Is it really that hard...

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To teach your horse some manners?!
Lunging one horse today for a friend as she is away, refuses to stand still whilst I gather the lungeline and whip etc, then tears off yanking the line through my hand which wraps around and nearly dislocates a finger. Finish lunging and go back to the yard, refuses to stand still again, brushing his tail and his back legs are flying everywhere, walks all over me in the stable just to get to his haynet shoving me out of the way. Am also looking after another horse and he is even worse! 16hh of pure rudeness. Pushes me out of the way, shoves me against the wall, won't stand still to have his legs washed, throws his head up so I can't put the headcollar on, snatches his leg away when I'm picking his feet out... Bloody nightmare! It's really not that hard to teach your horse some basic manners is it? *Rant Over* :)
 
I have to say I was thinking about the exact same thing today as I was sorting my mare's haynet!!! I am a stickler for manners and although she is only 6 she HAS to stand still for me to mount, do her feet, groom, rug up, when I gather up equipment in the school etc and I have to say never puts a hoof wrong with all of that! BUT I have let her get into the naughty habit of nibbling at the haynet whilst I tie it up :-s whoops lol she's not too bad.... if you tell her to get back and wait (and mean it!!!) she will but I did think today I must stop her doing that before I move her to her new yard on Saturday!
Do you count pulling faces at people/other horses in manners though?
 
Undecided said:
To teach your horse some manners?!
Lunging one horse today for a friend as she is away, refuses to stand still whilst I gather the lungeline and whip etc, then tears off yanking the line through my hand which wraps around and nearly dislocates a finger. Finish lunging and go back to the yard, refuses to stand still again, brushing his tail and his back legs are flying everywhere, walks all over me in the stable just to get to his haynet shoving me out of the way. Am also looking after another horse and he is even worse! 16hh of pure rudeness. Pushes me out of the way, shoves me against the wall, won't stand still to have his legs washed, throws his head up so I can't put the headcollar on, snatches his leg away when I'm picking his feet out... Bloody nightmare! It's really not that hard to teach your horse some basic manners is it? *Rant Over* :)
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OMG - I am pleased I am not your friend!!

Equally they are probably just testing / taking the piss out of you.
 
I'm always baffled when people moan about their own horse's lack of basic manners. I try not to handle other peoples too much, i'm spoilt by my own polite beasties! The one I do handle regularly who is not mine is very polite and ladylike.
 
Meandtheboys: what do you mean?
My boy is only 7 yet knows that you stand still to mount, whether in a school or a field, you stand still to groom and have your feet picked out and you don't push or barge. If I'm coming into the stable he will step back, the same as if I'm hanging his haynet or bringing in his feed, he will step back and wait. I'm just fed up of being pushed around today :( and forgot to mention as I was bending down to take off over reach boots one started pawing and kneed me in the face :(
 
i always think my own are very naughty and dont have any manners, but when asked to look after others/temp work at yards i am often discusted with the lack of basic manners that can actually make the horse unsafe to work with!
i run back to mine and give them massive hugs for being so good!
 
Don't like rude horses!

Mine is made to wait while I hang his haynet, he may be allowed a mouthful while I'm untying the string but when I am hanging it, he waits. Can't stand when I am trying to hang a really heavy haynet and horse pushes your hand out the way, yanks hard on the haynet pulling it back to the floor!

His manger is at the back on the stable and he will quietly wait until I have put his tea in it before eating, hate when horses are allowed to shove their head in the bucket as you try carrying it over

Once I pick up a front foot to pick it out he will then pick up the others in turn as I move to each :D
 
Meandtheboys said:
OMG - I am pleased I am not your friend!!

Equally they are probably just testing / taking the piss out of you.
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Well I am sure if I was your friend I would not appreciate you slating my horse and potentially how I handle my horse on an open forum............or equally the owner of the other horse!!

If this is your business then you are not going to gain by openly moaning about other peoples horses.

So feedback is you should have made you statement a little bit more generic...............
 
I never cease to be amazed at what other people seem to be happy to allow their horses to do. I'd shoot mine if they behaved like that (NB: they are in no danger whatsoever as they are very well behaved and wouldn't THINK of mucking about).
 
Mine are taught respect from day 1. I won't stand for bad manners from ANY horse and have often been known to give a horse a lesson in leading when being brought in from the field. I absolutely do not tolerate bargey horses. What should take a few minutes can end up taking a lot longer. :rolleyes: but the horse learns that I demand respect and the quicker they comply the quicker they get to eat.
We have an uncut 3 year old which has far better manners than 90% of the other horses on the yard. We taught him from day 1 (literally) what was acceptable and what was not and he is a joy to lead, groom, box, for the farrier, for the dentist, for the vet etc etc etc. Most people don't even know he's uncut till told.
 
I dont like rude horses, if they lack basic manners everything takes much longer to do. I think its difficult to deal with other peoples horses because most of us have different standards of what is acceptable. Im much stricter than some of my friends, but less so than others and we all have different "big" issues that will not be put up with. sghc88, I send my horse to stand in a corner if I have to put a net up when she is in her box waiting :D
 
Thanks hippo-horse I shall definitely not be letting her sneak a cheeky mouthful any more :p what's more difficult to manage is her possessiveness over food! The minute she has a haynet, if anyone goes to her stable door her ears go back and she does her best shark impression! She also detests any of the other horses walking past her 'personal space' and will pull the most awful faces at them :rolleyes: any tips?
 
Ah I really don't do rude horses!! My horses are taught from day one, I am the boss and whatever I say goes. I have well mannered polite horses, my loaner commented on how well mannered my rising 5yo is. There was no excuse, I'm short, i won't be pushed around by big ass beasties!!!
 
My mare is grumpy with most other horses, there are only a select few she likes and will sometimes share food with or let look at her food.She makes nasty faces at all the rest, if she chooses to notice them at all . Im fine with this as long as I'm not on her back or anybody is standing in between them, its just how she is. She had to learn that I am not a horse and she was to behave accordingly. Could you move your mare's net so she cant see the other horses while she eats? As long as its just faces I wouldn't worry about her, its the bitey ones that I worry about :eek:
 
sghc88 said:
Thanks hippo-horse I shall definitely not be letting her sneak a cheeky mouthful any more :p what's more difficult to manage is her possessiveness over food! The minute she has a haynet, if anyone goes to her stable door her ears go back and she does her best shark impression! She also detests any of the other horses walking past her 'personal space' and will pull the most awful faces at them :rolleyes: any tips?
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I like Hippo-horse's advice about moving the hay-net, so that she can't see the other horses, but if that doesn't work, have you tried giving her more? Some people might view this as rewarding bad behaviour, but it can also be seen as a new conditioning/re-training, if you as an example goes to her stable door and just give her some more, for example, hay, and some more, and some more, and some more, and some more, and some more, and some more, and some more, and some more, and some more, and some more, and some more, and however much some more it takes, until she eventually (after x number of trainings), realises that continuing to guard her food is like saying "Don't you dare come here and give me more food!"

If you want to try it, make sure that you have a relaxed but not submissive body language, and that she doesn't get the impression that you're doing it on her terms.
 
It's difficult to teach one's horse to react exactly the same with other handlers if they don't do it like you do. My horse is an absolute angel for me, stands perfectly, lifts feet without needing to be asked, doesn't barge, allows touching all over. But her feet become welded to the core of the earth if a stranger tries to pick them up. She also dislikes other people touching her, even a neck pat. So how can an owner instil manners when the horse doesn't show bad manners to its owner?
 
I couldn't give two hoots if I have to correct a horse and the owner is present. if I have been asked to do something with that animal by the owner then it will behave as I want it to and if that takes disciplining it then I will do so and explain to the owner why and how I am doing so.

All it takes is consistency to get a horse to behave. A correction is simple, make the horse go back to where it was to start with, this can be done hard, with arm waving and the person in 'attack' mode or simple with a finger poked into the chest and make it reverse to where it started.

I was alsed to go help dress an abscessed hind foot on a 20 month colt. He is little handled and only by the owner. Nervous and disrespectful. The first time he was doped and I had to rope the foot to pick it up. Second day no dope, rope to pick the foot up. No problem, the barging was corrected with a firm hand and lots of scratching when he did as wanted.
Third time, no problems whatsoever. Funny how things pan out when owners are out the way.
 
I generally have no problems with my mare, I can get her to move over/back/pick up her feet nicely without even thinking most of the time. The only issue I have with her is some days it takes me a while to catch her in her stable in the mornings (but that's due to things on my previous yard and shes getting better) and if she's last out of the field she can be a bit bargey but again she's getting better :) but other people can't catch her either in the stable/field, can't change her rugs, can't pick out her feet :o she's a bit of a nightmare she knows if there's room to take an inch she will take several miles ;)
 
All of mine know just by the tone of my voice.

I don't do rudeness when handling. They get two warnings then we have a discussion as they get 22hrs of the day to themselves most of the time so when I'm about I expect full attention.

I would never have anyone else handling one of mine if they were as the OP describes, I'd be ashamed.
 
Mine are good majority of the time. Worst my old boy does is rub in you. I don't let him if he has a bridle or headcoller on. He does everything else he's told though. And after a lesson I can leave him to stand while I help go put jumps away poo pick etc. which is always a crowd pleaser as he looks cute whilst doing it. My younger mare did go through a bargy stage which I put a stop to v quickly. She sometimes tries it on with other people but as long as whoever is with her is firm she gives in straight away. She's currently recovering from having a rib removed and has a wound which oozes and needs to be cleaned. She hates it but tolerates it just so don't think I've done too bad.
 
Undecided said:
To teach your horse some manners?!
Lunging one horse today for a friend as she is away, refuses to stand still whilst I gather the lungeline and whip etc, then tears off yanking the line through my hand which wraps around and nearly dislocates a finger. Finish lunging and go back to the yard, refuses to stand still again, brushing his tail and his back legs are flying everywhere, walks all over me in the stable just to get to his haynet shoving me out of the way. Am also looking after another horse and he is even worse! 16hh of pure rudeness. Pushes me out of the way, shoves me against the wall, won't stand still to have his legs washed, throws his head up so I can't put the headcollar on, snatches his leg away when I'm picking his feet out... Bloody nightmare! It's really not that hard to teach your horse some basic manners is it? *Rant Over* :)
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Can you not have words with the owners???

I would take a jumping stick in with me and if they try it they will find out I would use it.
That would bug me.

I hate bad manners.


We have one here lashes out and raises his leg while your changing him. I will not tolerate this behaviour and he knows it.

he knows by my tone I mean it.

Also cannot stand gate hogging one horse standing there guarding wont let other be caught in before, well he waits to the end with me ( well they both do) I give verbal BACK UP and flick had collar at them, as when you do get one of the others they bite or grab their rugs.

The other one will try and bite so I show my fist and say yeh want to try it???
 
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Have you thought perhaps it is you if you have two horses who are both being rude in your direction? Maybe your body language is a bit off/ tone not quite right and your own horse understands as is used to you but other people's horses don't?
 
Jesstickle said:
Have you thought perhaps it is you if you have two horses who are both being rude in your direction? Maybe your body language is a bit off/ tone not quite right and your own horse understands as is used to you but other people's horses don't?
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Surely there is no body language misunderstanding that should cause a horse to squash someone against a wall?
 
I would like to think mine is always well behaved but I know he is not. Because he is very cuddly and likes attention, which I freely give, it does mean he is very "in the face" when livery staff are trying to muck out etc. They know now they need to tie him up when doing anything otherwise he will be aiming for attention. Lovely for me but obviously not great when you are trying to work. Most horses will try it on as well with new people though. I have even seen my old mare, who has pretty much perfect manners, be a total pain with a new groom trying to wash off her legs. I was mortified, particularly as said mare will normally just stand still with the rope around her neck. I think some balance has to be given to 1. horses just trying it on 2. people changing the body language which the horse doesn't understand. So as an example when I watched the groom she was quite "loud" whereas the others were very quiet and my mare objected to that.
 
Sorry c I can't quote as on my phone. I agree, that is bad manners but what I'm trying to say, badly, is that perhaps there is something about the op's way of interacting with them that is making the horses think they can get away with this sort of thing. Lots of horses are testing to new people by nature but many of them give it up quickly enough when the get the 'correct' response from the handler. If that makes sense. My mare is a sod for my oh because he doesn't quite have the right tools to deal with horses yet. Too soft to begin with and then too quick to insist. Hard to explain but I'm sure you can interpret my ramblings.
 
Haha Cortez. I'm the same. Lunging is pretty straight forward and easy. I just started back my warmblood/TB cross back. She came in got tacked up, walked out to arena, stood quietly while I sorted everything. Have her a pat. I walked into the center, I asked her to walk on and wala, she walked on. No stupidity. Just ok it's work time. Asked for trot and slow down ect. She had one buck which never even changed tension on the line. She came down and never missed a trotting stride. Feeling good is ok. Trying to tear off and be stupid is not. And yes there is a huge difference. Never mind waiting for a haynet, they must wait patiently for me to get food in the pot. I'm just don't have time for messing about anymore. And I want other people to be able to handle my horses! Having a fire breathing dragon isn't cool. Horses are allowed to be themselves within reason. If this causes problems in being handled, that's not within reason.

Terri
 
Jesstickle said:
Sorry c I can't quote as on my phone. I agree, that is bad manners but what I'm trying to say, badly, is that perhaps there is something about the op's way of interacting with them that is making the horses think they can get away with this sort of thing. Lots of horses are testing to new people by nature but many of them give it up quickly enough when the get the 'correct' response from the handler. If that makes sense. My mare is a sod for my oh because he doesn't quite have the right tools to deal with horses yet. Too soft to begin with and then too quick to insist. Hard to explain but I'm sure you can interpret my ramblings.
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I get you :) I take your point about the handler perhaps leaving them an "outlet" for them to think that they could behave badly. I did have a mare once who would not have dared to bite me, but would happily have bitten a weaker person. Sorry I misunderstood.
 
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