Ears

[LilMyPony]

I’m having a problem with my pony. She has always been a bit iffy about her ears being handled, but I was extra gentle and we got on ok. Then, she got clipped. She freaked out when they went near her ears and tried to kick them. After, she wouldn’t let you anywhere near her ears. After lots of work, treats, and persuasion she is allowing me to stroke them but we can’t seem to make any more progress. I’d love some advice. Thanks!

 

[TheMule]

I just don’t push it with them- there’s no need to regularly handle the ears. Can you get headcollars on ok? And a bridle?

 

[ycbm]

Has she got little white disks inside her ears? Aural plaques can be extremely painful to touch (don't!) and if she's got them just be grateful you can get a bridle on without undoing it.
.

 

[LilMyPony]

I just don’t push it with them- there’s no need to regularly handle the ears. Can you get headcollars on ok? And a bridle?

Headcollars yes. Bridles… not really.

Has she got little white disks inside her ears? Aural plaques can be extremely painful to touch (don't!) and if she's got them just be grateful you can get a bridle on without undoing it.
.

Nope, just checked, nothing like that.

 

[Crazy_cat_lady]

My Welsh D would freak out if I tried to do anything more with his ears than put a bridle on, so I just avoided touching them. Yes I'd have liked to tidy them slightly (only trim the bits sticking out, I hate the bald inner ear look) but I knew he wouldn't let me near them so I didn't try as he was also head shy - no beard trimming and no bridle path trimming. Yes his head looked rather scruffy but we just hacked so it wasn't the end of the world

The vet suspected he had been ear twitched in the past

For the bridle could you unbuckle it from the left hand side cheek piece, unthread the browband from the left hand side then put it on a bit like a headcollar?

 

[ycbm]

If you have to undo the bridle to get it on, a clip on browband makes life a lot easier.
.

 

[AmyMay]

Does she need her ears clipped?

 

[LilMyPony]

Thanks everyone. I guess I’ll just work around it, it isn’t the worst problem. She’s slowly improving, though, so maybe one day I can put a bridle on normally.
It’s only her ears, luckily. She isn’t head shy apart from that. I do wonder if maybe she was ear twitched in the past. Maybe while clipping and it made her remember?? Maybe that’s too far fetched.

Amymay, no, I guess not. The ppl that clipped her for me just said it was customary, when she didn’t like it they didn’t keep trying.

 

[myheartinahoofbeat]

I’m having a problem with my pony. She has always been a bit iffy about her ears being handled, but I was extra gentle and we got on ok. Then, she got clipped. She freaked out when they went near her ears and tried to kick them. After, she wouldn’t let you anywhere near her ears. After lots of work, treats, and persuasion she is allowing me to stroke them but we can’t seem to make any more progress. I’d love some advice. Thanks!

Is your pony Irish? It is quite common in Ireland to twitch young ones on the ears and this makes them iffy about having their ears handled. My friend has had two young ponies from Ireland and both have reacted this way.

 

[LilMyPony]

Is your pony Irish? It is quite common in Ireland to twitch young ones on the ears and this makes them iffy about having their ears handled. My friend has had two young ponies from Ireland and both have reacted this way.

Yes. We live in Ireland. Id say it’s likely.

 

[poiuytrewq]

Has she got little white disks inside her ears? Aural plaques can be extremely painful to touch (don't!) and if she's got them just be grateful you can get a bridle on without undoing it.
.

I used to know someone who scraped them off
Drove me insane