Help needed with youngster ...

[Nakita]

Well Emma is good as gold & lovely natured, lets me touch her everywhere ... I can touch all her belly BUT when I go a bit further back to the nipple region she kicks out, turns round and "kids on" to bite me (she hasn't got me yet, assumed if she meant it she would have lol) & the more I do it to try and desenstatise her the grumpier she gets about it! I don't really know what to do as I want her to be good to be touched everywhere and this are is especially important if I'm going to take a foal off her at any point!
All my previous mares have been good about this so I'm stumped as to what to so as atm I feel like I'm making her angrier!

 

[dope-on-a-rope:)]

I haven't had a great deal to do with breeding foals, but is there a real need to have to touch her in that area, even if you are trying 'to get a foal off her'? I think she might just be tickly and maybe trying to tell you that

 

[Nakita]

Lol! Well I thought this at first! But girl at my yard said it is best to get her used to it while she is smaller and young? I'd love for you all to now tell me to stop annoying her ... it's ok for her to be a grump about it

 

[BobbyMondeo]

What i do with a lot of horses that are likely to kick out is get a longish (so your far enough away not to get kicked) stick and attatch a brush or a nice soft cloth to end and stroke them with that, just to get them used to it. then you gradually build it up and get closer

 

[dope-on-a-rope:)]

I guess sometimes they can get inflammation or little infections in that area and then you'd need to touch there to wash the teats, and flying teeth in that situation wouldn't be fab!! I think the stick idea sounds like i might be worth a try.......

 

[Maisy]

My mare *hates* being touched there, certainly when she is in season....She has the nicest nature in *every* other way and tbh I cant say I blame her!! She wouldnt actually kick me, but she does let me know that she doesnt want me to touch her in that area, so generally I avoid it....When she is in season, she almost whinces (sp?!) if I go anywhere near her teats, so I guess it must cause some kind of discomfort....

 

[Dolcé]

mmm.........you may also need to apply fly repellent in a get or a cream to the area, or wash her, so you should try to sort it. I would just take it really slowly, perhaps body brushing further back a bit at a time over a few days or get someone to hold her whilst you just flick your hand over a couple of times a session.

 

[Rosie2407]

I would just take it really slowly, perhaps body brushing further back a bit at a time over a few days or get someone to hold her whilst you just flick your hand over a couple of times a session.

I second this.
I found when Rosie was a baby she went through lots of little quirky stages like this and I would get myself into a flap thinking I was going to end up with a loopy horse that wouldn't do anything I needed her to do.

But I just persevered with everything out of sheer stubborness on my part and now I can do what I like with her. She doesn't really have any little quirks at all.

Stick with it, keep calm, keep trying. You'll get there in the end.
Also - there is no hurry. You have got her for a long time now, plenty time to work on ironing out wee issues like this.
I'm sure you're doing a great job!

 

[millitiger]

how old is she?

i would stand as close as you can to her shoulder with her either held by someone competent or with you holding a lungeline fed through a tie ring.

i would use quite a firm circular motion with your hand (many people use too light a touch and end up tickling the horse and really annoying it!) and just get your hand up there!

a sharp 'NO!' if she goes to bite or cow kick but don't move your hand. as soon as she stands for even a millisecond withdraw your hand and give her a huge fuss.
repeat until she understands that you aren't trying to hurt her and that she must stand regardless of what you are doing.

i had a foal once who didn't want her teats touched and used to cow kick and fly buck and generally be a little terror- once she got used to it she used to LOVE having them cleaned and having her bellybutton rubbed was her favourite thing in the world.