fancypony
New User
How can I get my horse to be more respectful of me? He's a big boy and he knows it - nearly 18hh Shire x ID. I've started looking after him a few days a week for a friend.
He takes the piss sometimes! When leading to and from the paddock, he frequently stops and requires rocking off his feet or raised voice plus tap of stick to get going again. Last time I took him down to the field after work he pulled his head down the to the ground. I yelled at him and dragged his head up. He then pulled again and took a nasty nip on out of my arm and barged off, pushing me into towards the fencing and yanking lead rope out of my hand. I had no problem recatching him but it's just so rude to behave like this.
Do I just get more savage with him? Beat him black and blue with a school stick? I really don't want to have to go down this route, or get into an arms race with any horse, let alone this brute. He knows what an angry voice means and that threats follow with action (whacking with end of rope or stick) sometimes he even ignores that. Trouble is, it seems like the more I scald him, he can get more rough in return. Sometimes I feel I'm even playing into little game. I really don't want him to become genuinely dangerous with endless negative reinforcement, but at the same time I want him to know some boundaries with people.
Another issue I have with him (which may be connected) is his recent tendency to drop his head and swing it in an excited way when being asked to trot in saddle. This has (and can lead) to him bolting and tanking off. He had a big, powerful head which pulls the rider right off their seat especially when they shorten their reins in preparation of trot. Again, disrespectful. He has a straight, plastic bit on a snaffle plus running martingale. It's not just a ridden thing either. He does exactly the same thing whilst lunging. However, I do find when I get that initial burst of energy out of him he stops doing it and the transitions are normal.
He takes the piss sometimes! When leading to and from the paddock, he frequently stops and requires rocking off his feet or raised voice plus tap of stick to get going again. Last time I took him down to the field after work he pulled his head down the to the ground. I yelled at him and dragged his head up. He then pulled again and took a nasty nip on out of my arm and barged off, pushing me into towards the fencing and yanking lead rope out of my hand. I had no problem recatching him but it's just so rude to behave like this.
Do I just get more savage with him? Beat him black and blue with a school stick? I really don't want to have to go down this route, or get into an arms race with any horse, let alone this brute. He knows what an angry voice means and that threats follow with action (whacking with end of rope or stick) sometimes he even ignores that. Trouble is, it seems like the more I scald him, he can get more rough in return. Sometimes I feel I'm even playing into little game. I really don't want him to become genuinely dangerous with endless negative reinforcement, but at the same time I want him to know some boundaries with people.
Another issue I have with him (which may be connected) is his recent tendency to drop his head and swing it in an excited way when being asked to trot in saddle. This has (and can lead) to him bolting and tanking off. He had a big, powerful head which pulls the rider right off their seat especially when they shorten their reins in preparation of trot. Again, disrespectful. He has a straight, plastic bit on a snaffle plus running martingale. It's not just a ridden thing either. He does exactly the same thing whilst lunging. However, I do find when I get that initial burst of energy out of him he stops doing it and the transitions are normal.
