Horse doesn't like his head being brushed

ktj1891

ktj1891

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When I got my boy three years ago I got told he was headshy but never really noticed it. Now three years down the line, its a task to brush his face, poll, cut a bridle path and pull his mane.

He's not bad with a soft brush and will let me brush him all over his face with this although still not keen on his poll or ears. However, now its winter and he cakes his face and mane in mud this is when he is at his worst as I have to brush him firmer and use a metal blade or plastic curry comb. I have tried all sorts of approaches being really patient and taking my time to get the job done, treating him and being stern with him and telling him to stop being stupid. Today, he just flipped soon as I started brushing him by his poll area (covered in mud) and he proceeded to turn himself inside out, this resulted in me getting really frustrated and taking it out on him which I feel awful about:( and eventually twitching him.

To cut his bridle path I do try the approach of being patient I normally have to open and close scissors for him to get used to the noise. Then I cut the hair which he flips out about again so have to do it in baby steps or if I don't have the patience I twitch him.

To brush his face with curry comb just seems impossible these days he will screw his head almost all the way around, lift it high so I can't reach or run through me to stop me doing it. So again if really not in the mood I twitch. He is better with the metal comb and he varies between tolerating it for so long and then having a hissy again. I have to literally brush him so gently for him to 'allow' it which does not help when trying to remove chunks of mud!

To pull his mane I try and do little and often and treat and pat him lots, he pulls away as I back comb and twists his neck, so I wait for him to relax himself before I pull it out which seems to help.

He also has to be sedated to clip :mad:

I do think he is mainly very sensitive and a bit head shy but I just don't know what to do to improve this situation as to me, from brushing other horses really rough that just dont give a ****, he seems to be making an awful big deal and getting really upset over nothing?

Can anyone advise any tips or advice so I can brush him in a less stressful manner. I feel horrendous after loosing it with him and I just want him to chill and let me brush him to get the mud off!
 
I would suggest that something has happened to make him sensitive over his poll area.

My (now 28 yo) pony was terrible when I got him as an 8 yo. You couldn't touch his ears or tie him up. It didn't take too long really for him to be fine but he hated his mane being pulled (previous owner did a rather harsh job!) so I don't/didn't do it! :) I just trimmed and thinned really.

I would suggest a metal curry comb is not nice at all! Maybe just used a wider toothed plastic comb to comb the mud out of his mane at the top. You can get a rubber 'curry comb' type thing. My sister got one for her horse as he doesn't like hard brushes - it's pink and you put you hand in it. and it has small plastic/rubber 'spikes' on one side. It is very good at getting mud out yet horses (even those sensitive souls) don't seem to mine it at all and quite like it in fact.
 
Use a mitt with a cactus cloth side to get mud off - it is much gentler. My mare is not keen on having her face brushed but loves being rubbed with the mitt. I use it ti get mud out of her mane too.
 
Thanks for ideas guys can you post links to what what you mean so I get the right ones. Do they really get thick mud of ingrained into them?
 
In the nicest way... Have you had your hair pulled out, or been scraped with a metal comb? No, I didn't think so, so why do we expect our horses to put up with this! My Connie loves having his mane and tail pulled, but not so keen on me taking off mud with a metal curry comb. My WB youngster has very thin skin and I wouldn't dream of removing the mud in this way (I let it dry naturally). It is a horrible, wet miserable time.... As long as you can get a bridle and saddle on why upset the poor animal? It's not pretty having a muddy head and legs but if the horse is happy (and not losing his waterproofing oils from his coat!) don't worry and have a play with this when the weather is nicer xx
 
PerfectPony said:
In the nicest way... Have you had your hair pulled out, or been scraped with a metal comb? No, I didn't think so, so why do we expect our horses to put up with this! My Connie loves having his mane and tail pulled, but not so keen on me taking off mud with a metal curry comb. My WB youngster has very thin skin and I wouldn't dream of removing the mud in this way (I let it dry naturally). It is a horrible, wet miserable time.... As long as you can get a bridle and saddle on why upset the poor animal? It's not pretty having a muddy head and legs but if the horse is happy (and not losing his waterproofing oils from his coat!) don't worry and have a play with this when the weather is nicer xx
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This is the sensible and nicer option and I don't always groom his head but sometimes it needs to be done and I need a solution to do it in a way he is happiest. As I said in post he prefers the metal blade as I don't have to brush as hard to get the mud off. It's the plastic curry comb he really objects to .
 
Put your self in his shoes, he doesn't like his face brushed so try and compromise by using more gentle brushes and brushing him slowly rather than rushing and twitching him.
Use a rubber curry, I was always taught a metal curry is not for using on the horse.
Solo comb his mane if he doesn't like pulling.
 
A lot of people here recommend 'magic brushes' (look on ebay), they are plastic and have quite bendy bristles. They are good for sensitive areas, and if you are patient, they get the mud off as easily as most plastic curry combs and brushes. My horse is also sensitive on his face, and will tolerate this if I use slow deliberate movements, let him see what's coming and reward him for periods of keeping still.
 
ktj1891 said:
When I got my boy three years ago I got told he was headshy but never really noticed it. Now three years down the line, its a task to brush his face, poll, cut a bridle path and pull his mane.

He's not bad with a soft brush and will let me brush him all over his face with this although still not keen on his poll or ears. However, now its winter and he cakes his face and mane in mud this is when he is at his worst as I have to brush him firmer and use a metal blade or plastic curry comb. I have tried all sorts of approaches being really patient and taking my time to get the job done, treating him and being stern with him and telling him to stop being stupid. Today, he just flipped soon as I started brushing him by his poll area (covered in mud) and he proceeded to turn himself inside out, this resulted in me getting really frustrated and taking it out on him which I feel awful about:( and eventually twitching him.

To cut his bridle path I do try the approach of being patient I normally have to open and close scissors for him to get used to the noise. Then I cut the hair which he flips out about again so have to do it in baby steps or if I don't have the patience I twitch him.

To brush his face with curry comb just seems impossible these days he will screw his head almost all the way around, lift it high so I can't reach or run through me to stop me doing it. So again if really not in the mood I twitch. He is better with the metal comb and he varies between tolerating it for so long and then having a hissy again. I have to literally brush him so gently for him to 'allow' it which does not help when trying to remove chunks of mud!

To pull his mane I try and do little and often and treat and pat him lots, he pulls away as I back comb and twists his neck, so I wait for him to relax himself before I pull it out which seems to help.

He also has to be sedated to clip :mad:

I do think he is mainly very sensitive and a bit head shy but I just don't know what to do to improve this situation as to me, from brushing other horses really rough that just dont give a ****, he seems to be making an awful big deal and getting really upset over nothing?

Can anyone advise any tips or advice so I can brush him in a less stressful manner. I feel horrendous after loosing it with him and I just want him to chill and let me brush him to get the mud off!
Click to expand...

Have you thought about one of the goat hair brushes?
 
weebarney said:
Put your self in his shoes, he doesn't like his face brushed so try and compromise by using more gentle brushes and brushing him slowly rather than rushing and twitching him.
Use a rubber curry, I was always taught a metal curry is not for using on the horse.
Solo comb his mane if he doesn't like pulling.
Click to expand...

I do use the patient approach he still does not like it but I think I will just need to adopt this attitude all the time and if I know I am not in the mood then leave him be. It's not a metal curry comb it's like a loop blade.
 
Abacus said:
A lot of people here recommend 'magic brushes' (look on ebay), they are plastic and have quite bendy bristles. They are good for sensitive areas, and if you are patient, they get the mud off as easily as most plastic curry combs and brushes. My horse is also sensitive on his face, and will tolerate this if I use slow deliberate movements, let him see what's coming and reward him for periods of keeping still.
Click to expand...

Have magic brush used it today first off and still set himself off!
 
Have you had the back man out? I have owned my mare a few months and she was head shy when I got her and vet thought she had been twitched, she was improving with patience (rubber curry comb used on head) but after the back man came and crunched her (her poll was really tight) she is happier around her head.
 
My mare is a little like this. Good as gold otherwise. I find the more often I do it the better she gets. If I leave it a while she is worse again.
I also make sure that for the first few
Minutes I make sure that if she tries to move I do not lose contact, but as soon as she stands still I remove brush and praise her

She has never ever been hit or anything bad happened to her. Just allowed to do it
 
juliette said:
Have you had the back man out? I have owned my mare a few months and she was head shy when I got her and vet thought she had been twitched, she was improving with patience (rubber curry comb used on head) but after the back man came and crunched her (her poll was really tight) she is happier around her head.
Click to expand...

Yup he regularly had physio and the lady I use struggles sometimes to get pill done as said he will put up with so much pressure then have hissy and once worked up impossible. He is tight in his poll but same tightness as any other horse and she can normally work on it to realise the tension.
 
Sorry re-read your thread. I leave my horses muddy, to dry overnight... I do use the circular metal curry comb to take off dry mud.... Looks fierce but if used gently can work on most horses. I think wet mud is a nightmare regardless of what you use. If they are in overnight the problem isn't so bad, if they live out a full neck, hood etc. would be easier?
 
PerfectPony said:
Sorry re-read your thread. I leave my horses muddy, to dry overnight... I do use the circular metal curry comb to take off dry mud.... Looks fierce but if used gently can work on most horses. I think wet mud is a nightmare regardless of what you use. If they are in overnight the problem isn't so bad, if they live out a full neck, hood etc. would be easier?
Click to expand...
It is dry mud no point trying to remove wet mud. He has full neck rug and snuggy hood headless I am too paranoid to use one with a head.
 
Auslander said:
How's a goat hair brush going to get thick mud off?
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Yeah I just thought that. I know what that is now I used to have a face brush one. He is fine with a flicker brush (maybe some minor protests). It's when I need to use something harsher he doesn't like as I just think he is so sensitive in his skin.
 
Auslander said:
How's a goat hair brush going to get thick mud off?
Click to expand...
This.
I treated myself to one at YHL. Gorgeous brush, absolutely bleddy useless.
I use one of those pimply mitts to get the mud off, then a body brush, as my lad hates having his face groomed too. It's still a battle, but we get there eventually.
 
I'd try a magic brush. They are amazing at getting mud off and kinder than a plastic curry comb. When I first got my current horse that was the only brush he would let me use on his face, belly and legs and it's still the only brush allowed near his mane! If you don't want to spend that much I'd get a cheap kid-sized rubber curry comb as have always found them very good and gentle for getting mud off if you scrub a bit with them (in fact I still think they're the best thing for proper thick, horrid, dried on cack). Re the bridlepath does he really need one? If not I'd just let it grow (I've not cut one for years and can't say I've noticed an increase in rubbing or that it looks any different with tack on). Also if he objects to pulling maybe try a solocomb (or I've gone for ultimate lazy option of letting it grow but given it's taken my boy's mane about a year to grow an inch or so it'll take a while for me to have to do anything about it)
 
Is he chestnut? They often seem to be more sensitive. We have a horse like this (who also used to need to be sedated to clip). Hates having his face brushed but we find he is quite happy to have it hand rubbed - we use those woolly pimple gloves:

https://www.google.co.uk/#q=woollen+pimple+gloves&tbm=shop&spd=17827477384804473961

to go over his face with and he tolerates it well and it does get the mud off. I suspect the cactus mitt suggested above would do the same job.
 
Have you checked his ears? The reason for asking is I have had several 'head shy' horses who have had aural plaque in their ears, they were as bad as your horse, as soon as we got rid of this the head any behaviour stopped.
 
charlie76 said:
Have you checked his ears? The reason for asking is I have had several 'head shy' horses who have had aural plaque in their ears, they were as bad as your horse, as soon as we got rid of this the head any behaviour stopped.
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How do you know if they have that? He has a cyst in his ear but the vet and me know that. Btw he's not chestnut he's bay ��
 
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