Don't touch me!

yorks

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31 December 2004
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My 14.2 pony does not like being touched. He has perfect manners and allows us to groom him with no problem but you can see he is glad when we have finished. If he is loose and we try to stroke him he gently moves away from us. I have never encountered this (not a ) problem before. He has always been treated with kindness by his previous owners and I just find it strange. He likes our company as long as we don't touch him! I suppose they are just like us and say "Gerroff"
 
Perhaps he is really ticklish? Is he different depending on how hard you touch him? A horse that used to be on our yard hated being touched unless we were quite vigourous in our stroking and grooming.
 
Mine hate being groomed and stroked, pat him and hes fine or use your fingers and really push your whole weight into either his neck and bum and he loves it
 
Is this pony new to you? If so, just give him time. Mine was like this - well worse probably - when I first got him but you couldn't tie him up, couldn't touch him round his ears or anything. However, his manners stables wise were and still are fantastic. I've had him 17 years and he is still not an affectionate pony as such and it really has to be on his terms I suppose. He has changed - he whickers even now when you approach himbut he can still be suspicious sometimes as to why you're coming up to him in the field etc and, if he thinks you're going to 'do something' he will actually run away!! Some horses just do not do being fussed. I don't think it's a bad thing. Every horse is an individual so I wouldn't force attention on him - use a softer brush if he's moving away when you're grooming and just let him do things in his own time.
 
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