect that person to use whatever means they deem necessary to get my horse away from them, if my horse cant behave around others then it would have to take whatever it was given!
 
I do if they deserve it and I wouldn't mind anyone else doing it either providing it was deserved and was delivered in a fair fashion.
 
I smack Charisma if I think she needs it, I hardly beat the girl but a smack will give her a shock as if to say "Oh Jenny doesn't like me doing that!" Come on she's a horse, I need to be really hard on her to hurt her. It's normally if she refuses a jump, she gets a smack on the bum. She gets a tap behind the leg if she spooks at something and turns for home, or starts to back up. I'd rather do that then end up on a car bonnet thank you very much!
 
taz hasnt needed a smack too many times but when he is in the stable and he crushes me against the door because he wasnt to go out he will get smacks till he gets off and if that doesnt work i will knee him in the chest - hes 17.2hh im 5'2ft i dont wish to die thanks so shoot me down! :o

and if he was misbehaving for someone else yes i would expect him to be disaplined- hes too big to have no manners!
 
Yes,I've smacked our pony.She can be a bit bitey,for no particular reason,just if she thinks she can get you.She has bitten the girls before and tries to get me at least once a day,so she 'll get a smack if she tries it.

She is a Welshy and tries to push her luck at least once a day,usually a growl works,but if it doesn't a smack on the shoulder does.I can't have a rude bitey pony around small children.
 
Yes. I smack mine very occasionally but only when she's in that certain persistent, beligerant and dangerous mood, and only after numerous verbal corrections. It happens maybe twice a year and involves one sharp smack to the lower chest or tummy along with a meaningful growl. It's never failed to bring her round to her senses and neither of us bears malice. Better that than 650kg of beligerant horse plunging around you willy-nilly. (Trust me!)

I certainly don't loose a night's sleep when it happens. It too infrequently does. And in any case, she gets FAR worse reprimands from the other horses in her field when she steps oversteps the line.

I did, however, STRONGLY object when the staff at the yard I was at were regularly whacking my horse in the face with the end of the lead rope to control her when she was getting fresh being ledi]in and out of the field. That is inexcusable IMO. I am 5'1 and quite able to handle my big, althetic and highly strung young horse in and out of the stable, so expect the staff I employ to be able to do the same without resorting to abuse. All their efforts did was make her almost impossible to lead in hand for a while. Grrrrrrrrr...........
 
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jesstickle said:
I do if they deserve it and I wouldn't mind anyone else doing it either providing it was deserved and was delivered in a fair fashion.
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This.....a loud 'NO' is enough for Saffy so far and she's had one smack for trying to cow kick me when I was trying to pick to back foot up. Haven't needed to since.
 
Yes I do but only if needs be.

When I moved my big mare (the dominant one of the herd) her daughter (who's a 3 yo and around 14.2hh), who had previously been a lovely easy going thing, suddenly went powermad without her mum to keep her in check. She kept turning her bum to me and kicking out whenever I went in the field, taking no notice of my yells at her. One time I took my whip with me hidden down my welly, when she turned her bum to me I gave her a smack on the bum with it.

It was dark so I'm not sure she knew it was me who hit her but she never did it again! She has returned to her previous good nature, and no, she isn't scared of me either - she still comes for cuddles and the incident has been more or less forgotten.
 
Yes i do if i feel it neccessary. I do think they need boundries to establish manners and acceptible behaviour .
I would not have any random on a yard lifting their hands to my horses, thats where i draw the line, mine are in a field of their own and are only handled by people i know and trust with them, and yes those people can dicipline them if they felt it was neccessary because i trust their judgement and know they will be treated firmly but fairly.
 
Children are not horses and also not so many moons ago it was considered acceptable to smack another person's child. Schools and punishment, the cane, ruler, birch, slipper and all that! Perhaps that is what is lacking in today's educational system and why we have so many ASBO kids and teenagers. But that is another matter.
A horse is a lot bigger than a child and with the ability to kill a fully grown man if the situation arose and a situation became out of hand.
Have I smacked someone else's horse, the answer is yes when that behaviour of the animal placed me in a position of danger because of the lack of education of the animal from its owner and it being allowed to take the ps.
Would I allow smacking of my own horses, yes if the situation arose in which one of mine was behaving like a total knob and needed a reminder of who exactly was boss.
Have I smacked my own horses yes, when any have either tried to kick out, barge or bite. It is bad manners and won't be tolerated. Watch the boss horse in any field. If the subservient horse does not comply by body language alone then it is usually followed by a sudden rush, a bite or a kick!
In any field or stable it is you ( the human) who is the leader. If a horse challenges this arrangement then they need to be brought into line as any horse would do to another. Only exception being that we as humans do not find it so easy to inflict a bite nor kick a horse as a reprimand.
The only time when such reprimands should not be used is on a horse that is reacting due to complete fear and any use of physical force would cause a negative effect.
To a trained eye it is quite easy to tell the difference between a fearful horse and one that is bargy with few manners.
As for the smacking of biters making them more aggressive or scared well that depends on the reason that the horse is biting. If the horse is biting out of fear and in defence then of course physical force would just reinforce that unwanted behaviour.
However smacking a horse that is biting out of frustration, impatience or just being a brute is justified in my opinion. The better option would be to pre-empt the attempt to bite and block by putting an object in the way, ie a brush for bristles or anything else that would cause discomfort so that the said horse gets a shock for their own actions. This is not always possible though and I have found that a sharp tap around the nose area has sufficed in curing a horse of biting. No the horses did not become scared, in fact both the youngsters that were given a reprimand are very friendly and will crave attention.
A good book that discussed man's interaction with horses and understanding them is Talking with horses by Henry Blake which is a very good read.
 
Fantasy_World said:
Children are not horses and also not so many moons ago it was considered acceptable to smack another person's child. Schools and punishment, the cane, ruler, birch, slipper and all that! Perhaps that is what is lacking in today's educational system and why we have so many ASBO kids and teenagers. But that is another matter.
A horse is a lot bigger than a child and with the ability to kill a fully grown man if the situation arose and a situation became out of hand.
Have I smacked someone else's horse, the answer is yes when that behaviour of the animal placed me in a position of danger because of the lack of education of the animal from its owner and it being allowed to take the ps.
Would I allow smacking of my own horses, yes if the situation arose in which one of mine was behaving like a total knob and needed a reminder of who exactly was boss.
Have I smacked my own horses yes, when any have either tried to kick out, barge or bite. It is bad manners and won't be tolerated. Watch the boss horse in any field. If the subservient horse does not comply by body language alone then it is usually followed by a sudden rush, a bite or a kick!
In any field or stable it is you ( the human) who is the leader. If a horse challenges this arrangement then they need to be brought into line as any horse would do to another. Only exception being that we as humans do not find it so easy to inflict a bite nor kick a horse as a reprimand.
The only time when such reprimands should not be used is on a horse that is reacting due to complete fear and any use of physical force would cause a negative effect.
To a trained eye it is quite easy to tell the difference between a fearful horse and one that is bargy with few manners.
As for the smacking of biters making them more aggressive or scared well that depends on the reason that the horse is biting. If the horse is biting out of fear and in defence then of course physical force would just reinforce that unwanted behaviour.
However smacking a horse that is biting out of frustration, impatience or just being a brute is justified in my opinion. The better option would be to pre-empt the attempt to bite and block by putting an object in the way, ie a brush for bristles or anything else that would cause discomfort so that the said horse gets a shock for their own actions. This is not always possible though and I have found that a sharp tap around the nose area has sufficed in curing a horse of biting. No the horses did not become scared, in fact both the youngsters that were given a reprimand are very friendly and will crave attention.
A good book that discussed man's interaction with horses and understanding them is Talking with horses by Henry Blake which is a very good read.
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^^^ excellent post.
 
I very rarely have to smack any of my horses. They are extremely well handled and have good manners taught to them. I am very consistent with my horses and they know how to behave. Occasionally a youngster can get a little above himself so one quick snap back down to earth does the trick and then firmer handling from there on in.

Two things I will always always smack for is biting and kicking a person. No horse would ever be allowed to get away with that on my yard without being physically reprimanded; a sharp smack immediately has always worked.

I do not allow anyone to hit my horses willy-nilly but should any of these horses go to bite or kick the person they know they have my consent to give a quick immediate hard smack. I will not have a person put at risk.

Smacking a horse versus smacking someone's small child, there is no comparison. Horses have the potential to seriously injure or even kill people.
 
I do find it strange that people who dabble or live by NH decide no smacks ever. And we are meant to believe we are communicating in their language.

Have you all seen the language of horses in herds? When you are unruly you get a wallop of a kick or bite.

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.

This aren't puppy dogs. These are big 1000 pd animals that can hurt or kill you. I'm not going to treat them as pets. Not too be confused with I don't love them and or I like beating on my horses.
Terri
 
i would kill someone if i caught them hitting my horse they dont know his past or that he can be very head shy wonder what they would do if i hit them for having no manners, he gets told off if being bolshy but its a slap on the shoulder hes usually well mannered as it is
 
If my horse is being a prat then yeh. She will get a clout on her shoulder or rump.

I warn her verbally, then I warn her my movement.. then she get a clout if she still continues to be a naughty marey.

In the wild, a horse is taught to respect other members of the herd through physical agression..


However, I draw the line at a horse being hit/punch in the face.. Thats just too far.

Loux
 
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