Horse keeps pushing me

[puli]

I own a 6 year old mare and she does not like me brushing her face when I go to brush her face she shoves me with her head. At first she just did it softly, but now she is being really rough and has pushed me into the stable door before. Tonight she shoved me and flung my arm into the stable door. How can I stop her doing this as she is going to end up knocking me over or hurting me

 

[Equi]

Push her back. If she does it shout at her then make her back up. Don't tie her up when you are doing the head so you can react faster. It's just pure rudeness.

 

[be positive]

A lot of horses do not like having their heads brushed, some get really stressed and upset so pushing back or shouting may well make matters worse or you could even end up with a headshy horse, my own is very difficult to do round his ears so I just use my fingers to get the mud off rather than push him as he would either put his head up so high I couldn't reach or become nervy and keep flinching away, spending time gradually doing a little more can help, keep your cool and do it somewhere you will not get hurt if she does push.

I don't like bad mannered rude horses but on this one point I do accept it can be a problem for some and would rather meet them halfway than risk really upsetting them as it can take far longer to get them trusting you round their heads than to make them headshy in the first place.

 

[puli]

Its hard not to tie her up to brush her face as in the stable she will walk around in circles and will walk though you and knock you over if you get in her way. I try not to lose my temper as I don't like doing that but I will admit I have tapped her on the nose before when she has shoved me but not hard just a little tap but I have only done that when she has ended up shoving me into the stable door but when did tap her on the nose that once she did stop shoving me and she let me brush her face but the next day she started shoving me again . She also does it when people are talking to me with their hands in their pockets she things she is getting a treat so shoves them which nearly sends some people flying.

 

[ILuvCowparsely]

I own a 6 year old mare and she does not like me brushing her face when I go to brush her face she shoves me with her head. At first she just did it softly, but now she is being really rough and has pushed me into the stable door before. Tonight she shoved me and flung my arm into the stable door. How can I stop her doing this as she is going to end up knocking me over or hurting me

I brought a small cat brush over 20 years ago and it is the only one she liked it is equivalent to the real hair ones of today. I suggest you buy a small goat hair brush about child's size and get her used to it.

She may have had harsh treatment in the past so buy her a soft brush

 

[Michen]

Push her back. If she does it shout at her then make her back up. Don't tie her up when you are doing the head so you can react faster. It's just pure rudeness.

One way to get a head shy horse!

 

[Equi]

I don't do any grooming in the stable because my horse will do the same thing, throw the head about and circle. He wants his dinner or out, and being in the stable means food or confinement so he settles if tied up outside of it cause he knows that means grooming. Maybe something to try?

 

[tankgirl1]

I would try desensitising her to it, pressure and release, so to start with just try to touch the area with your hand, if she lets you, back off and praise her. Do this for a few days then introduce a small soft brush, and just gradually get her used to it. Don't punish her, just ignore her, and praise her and remove the brush only when she accepts it..... Not explained very well sorry

 

[SpringArising]

One way to get a head shy horse!

Teaching a horse that shoving you out the way with its head by making it back up is not going to make it headshy.

I can not stand horses who shove or push into you - it's rude and can bloody hurt.

A quick "Oi" and a tug on the rope usually nips it in the bud pretty quickly. Persevere!

 

[Orca]

Its hard not to tie her up to brush her face as in the stable she will walk around in circles and will walk though you and knock you over if you get in her way. I try not to lose my temper as I don't like doing that but I will admit I have tapped her on the nose before when she has shoved me but not hard just a little tap but I have only done that when she has ended up shoving me into the stable door but when did tap her on the nose that once she did stop shoving me and she let me brush her face but the next day she started shoving me again . She also does it when people are talking to me with their hands in their pockets she things she is getting a treat so shoves them which nearly sends some people flying.

Does she receive treats often? When my mare (also a 6yo) started doing this (even during grooming), treats are where it had stemmed from. She only receives them for hard work now and she was told off for shoving, in the same way as when she tried nipping - they are equally dangerous behaviours which were stopped immediately. When I met her, she was incredibly shy of people. Being told off for a specific behaviour, firmly, fairly (I don't shout but I do growl!) and with good timing has undone none of the work I've done to make her comfortable with human contact, because she knew exactly what she was being told off for. Horses are smart. I would also deal with this untied. If you don't feel safe doing this, maybe work on groundwork too?

 

[Holzdweaver]

My boy didnt like his face brushed. I also thought it was rudeness at first as he was an extremely reactive horse anyway and so i did a lot of pressure and release and he tolerated it but was never exactly happy. until i investigated and it turns out he has nerve damage in his face (as well as a broken plate in his skull froma trauma before i had him) and was telling me it hurt. After listening to him, he will, very happily let me brush the sides of his face up to his eyes with a horsehair brush. but the rest of his face between his eyes and downwards i can only use a sheepskin mitt. Any mud i rub off with the flat of my hand and take the dust off the surface with the mitt. Takes me a few mins longer but i have a happy horse who doesn't try and swing me round or take my head off my shoulders, in fact he now lowers his head for me to do it.

 

[puli]

Thankyou for your replys I think her issue with the grooming is that she has no patience what so ever and she hates being groomed she gets frustrated with you no matter were you are brushing her. ALso if she knows that she is going for a ride she is even more of a fidget bum intill she gets her tack on then she calms down. I will try I don't want to make her head shy but it does need sorting as she pushes with a lot of force and I would hate for her to hurt someone.

 

[NZJenny]

Sounds like she is rude in general. She needs to learn that pushing and shoving (no matter what the reason!) is unacceptable. I think you need to be a lot more assertive with your horse.

I deal with other peoples horses when vetting at trail rides and I do not tolerate being shoved around by horses, so if I get shoved, horse gets thumped. It's dangerous behaviour and needs a corresponding correction. Mine don't shove me around - I don't give them any reason to, and any potentially dangerous behaviour gets corrected quickly and decisively - "a gentle tap" isn't it.

 

[paddi22]

i don't see the big deal - she doesn't like having her head brushed, told you she didn't, you didn't listen and when you kept doing it she put the foot down. I have one whose head i can only brush with a damp cloth, one who only likes a small face brush, while the other three would happily get the heads brushed off them with sweeping brush!, its just personal preference for each of them.

I hate anyone touching my feet. If someone made me get them massaged they'd get a few kicks as well!

Is she otherwise polite? Is this the only situation she is rude?

 

[puli]

She does it as soon as her brush her head or mane and when you stroke her. She is polite but can be rude she walks round in circles in the stable and she will push you out of the way she does not really aware of your space. I don't mind her not liking having her face brushed but I don't like the way she pushes people out of the way as she is strong and she is nearly making me fall over which I think is rude.

 

[Equi]

She can't be polite and rude at the same time. She needs some learning. I have started making my gelding stand quietly before I let him go into the stable to get his bucket. He generally used to fire the head about, stamp, nuzzle my arm with his mouth (could lead to a bite I think) but a few weeks on he still has about three seconds of this then remembers he won't get in until he stands and doesn't use that head as a weapon. Just lots of general ground work. Everyone on yard says he has calmed down loads just from doing groundwork. Impatience doesn't get them anywhere.

 

[Landcruiser]

She sounds very like my dominant old gelding. He actually loves his face being brushed but still does the head pushing, it's a lack of respect for your personal space. My old boy was so set in his ways when I got him, so abused, that a light tap or even a thump are nothing to him. He's totally "into pressure" on the ground, and will always stand and face danger. He's much more fight than flight. As I'm not prepared to beat him up, we have reached an agreement. I demand certain things from him, and work round potential dificulties by thinking ahead - for instance he's tied up fairly short for girth area grooming as he'll bite. We have a good working relationship, and ridden he's the most sensitive, off pressure horse you can imagine. A real character and not for everyone, but I love him. He tolerates me, and looks for me, and that's more than he does for any other human - and with good cause.

 

[Cortez]

i don't see the big deal - she doesn't like having her head brushed, told you she didn't, you didn't listen and when you kept doing it she put the foot down.

Sorry? No half ton animal gets to "put the foot down" with a human. The handler HAS to be in charge, always.

 

[applecart14]

My youngster that I had years ago started doing that with me and would push me into the stable wall or fence if he was tied outside. The one day he was due his flu and tet and I was speaking to the vet and mentioned what he kept doing. He told me to get a bic biro and with the blunt end stick it hard in his ribs when he did it again. Sure enough it did the trick and he never did it again! Pushing them back has little or no affect as they are 'into pressure' and will lean even more into you.

That's why its more effective to put your finger on a horses side when you ask it to move over rather than your hand, as a finger has very little surface, so therefore less pressure to fall into if that makes sense.

Paddi2 my horse didn't like having his forelock plaited and I would spend hours sat on the wash box wall at his height trying to pacify him and 'train him' into accepting it, hours and hours of practising and trying to keep his head down and keep him still. After all what good is a competition horse destined for dressage and ODE's if you cannot plait it!?

Well all the hard work paid off, and we got there in the end, now I always plait his mane from ears to withers first and then finish with his forelock. He knows when I get round to his forelock its nearly done, and he will obligingly put his head down and keep it still as he ALWAYS receives a nice treat and a pat afterwards. I can plait him in 15 mins now, whereas before it was having to attach a bungee from his head to girth to assist in keeping his head down and taking in the region of 40 mins.

 

[Nudibranch]

I dont think she is necessarily doing it because she is headshy or doesn't like her head being brushed. From other things in the posts I'd guess she's a bit pushy generally. I would work on her groundwork as a whole. When she pushes you, take a hold of her headcollar and make her step back. Don't let her tramp round the box and move you around. Groom outside the box with her tied up.

I have an ex racer who arrived liking to rub his head on everyone, quite roughly. This was a little surprising as I wouldn't have thought such a habit would have been indulged, but it had been. Simple handling and not allowing it has meant he's stopped trying to do it.

 

[FemelleReynard]

Are we really having this debate about politeness or rudeness of horses and when it is acceptable or not? For a safe environment the human should be in charge at all times, end of. You need to put YOUR foot down and teach the horse some general manners. I would not tolerate pushing with the head, traipsing round the stable and barging you out of the way and all this about her being impatient until she’s tacked up. It sounds like she’s walking all over you and something needs to be done to stop this before a serious accident occurs and you, or someone else, is badly hurt.

 

[Wagtail]

Horses whisper to us when they don't like something. If we continue then they TELL us. When we still continue, then they SHOUT. That is why this behaviour is escalating. OP some horses hate their heads being brushed. It may be they are frightened by it, or it may be that they are super sensitive and the brushing really hurts them. Or maybe they have had a bad experience such as a brush bristle catching them in the eye. Whatever the cause, a little empathy is needed here. This horse is not just shoving you to be rude or aggressive, she is telling you she doesn't like what you are doing. In this circumstance where I think the horse has a valid reason to object, I would use my fingers and then progress to a soft very small brush or pumice stone type thing for the more stubborn mud. I would not be bullying the horse into submission.

 

[Nudibranch]

Theres no need to be rough or frighten her. But if you look at the information provided, the horse isn't just a problem with face brushing, she is generally moving the OP about and not respecting space or boundaries. That's a different thing altogether. Gentle but firm handling and enabling the mare to learn to stand patiently, tie up properly and not push people about would be a more useful approach imo. OP may well find face brushing is no longer an issue once the horse has learnt these basics.

 

[pansymouse]

My mare is not keen on being brushed anywhere (she's very ticklish) so I use a cactus mitt and polish with a sheepskin mitt - she loves both. Maybe you could give a non-brush option a go. I would also be putting a sharp "no" when she pushes to set boundaries and reassert your dominance.

 

[Wagtail]

Theres no need to be rough or frighten her. But if you look at the information provided, the horse isn't just a problem with face brushing, she is generally moving the OP about and not respecting space or boundaries. That's a different thing altogether. Gentle but firm handling and enabling the mare to learn to stand patiently, tie up properly and not push people about would be a more useful approach imo. OP may well find face brushing is no longer an issue once the horse has learnt these basics.

Sorry, I was replying to the original post. I didn't read the other posts. I would deal with the general pushiness quite differently than the objection to having her head brushed. I would put on a control halter (rope or dually) and do lots of in hand work both in the stable and in the yard and school. However, I am not one to insist that I can do absolutely anything to a horse and they have to put up with it. If there is a valid reason for them to object, then I listen, as with horses who hate having their heads brushed or manes pulled etc. But pure rudeness and bolshiness is swiftly dealt with.

 

[FfionWinnie]

I have only read the first page but would guess this isn't the only time she's rude. Think about her whole behaviour then think what needs to change.

If shoving you stops you brushing her face/makes you do it faster, then of course she will shove you move, it's a cycle you have to break.

I had a similar thing when clipping my horse's legs. If she picked one up/figeted I took the clippers off. I had soon trained her NOT to stand still when I clipped her legs. I now make sure I only remove the clippers when she is not moving. Thus rewarding her standing still.

Initially in my retraining process I had to forget about actually clipping, and worked only on still - clippers off, figeting - clippers not off. Likewise you will have to forget about actually brushing her and focus on keeping the brush on her face while she shoves and removing it when she does not.

It won't take long to retrain her if you are consistent.

And you know, wear a hat etc.

 

[laura_nash]

Its hard not to tie her up to brush her face as in the stable she will walk around in circles and will walk though you and knock you over if you get in her way. I try not to lose my temper as I don't like doing that but I will admit I have tapped her on the nose before when she has shoved me but not hard just a little tap but I have only done that when she has ended up shoving me into the stable door but when did tap her on the nose that once she did stop shoving me and she let me brush her face but the next day she started shoving me again . She also does it when people are talking to me with their hands in their pockets she things she is getting a treat so shoves them which nearly sends some people flying.

I would ignore the face brushing issue and work on her general behavour - she shouldn't walk through you and knock you over even if she is totally over-excited or terrified. I would start by banning all hand-feeding, treats go in the feed bowl, you can maybe re-introduce in the future but at the moment that is not helping. Then you need to start doing some groundwork so you both understand each other and you can regain some control. Ideally get someone in to help show you this (e.g. an instructor or if you don't know anyone your local IHRA). If not, get a book (Kelly Marks Perfect Manners would be great for this) and work through some of the exercises. In the meantime if she tries to barge over you, don't let her! Clapping your hands or throwing them in the air is often effective. You should be able to ask her to stand still, move over, back up etc loose - especially in a stable though ideally even loose in the field.

You may find the face brushing resolves once the general handling is sorted, if not then lots of good tips from others already on this thread (soft brush, de-sensitizing etc).

 

[JadeyB]

My old boy hates his head being brushed too and at 17.2hh he could make it quite difficult, despite loving rolling in mud! I used to use one of those cheap gloves with the pimples on because he never seemed to mind that, or I'd take him out of his box, stand on my rug box and just quietly re-position him every time he fidgeted, then he'd get a pat and sweet after.

As for shoving, thankfully that was never an issue with him, although he would frisk me for sweets everyday, but someone told me once that if a horse has no respect for your personal space then you should have a toddler style tantrum! hahaha! i have had to do it with some of the youngsters i worked with and it seemed to work, it made them look at me like a loon but they stopped walking on me