How do i stop him taking the p*** out of other people?

[Potato!]

I’m having some issues with my bolshy, bad mannered horse. Well not me actually as I don’t seem to have a problem with him but anybody else and he can and I’ll take the pee. He is very clever and you only have to let him get away with something once and you will have the problem. When I got him 2 years ago he was a complete nightmare to handle and very in your face I have since worked with him and I very rarely have problems. However when other people handle him he is constantly controlling their position being really pig headed.

Does anybody have any tips on teaching my horse to have better manners when other people are handling him. He is a dominant horse who is not frightened of anything or anyone. Once you are dominant over him he relaxes but he has been passed round so many times because he is like this and once he knows your either frightened of him or that you are below him in the pecking order he takes full advantage.

 

[AmyMay]

Do other people have to handle him?

 

[JillA]

Your relationship with him sounds pretty much okay, less so the others. Take a careful look at what is getting reinforced - if he gets a reward for something (not always food, could be a rest, or attention, or to go somewhere he wants to be) he will do it again. He may actually think that is the desired behaviour.
It really is about the relationship with others who handle him - are they experienced enough and confident enough to remain quiet, firm and consistent around him, because that is what he needs. Maybe you need to train them more than him?

 

[Potato!]

Well no other people don’t have to handle him normally but I don’t me to be the only person to handle him. For example with something was to happen to me or if for some reason I unfortunately had to sell him. I don’t think it’s a good idea that 1 person only ever handles a horse.

The other people who have been handling him are all experienced and have dealt with a great number of horses, they have worked with him and sometimes he will relax cooperate and other times he just will not give in and it will be the same battle everytime they work with him.

 

[putasocinit]

There is a thread on NH.

He doesnt know his boundaries and who is his leader. He woulnt treat the alpha mare that way.

 

[Kallibear]

He probably isn't as well behaved for you as you think. You'll just be used to his bad mannered habits and work round them. If he is as well trained as you'd like to think then he'd respond to commands by others too. We become so used to our own horses that we don't notice their bad habits.

Good manners are easily taught but they need to be consistent and reinforced.

Teach him to get out of your space and stay there. No touching or nudging. No stepping into your 'bubble'. No drifting off away from you. Certainly no 'herding' you with his body. Teach him then specific and exactly response required to each command and reinforce regularly.

Work with moving his feet and make it an exercise others can quickly repeat to remind him to behave.

His 'back' and 'get out my space' movements need to be so practiced that when someone else squares up to him he KNOWS it means 'get back'. They shouldn't have to progress past touching his shoulder/chest to make him back up.

Most sensible people work on the three-stage training: ask nicely, tell firmly, tell off. If he knows these rules inside out then anyone using them should find him easy.

 

[Potato!]

Thank you. That's more of the response I was after. I find he moves back out of my space and stays there when I ask but not for anybody else. I will keep try that technique with his handling and get some others to also do the same.

 

[AdorableAlice]

Had one just the same last year !. Rope halter (simple cow one, not parelli/knotted thing) and revisit ground manners training. Lots of back up, move over, wait etc, until he is listening to you in an consistent manner. No hand feeding and keep the goal posts firm.

 

[noblesteed]

I am quite interested in this thread as I have a 'clever' and dominant horse. It also took me a couple of years to get him to behave for me, and now he is fine - respectful, calm, sensible - on the ground and under saddle and I don't have any problems with him. So when I fell Pregnant I was happy to share him with a competent novice teenager (2nd loan after outgrowing her pony). There are other experienced people on the yard who he usually behaves well for. All went well to begin with until he started pushing her around and testing her out when riding, and back to napping, spinning, bucking, spooking when hacked alone. She has got to the point now where she will only ride in the school doing flatwork, despite me buying calmer and giving her as much advice as I can. Having had my baby 6 weeks ago I got back on him last week to give him a 'sorting out'... Guess what? Good as gold and has been for me ever since.
Not sure what I can do other than spend hours teaching the girl how to deal with him, which I obviously haven't got since I have a newborn baby... My horse has just worked through all his evasions until he's found out how to scare her! OP you will not have the time to teach everyone on your yard how to handle your horse, if he's anything like mine he'll spot a person's 'achilles heel' a mile off. Mine is still a git for the farrier by the way... Fine with vet, dentist, clipping person etc. Just not the farrier! So I feel your pain OP!

 

[Potato!]

You could be describing my boy exactly even down to the farrier bit.