Hitting Horses

Is it acceptable to hit a horse?

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If the horse is posing a danger to the rider, another horse, iself or any other person, and a quick smack across the backside once will sort it. Then certainly I see no problem...

Again as others have said though it depends on the horse and contexts etc, with some horses this may just amplify bad behaviour, so it's about knowing how your horse will react if your going to give it a smack.

Excessive smacking (ie more than twice in one go) is never justifiable in my opinion though.
 
1. I have one mare who I would not hit because of her past experiences. Kindness but being firm with my voice is enough for her.

2. I have another mare who I would not hit or she would give back tenfold but use different tactics like backing up, teaching voice commands and loads of groundwork and reassurance. Otherwise she is likely to send you double barrelling into next year, no questions asked.

3. I have a gelding who when he 'zones' will just want to barge and head for the hills, over, under you etc. A quick sharp smack, crack of the leadrope or dig with my elbow against a shoulder brings him back into reality and everything is normal again, he comes 'back' so to speak.

4. I have a third mare who was a complete spoilt brat and who has been on the receiving end of my foot, my hand and my voice on many occasions (Usually after I have received the first sore brattish insult from her). It stopped her being something that no-one wanted to the point that the people who owned her before me did not recognise her at all. I will admit I now love her.

Different horses, different reasons, different scenarios. Not one I could treat the same, so I can't answer the poll truthfully because there never is a rigid course of action IMO.
 
I think it depends on all sorts of things, but yes I do give them a wallop no matter what the age, as appropriate, even foals if they try to kick.....the mares don't put up with it so why should we?

Usually if they are properly brought up there is not too much of a problem with them as adults.....rather like children!!

Swift to punish then swift to forgive I think.
 
how strange having this post on today. We had an "issue" on my yard today where a girl who works on my yard kicked a pony 3 x as it tried to kick her. now i find this unacceptible. i did not see it happen but the YM was informed and she got into trouble, rightly so.

i have hit my horse as he is a silly 5 year old and liable to bite but its just a tap :rolleyes:

i also carry a schooling whip but again he is young and can nap and it really is to back up my leg if he is not listening :D
 
Spook said:
I think it depends on all sorts of things, but yes I do give them a wallop no matter what the age, as appropriate, even foals if they try to kick.....the mares don't put up with it so why should we?

Usually if they are properly brought up there is not too much of a problem with them as adults.....rather like children!!

Swift to punish then swift to forgive I think.
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Agree, in the field the alpha horse bites, kicks and squeals and a quick smack replicates this as does a shout or growl. I want good manners from my horses and if they overstep the line I act like the alpha horse. My young horse is a gent but sometimes pushes it and a push and 'no' is all thats needed. My old native is a thug, we call him ASBO boy! He needs putting in his place daily or he will dominate on the ground, he is also lazy and clever with a weak rider and does need a few good smacks with the whip to go forward.
Horses do know what a smack means as it replicates herd behaviour.
 
ibot said:
how strange having this post on today. We had an "issue" on my yard today where a girl who works on my yard kicked a pony 3 x as it tried to kick her. now i find this unacceptible. i did not see it happen but the YM was informed and she got into trouble, rightly so.

i have hit my horse as he is a silly 5 year old and liable to bite but its just a tap :rolleyes:

i also carry a schooling whip but again he is young and can nap and it really is to back up my leg if he is not listening :D
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I've never kicked a horse three times but when I was leading one of mine in from the field and said spoilt mare in my post above missed my face by a couple of inches by both back feet then I am not ashamed to say I hoofed her on the backside back pretty sharpish, I have never seen a horse spin around and stare at a human being before in gobsmacked surprise, but she did. Never tried it again. (Although she tried various other tactics in different scenarios to see who wore the trousers) She still didn't win.
 
Completely depends on the situation. I give my TB a smack on the bum when he's reversing into ditches but apart from that, I never hit or smack him because he's very sensitive and it's counter-productive. I'm a bit tougher with the Welshie simply because of his size - when he barges me and is rude, he can quite easily send me flying and really hurt me so I'm very firm with him, but I never "hit" as such. He gets one short smack, normally on the chest or the bum and that's it. It's also more for the noise than the physical impact. My crop has a wide end to it, if that makes sense, so it makes a very loud thwack but doesn't actually hurt. (I tested it on myself!) I do not approve of repeatedly hitting a horse over and over again, although again, in certain situations it is necessary. When the Welshie is spooking, a few well-timed smacks gets him going forward again. In general, I try to rely on my voice as that's what works quickest with my boys.
 
ok ok im braced for back lash but sorry im reading posts saying if get kicked bitten etc i smack - ummm when im with my horses - or other ppls horses i quietly watch the face eyes ears body of the horse all time - i try not to get myself in position of being bitten kicked even when working with difficult horses - and if i do i think why ? these are animals not machines - they do not have the rules and concepts of life like we do- they are not by nature aggressive - many will not have livid in a herd situation where they are taught through body language more than aggression how to behave - and more than anything stop and think about the horse. a flight animal who will run rather than fight. an animal that not only allows you to strap a saddle around it but also get on to the most dangerous place - its back. - hey predator on back i need to buck and kick to get it off - they allow us to put a metal bar in thier mouth and in some cases tear at it. the horse a flight animal but yet we can put them in a small stable and transport them in a trailer mmmmm damn amazing animal dont you think . rarely is a horse born bad - its the human intervention that makes a horse confused frustrated and then they behave as they only know how then whack they get a crack - ok im braced for repies lol :) x
 
A sharp slap if the horse poses a danger is acceptable to me, otherwise no, prefer to find other ways to deal with it.

Agree with the comments on context.
 
Babymare.... you cannot have met a horse/pony like my old boy, he is bombproof and afraid of nothing except pigs. He will barge and push, that is the type of horse he is, very independent. I will not allow him to move me around and sometimes that means standing tall up to him but sometimes it means a slap. Horses dont need to live in a herd either, the behaviour is instinctive.
 
Depending on the situation and severity, but yes I'd physically or verbally react to my horse. I think the issue is excessive or un-justified force. For example if my horse bit someone I'd smack him or bite him back, but it doesn't justify battering him with a whip.

A girl I knew booted her horse in the ribs nearly breaking her toe... Justified?! I reckon so as he's a 17.1hh, bargy sod who pinned her against the wall and she couldn't breathe.

Suppose it's down to each owner and how they judge a situation.
 
I used to be completely against ever hitting a horse. Then i found the real world. Sometimes a horse needs a smack, and i will always carry a whip. For instance, something scary at the side of the road, like massive road works and noisy horrible machinery today when we were hacking out. He wanted to jump into the middle of the road (full of cars) and was genuinely very scared. But to be safe i had to be very strong with both hands and legs, and a few smacks with the whip on the inside so that he didn't jump out that way when there was a loud noise/ lots of movement.

I usually don't need to slap a horse from the ground, but if i am being barged and my body language isn't cutting it (normally does) i will give them a slap or poke in the chest/ neck. And if the horse is taking the pee i will possibly swing a leadrop at their quarters like when he decided he didn't want to go in the stable because there was lots of lovely grass in the field.

I don't think it is ever acceptible to beat a horse, to hit a horse in the face/head/ legs, to grab an ear etc to inflict pain/imobilise or to use excessive spur or whip to the extent that the horse is marked.
 
babymare said:
ok ok im braced for back lash but sorry im reading posts saying if get kicked bitten etc i smack - ummm when im with my horses - or other ppls horses i quietly watch the face eyes ears body of the horse all time - i try not to get myself in position of being bitten kicked even when working with difficult horses - and if i do i think why ? these are animals not machines - they do not have the rules and concepts of life like we do- they are not by nature aggressive - many will not have livid in a herd situation where they are taught through body language more than aggression how to behave - and more than anything stop and think about the horse. a flight animal who will run rather than fight. an animal that not only allows you to strap a saddle around it but also get on to the most dangerous place - its back. - hey predator on back i need to buck and kick to get it off - they allow us to put a metal bar in thier mouth and in some cases tear at it. the horse a flight animal but yet we can put them in a small stable and transport them in a trailer mmmmm damn amazing animal dont you think . rarely is a horse born bad - its the human intervention that makes a horse confused frustrated and then they behave as they only know how then whack they get a crack - ok im braced for repies lol :) x
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You may get some stick for this post, but so what, I agree with these sentiments as will many others.
 
My horse is a diabolical thug unless he is kept in line. He lives with one gelding who uses all manner of tactics to keep my boy in his place. Hence my boy comes in with bites nearly every day (not serious I hasten to add!). However he keeps coming back for more! We have watched them both and he winds the hell up out of the other gelding. The bites are well deserved but don;t seem to bother him at all.

So you can imagine what he is like on the ground with little old me! He would mow me down in a second, but I have found flicking with the leadrope and flapping things at him (gloves, boots etc) work best, they don;t hurt him but they do make him do as he;s told. A softly-softly approach most definitely does NOT work with an equine bully!!!
When ridden, a smack on the bum has saved us from backing down ditches, bottom swung into the side of a moving bus, running in front of cars, being bucked off into the paths of motorbikes etc etc.
 
my youngster bites me its just a phase hes going through but hes pretty strong and bruised me a few times through thick layers hes four i do shout at him and slap him back im sure some people will frown at me on yard but even my hardest slaps wont hurt himas much as he hates me
 
Thanks for all the interesting replies, very different thoughts on the matter!!

Sorry to those who could not answer the poll because it wasn't very well written I reckon- sorry about that.

I have given my horse a slap on the shoulder for turning to bite me but generally he doesn't require it.

I have, however, with permission of owner, given the filly that lives with him a broad wallop once. She was being led in and decided it was a good time to go for the horse behind her (who wasn't doing anything), not just a warning but full-fledged turning to charge with me still attatched to the leadrope!
 
I think it's ok so long as it is done constructively and not done in anger. I also think you need to take into account the horses personality - I have two horses and one of them responds really well to a smack as he is thick skinned and a bit thuggish - it doesn't upset him it is more about getting his attention really. However my TB hardly ever gets hit - she would have a meltdown if I smacked her. In her case it is enough to use a harsh tone of voice etc.

I would never hit a horse purely out of temper and frustration - there has to be a considered reason with a likely positive outcome.
 
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