Hippo keeps nibbling my toes!

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Arizahn

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So the past four times that I have been riding her, any time I put my left leg on (squeezing, mind, not kicking), Hippo has been tense and swishing her tail a lot. If we are at halt for any reason she will turn her head back to the left and nudge/nibble the tip of my boot.

I always correct this verbally and turn her head back gently but firmly at once. However, the vet is coming out today to do her jabs, so I'm going to ask them to check her over whilst they are there. If need be, I will book another appointment as well.

In the meantime, does anyone have a theory on what could be causing this? I don't ride her when she's in season, so it isn't that. And it's always the left side, never the right. My left leg is also my weak leg (arthritis) so if anything there is less pressure on that flank.
 
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what's with the odd replies? :confused:

She could be sensitive on her left - a field injury or strain or something. She could also just be being a stroppy mare and ignoring you - if you can't back up for left leg as strongly as your right. Get the vet to check her, if you're still worried maybe consider a physio, but if nobody highlights anything, I'd just ride her through it :)
 
When my Hippo was first ridden, she would plant and if I persisted she tried laying down with me and because that didn't get her out of work, she started nibbling my boot. I simply corrected her quietly - ie. used the right reing to bring her head back round and then squeezed with left leg.

She's done this since - most notably when I ask her to do something and she doesn't want to.
 
If you groom her left side with a fair bit of pressure, does she turn her head to you then?

Can she do carrot stretches easily to both sides? (Hold a corrot at her side - can she bend her neck round to take it from you.) Maybe she only does it to one saide as that is the easier side for her to turn towards?
 
Well the vet has checked her over and is confident that it isn't a pain issue. So most likely she is taking the proverbial with me....she does it when I've reined in to talk to the instructor about a manoeuvre. If I'm halting but still only focused on Hippo then she doesn't do this. As it stands I am using the right rein/left leg combination to correct her. I'm pretty sure after the vet today that she is just being naughty though.

She only turns her head when I'm grooming her if I accidentally touch her armpit area with the dandy brush! Then I get this very offended sort of glare directed at me:D

The vet was very pleased with her overall weight and condition. And as it turns out, Hippo doesn't like jabs:rolleyes: Afterwards, she sniffed the vet all over looking for carrots! I swear, I feed her - I really do!
 
Mine used to do this when she was a youngster but with her it was definitely linked to her being in season. Thankfully she couldn't get much of a chew at me thanks to my Mountain Horse steel toe caps!
I'm sure it's something yours will grow out of.
 
There is a guy ay the yard who tries to convince me to ride her bareback...not happening any time soon, I'm sad to say!
 
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