hard nudging - what does it mean? how can I stop it?

[Donkeymad]

QR

OP, please don't get huffy with the people here who have taken time to answer in order to help you. Some people here are proffesionals within the horse world. Others may not be professionals, but have so much experience.
The views expressed here are that your horse is becoming boss, and needs to know his place, his boundaries. This will make him a much happier and more secure horse.
I hope that you will take on board the good advice that has been given, before you become injured.

 

[Theresa_F]

Sorry but it is a big deal if your horse is hurting you - I have two what are now 5 year olds and hence I have fast learnt that they must be given boundaries - our old clydesdale got away with just about anything, but he was old and wise and knew what was and was not acceptable behaviour.

I had a very manic WB mare that without turnout or enough exercise was a nightmare. However that was to ride and not to handle - she may have been wanting to explode, but she never nudged me like you say yours does, always backed up and was respectful of people and their space. She backed up on a finger and waited for feeds etc.

If things really got bad with no turn out, and she needed to let off steam, she would make it clear that she could not cope with her body language and went to the end of her lead rope and then did an explosion into the air - but only once she was out of my space - this was the compromise - if she got out of my way and exploded, she was not told off for this.

Again it took time to teach her acceptable behaviour and this is what your chap needs - hence please do get someone in to teach you how to have him respect you with pressure and body stance - you will probably enjoy the lessons and it will help you gain a closer bond with your horse if you are not worrying about him giving you pain, plus it gives him things to think about and this too will help with his attitude and lack of work.

Mental work is far more tiring for a young horse than physical work - learning something new has my youngsters exhausted within 10 minutes.

 

[hanna1983]

[ QUOTE ]
Your YO said it would disappear when he gets enough exercise? Wow, does he have a crystal ball? Sorry to sound flippant, but that is not great advice. YOU said that your horse is HURTING you, giving you bruises - if a person was giving you bruises would you be so easy going? you don't have to defend yourself, but plase, see the bigger picture!

[/ QUOTE ]

he has owned horses for 45 years, he has been a riding instructor for over 35 years and he has owned the riding school and the yard for over
25 years. Do I trust him ? Yes I do. I wish I had asked him right away and not asked on here. Maybe it was the wrong question to ask. My intention was not to offend anyone, I felt I had to defend myself. I appreciate I might have taken some advise here the wrong way but I don't feel you all try and understand where I am coming from and that's fine. I love my horse, I want us to have a great life together. I will find a solution if it doesn't stop. I won't sell him and I won't hit him. I have said that from the first post on. I was looking for advise on what else I can
try. So lets all finish here or is anyone actually enjoying it? I'm not. Take care and thanks for trying. You might not believe it but I do appreciate your intentions of trying to help. It was just not the suitable answers for my case. H

 

[sleepingdragon10]

Oh please, typical for the breed my butt!!! It's typical for a horse who doesn't respect you and is pushing you about

... you have to be the leader, the boss, the one who sets the rules and defines the boundaries. the very first thing my pony was taught was to back up and get out of my space...i have been known to make him back up down the whole length of the arena before now because i will not tolerate that level of rudeness in an animal that can potentially kill you!

 

[sandr]

[ QUOTE ]
I love my horse, I want us to have a great life together

[/ QUOTE ]

You'll have a hard & miserable life if you dont get your head out of the clouds and treat this horse like a HORSE not a kitten.

 

[sleepingdragon10]

I'm confused...what did you want to hear? That it's ok for him to push you around and bruise you?

 

[ester]

um we weren't all telling you to hit your horse, the concept of asking a horse to back up and leave your personal space is pretty universal and actually goes for any animal

I also meant to say earlier that reward doesn't = food, reward equals a word, or a quiet pat, a stroke in the right spot.

Am pretty sure Frank doesn't dislike me and he has ways of asking me for things (normally the application of cute face, he has a slightly different one for when he is thirsty at shows) however he know communication by thumping me one isn't on.

You need to understand that when people take time out of their day to try and help you if you don't like the answers just say thanks very much guys and leave it at that

not to say thanks very much but you're all collectively wrong, I know better so I'm going somewhere else.

 

[Shilasdair]

I just feel so sorry for the poor horse.
I never understand why people get animals, if they are not prepared to meet their physical and mental needs.
S

 

[Ranyhyn]

This horse is going to have a GREAT life, he's going to do what the hell he wants when he wants it!

Dang I love a newb!!

 

[hanna1983]

He has been as good as gold tonight so I will just smile about you all and your horrible manners

I was right and will leave you awkward lot be for I live in the real world and don't need some silly little forum to big up my ego. Pathetic. Grow up

 

[chestnut cob]

[ QUOTE ]
i dont see very knowledgable people unfortunately. i see people who look down at me because he is my first horse and they think they know it all. so i am off going to speak to people who have an understanding how hard it can be to have your first horse and who understand where i am coming from when i am saying i am worried about being forceful with him. people here seem to ahve forgotten how it was when they got their first horse.

and to all thsoe who think i shouldnt have bought him as my first horse because he had a bad past: he needs a safe home where he isnt neglected and mistreated and while i might be inexperienced in owning a horse, i will do everything i can to provide what he needs and learn what i need to learn specific to him. thats all i have to say.

[/ QUOTE ]

Show me where anyone has looked down on you because he is your first horse?

EVERYONE on here has an understanding of how hard it can be to have your first horse...we've all been there!!

Why are you worried about being forceful with him? If you are scared of how he might react then you really need to sort this out before you start trying to instill manners into your horse - they can tell someone who is scared a mile off.

And please show me where anyone on this thread said you shouldnt' have bought him as your first horse? I think a lot of this is in your head, or you are voicing your own concerns at least...

 

[ester]

^^^^^

what she said.

I actually think you have been very rude to all the posters who tried to help you OP

 

[Patches]

I would shout "back" whilst raising my hand up high in his face, fingers spread and moving it backwards at him (hard to explain) in a jerky repetitve motion. It will get his attention and hopefully he'll move back away from you.

I can do this with my mare who was incredibly pushy when I had her. She used to really "bunt" me. I used the above technique but initially had to combine it with making a fist, but leaving thumb sticking out, and pushing the thumb into her chest as I said "back".

As I say, now I can throw the spread fingered hand towards her face whilst shouting "back" and she will move out of my space.

Lots of praise when he takes a step back...he'll soon cotton on to what you want/expect from him.

 

[chestnut cob]

[ QUOTE ]

I also meant to say earlier that reward doesn't = food, reward equals a word, or a quiet pat, a stroke in the right spot.


[/ QUOTE ]

If the OP gets a Kelly Marks RA out to help her then she will quickly find out that in their school of thought, a reward simply = the release of the pressure you have put on the horse. A stroke or a pat when something is done well, but it's simple pressure/release.

I agree with Teresa - the RA's are brilliant and having a couple of sessions with one saved me from giving up my horse. I have a big horse who used to be bargy, rude and bolshy to the point of being dangerous. I ran out of ideas as to how control his behaviour so I had an RA out, who showed me how I should be asking and showing, and how to reward him. I had a horse that would spin around, barge over people, threaten to kick, wouldn't stand to be mounted, have headcollar taken off in the field, couldn't be left alone, had to be led in a chifney...list goes on. I now have a horse who is back in his normal headcollar, respects your space, comes to call in the field and is generally an absolute pleasure to be around. But the RA didn't wave a magic wand, it took a hell of a lot of work to sort it all out and was a real steep learning curve for me.

I would really recommend finding your local RA, they are brilliant. But you need to acknowledge that they won't wave a magic wand, they will teach YOU.

 

[chestnut cob]

Agree with Patches - the horse HAS to learn to get out of your space, whether he has barged you or not.

 

[sleepingdragon10]

You know, i think i'm actually going to scream. You're ignorant, and incredibly rude. You're also paranoid...no one said you shouldn't have bought your horse, or looked down on you

People have taken time to type out a reply in an effort to help you, and ultimately stop your horse from injuring you further, and you are dismissing their responses as being bullshit because you don't like what you're reading ... Unbelievable!

 

[Araminta]

[ QUOTE ]
i am not getting useful answers here guys. maybe its because i didnt ask the question right, but i am going to go back to the professionals and those that know him as i feel they will be able to give me the right guidance. thanks anyway.

[/ QUOTE ]

Sorry but I think you mean " I'm not getting the answers I want to hear" thats because what you are doing and saying are only going to make the situation worse and a lot of peeps on this forum are trying to tell you that. Please listen.

You have a new young horse who is pushing the boundries with you and trying his luck and you are letting him hurt you - thats mad! Please seek help before you really get hurt.

 

[Shilasdair]

[ QUOTE ]
He has been as good as gold tonight so I will just smile about you all and your horrible manners

I was right and will leave you awkward lot be for I live in the real world and don't need some silly little forum to big up my ego. Pathetic. Grow up

[/ QUOTE ]

I love newbies.
Especially those who combine ignorance with arrogance.

I like them better when they don't have a horse to suffer from their lack of knowledge though.

S

 

[Araminta]

[ QUOTE ]
By the way, just got advice from my yard owner and he said it is not a big deal and will disappear once he gets exercised enough. And for the above person: to say his behaviour has deteriorated to a point where I have to seek advice on here, I never said it is a big thing. He started nudging, I wondered why that was all. If you lot want to jump on the bandwagon and all be horrible you do that. You made me feel like I had to defend myself right from the start! And then I am being judged as unfriendly. Thanks very much.

[/ QUOTE ]

You never said it was a big thing - just that you needed help because you were being hurt and covered in bruises. I would say otherwise

 

[bensababy]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Your YO said it would disappear when he gets enough exercise? Wow, does he have a crystal ball? Sorry to sound flippant, but that is not great advice. YOU said that your horse is HURTING you, giving you bruises - if a person was giving you bruises would you be so easy going? you don't have to defend yourself, but plase, see the bigger picture!

[/ QUOTE ]

he has owned horses for 45 years, he has been a riding instructor for over 35 years and he has owned the riding school and the yard for over
25 years. Do I trust him ? Yes I do. I wish I had asked him right away and not asked on here. Maybe it was the wrong question to ask. My intention was not to offend anyone, I felt I had to defend myself. I appreciate I might have taken some advise here the wrong way but I don't feel you all try and understand where I am coming from and that's fine. I love my horse, I want us to have a great life together. I will find a solution if it doesn't stop. I won't sell him and I won't hit him. I have said that from the first post on. I was looking for advise on what else I can
try. So lets all finish here or is anyone actually enjoying it? I'm not. Take care and thanks for trying. You might not believe it but I do appreciate your intentions of trying to help. It was just not the suitable answers for my case. H

[/ QUOTE ]

Wow this guy must be pretty old now if hes been going for that long.

 

[cptrayes]

"he has owned horses for 45 years, he has been a riding instructor for over 35 years and he has owned the riding school and the yard for over 25 years."

And you are his customer paying him money and he wants to say what you want to hear so that you carry on paying him money.

My guess is that meanwhile, when you are not there, a man (particularly a man) with 45 years experience is smacking your horse good and hard whenever he gets in his space. Yard staff simply don't put up with behaviour like that, they have seen the consequences too often.

If I am right, can you see how incredibly unfair it is to your horse to have inconsistent treatment? You owe it to him to sort his behaviour with some firmly applied boundaries as quickly as you can, whatever that takes.

 

[Scheherezade]

My horse occasionally nudges me when I am leading him gently in my back, I just kind of raise my arms up very fast in his face andflick the lead rope so it kind of startles him and he jumps back, in the same way the horses do in the field.