Ears?

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nomini

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Jigsaw is really funny about me touching his ears. Is really hard to get the mud off as he just throws his head around and I can't get near them. I never use a brush, just try to gently get the mud off with my hand. They are clipped as I clipped him fully last time, he let me clip one ear but had to twitch to do other ear. he has always been a bit funny with me touching them, but it is starting to become dangerous when he throws his head around. Is there anything I can do with him to get him to trust me a bit more and let me touch them??
 
Touchy is very funny with her left ear, and always has been. The conclusion we came to is that she had been ear twitched as a younster, we have had her since she was 3, she is now 11 and still not much better. I wish people didnt do stupid things to horses!
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we couldnt get near our horses ears when we first got him but gentle persistance has paid off and he will let myself and my daughter touch them now , but he wont entertain flyfringes or masks or anything except a bridle near his face/ears etc. he chucks his head out the way if you try.
 
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Touchy is very funny with her left ear, and always has been. The conclusion we came to is that she had been ear twitched as a younster, we have had her since she was 3, she is now 11 and still not much better. I wish people didnt do stupid things to horses!
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Maybe they did that to jiggy then before I got him, didn't even know you could ear twitch them
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not that i would ever try it!
 
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we couldnt get near our horses ears when we first got him but gentle persistance has paid off and he will let myself and my daughter touch them now , but he wont entertain flyfringes or masks or anything except a bridle near his face/ears etc. he chucks his head out the way if you try.

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Jiggy will let me put a flyfringe on etc, but he has more hair on his ears in summer as not clipped then so maybe he is more sensitive with no hair there!
 
It will take patients and time. Pet him around the ears everytime you take him out. As he gets better about your hand on his bridle path and face move closer to his ears. Not long sessions, only a couple of minutes. But you have to be up for a fight if he gives you one. You cant stop because he throws his head. Take a step back and once he settles do it again. If he is quiet stop, give him praise. Keep doing this until he lets you touch his ears on the outside and then the inside. Its hard not to get mad and be harsh but if he is scared or bothered you have to be quiet and take your time. But as Tia said make sure he isnt hurting, he may have warts or something else in his ear that makes it painfull to the touch. See if you can look inside, look for bumps or cuts etc.

Once he is ok with your hand around his ears introduce the clippers OFF the same way you did your hand, far from the ear first and then closer. Once that is ok turn them on and repeat. Remember short sessions. Clipping their ears should be short and sweet. Remeber horses are sensitve to touch and sound. It may be the sound of the clippers or the feeling or the hair falling in their ears that bother them, hence make it quick but safe.

The key to this is patience and persistance...a little at a time goes a long way.
 
Thanks, he is fine when his ears aren't clipped in the summer, so maybe he is just more sensitive when they are clipped. Have been working quietly to touch them over last few weeks, and he gets a mint if he lets me touch both of them, but he still hasn't twigged yet that me touching his ears is a pleasant experience in that he gets a mint!
 
is he ok to put a bridle on? Mine is fine with you pulling his ears stroking them everything, until you come to put his beidle on then he thorws his head into the air. He is slowly gettng better, but ut has taken a lot of patience and time. And I know he will never be perfect
 
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