Grrrrrrr! It's neither cute nor funny ........

cobgirlie said:
Maybe she wasn't that bothered about his behaviour and as it was a one off favour she was trying to make you feel better that he misbehaved for her? It's your horse so if it's misbehaving it's up to you to handle him and not complain when others don't handle him the way you'd want.
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Ditto.
Youngsters play up, they wont be perfect everytime they go to the field.

You say your problem is with him playing up but the tone of your post says you are unhappy with the way your "friend" is handling him and slating her.

If you dont like the way she handles him then dont let her handle him.
 
I let them have some slack, generally a horse rears to escape and by pulling you're giving them something to fight.

If it's a colt being a douche, they get smacked. hard. It's hard to find the line between play fighting and actually teaching them a lesson, so I don't mess about with "gentle" chastisement!!!

But the best thing to do, is to keep them from rearing in the first place. My foals know they can't play with me. Mummy, yes, their friends, yes, but I'm too boring to bother playing with!
 
cobgirlie said:
Maybe she wasn't that bothered about his behaviour and as it was a one off favour she was trying to make you feel better that he misbehaved for her? It's your horse so if it's misbehaving it's up to you to handle him and not complain when others don't handle him the way you'd want.
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Agree with this - why don't you tell her how you want him handled and disciplined rather than complain about it.
 
When my horse rears (very rarely now), I let completely loose (as on her own shes balanced, with me she'd fall), then when she comes down I give a sharp tug on the rope and growl a 'no' at her.

However, the one and only time my youngster has tried to rear, she got a VERY hard smack on her stomach with the end of the leadrope (the soft end, not with the clip), she came down quick as lightning and has never even thought about it again.
 
I knew a girl who had a colt foal, who loved having his tail and bum itched...

She thought it was all very cute, until said beastie turned into a 16.2 ISH who would reverse at speed at you and pin you against the wall/ fence/ corner until you scratched his backside...
 
You say your problem is with him playing up but the tone of your post says you are unhappy with the way your "friend" is handling him and slating her.

If you dont like the way she handles him then dont let her handle him
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as above!

you sound like a total disciplinarian, whilst I apprecaite a baby should behave, but if you are not there to deal with it, I don't think you should slate someone who is prepared to deal with any horse, let alone a jolly youngster on your behalf.

I too got the feeling your friend was playing it down for your sake. Personally if I was the friend who read your post I would tell you where to shove assisting with your youngster. We all handle things different ways.

Babies will play especially at the moment. NO it's not cute if they are being handled, but if you expect so much, do it yourself....
 
so your answer is 1) you don't go anywhere, even for a d
ay,never mind weekend or holiday.
2) Just don't ask anyone to do your horse for you. She did you a favour. He played up no big deal to her, but big deal to you.How to lose friends in so short time.
 
When I let my baby play when being handled, she put me in A&E. So now, when she's being handled, she better damn well behave! I cant believe people think that its acceptable for youngsters to behave...but maybe thats why there are so many badly behaved horses about.

OP, I agree with you still! xxxx
 
So in other words Flamehead, you and only you should handle your horse. what happens with the youngster sold on.Some realise that youngsters do play up and let it pass, when they behave and don't make a meal of it when they do a**e about.
 
OP, I agree with you. No it isn't cute, it's potentially dangerous.
I work with children with Special Educational Needs. I have often had to explain to parents that we need to teach their young children the correct ways to behave because what might be cute in a 5yr old, is certainly NOT going to be considered cute in a strapping 16 yr old.
One year we paid a local horsewoman to do our horses on weekday mornings. We told her exactly where to find the halter that we always use to lead them. We had builders in at the time. Our usually well-mannered horses started barging every Saturday morning. The builders told us that this woman was letting them come out of the stables on their own and wander around the yard. This was with all their gear, cement mixers etc in the way. Although it was great to not have to muck out ourselves, we never asked her again.
I cannot understand why people think that it is acceptable to allow horses, young or old, to have bad manners. There is no need to be rough but you should be firm when necessary, although I find that you generally get the behaviour you expect.
 
Oh dear!! HHO strikes again! Yet again nobody reads anything just feels free to open their mouth and let their brain fall out!
1) I never slated my friends handling abilities, she is actually a good handler. What I was complaining about is that behaviour she would never accept in her own horse is "cute" in mine!
2) I have said twice now I will not ask anyone to turn him out for me again. Just in case.
3) I may well be a total disciplinarian. I chose to have a young hot horse, therefor it is my responsibility to turn him into a pleasant member of horsey society. Are you really all so deluded as to believe nice, well mannered adult horses just sprang out of the ether? They are the result of hard work and dedication from someone when they were young.

If nothing else I have learned two valuable lessons from this post. One to not go away and put the responsibility of my horse onto anyone else. And secondly never to
post anything on here again. It's a shame that yet again a thread has fallen into a stupid argument. No wonder HHO is gaining such a bad reputation. Thank you all for the enlightening debate now I have a horse to feed.
 
OP I can completely sympathise and totally see your point.

I know, that you aren't putting any blame on your friend for your youngster's behaviour, more cringing at her cavalier attitude to it!

I know, first hand what misbehaving youngsters can do so I know exactly why you don't think it's cute or funny... maybe she was just trying to make you feel better. Whatever... maybe its worth showing / explaining to her how you expect your boy to be handled in the event that she needs to, so theres no doubt as to how it should be done (for her protection more than anything ;) )

Have to say, this is the very reason I have been very careful about who handles my boy and it is only this year (he's now 3) that I have allowed someone else to do it on a regular basis.
 
This is something I can absolutely, 100% relate too.
I work regularly with young ponies during the summer (I only take on a few little projects in the summer) and I don't let anyone work with them except me. Being small they're *somehow* portrayed as cute -.- I see the inner monster in these ponies.

On a serious note. The one phrase I hate is "Oh but it's just a baby."
 
No, I'm more than happy for anyone and everyone to handle my horse - in fact, its really good for her! BUT, and this is a big BUT, they all know that they MUST ensure that she is taught correctly. So, for example, my totally unhorsey friends love to play with Puzzle - and thats great. But they know that chewing is NOT allowed (and will give her a smack for it), and they know to ensure that she respects personal space.

If they aren't willing to do that, then they don't get to play with her. My horse, my rules.

OP, it is a shame when you get shouted down on this forum. Merry Christmas. xxxx
 
I would ask her to use his halter when leading him in future as you said to her but ask her to use it all the time, saves any problems if he will behave better for her. Like the others say she was just probably saying that so it seems its not a problem to her. Just make sure you have insurance I guess.

She also might want to use a lunge line instead of a rope, if she is able to cope with one. So that when he does go up she has some slack or a longer rope.
 
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