manners and the bad weather

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is anyone else finding that their horses are getting frustrated with this weather.

We have minimal grass and my lad is getting bored in the field after a few hours and standing at the gate wanting to come in.

Then he is so eager to come in he's a pain to lead and then won't stand on the yard politely cos he's so desperate to get to his hay and dinner.

I don't as a rule tie up with a haynet as I expect him to stand nicely regardless but I am considering breaking this rule till we have more grass just cos I can't blame the poor lad for being grumpy when he's hungry and fed up

Just thinking it might be easier for us both.
 
Yup Tess gets angry when out in snow and for a mare who is as cool as a cucumber will bite when having her rug sorted
 
Mine mare still has plenty of grass as she went into an untouched field just a little while ago but if the weather is like this she is a total prat and the worst to lead!!!
 
Oh yes I have been nipped numerous times with a look of well it's your fault the weathers s****. And has taken to walking on ones back legs. Will have to ride no matter what tomorrow .( Must find Velcro pants) x
 
Too funny. I wonder if mine think I control the weather as well! Mine hate it and at this stage are fed up. They are all still mannerly but they want from about 11am on. They actually have a bit to eat but they don't care. In the stable with slave girl tending to every need is much more attractive.

Terri
 
Think you're right, TTDT, the best rules are made to be flexible. My girl came in shivering and hungry last night so I swopped the routine round a little so she could eat first.
Poor girl, she was as good as gold but with her knees knocking, I thought sod everything, get warm and fill your belly.
 
Fellow livery has had to resort to riding her cob in from the field as he has become too dangerous to lead, she can normally handle him fine but he just tanks off even in a chiffney , then kicks out or squashes you against the fence, after having to pick splinters out of her face the other day she decided enough was enough, he's a pussycat in summer :)
 
Mine has certainly been antsy in the field due to lack of grass, but I am afraid I don't tolerate bad manners and he knows that once he is caught he has to lead nicely out of the field and down the track to the yard . . . I HATE barge-y horses and insist that my boy is a doddle to lead . . . he is far too big to be rude and bolshy.

P
 
I never said I tolerate bad manners. My cob is one of the best mannered you will find. By being a prat to lead I mean his will jog rather than walk. He doesn't drag me anywhere or anything and stays being my shoulder cos he knows he should.
 
I was thinking about this today whilst doing my two.

This morning my mare was hungrier then usual, I turned her out as normal but she wouldn't move over from the gate so I could close it (she was eating hay which is next to the gate). I asked her to go over and she flicked her tail in my direction and definitely thought about kicking out (she's not usually a kicker). Now to me, this is bad manners regardless of how hungry she is, she may be the boss over my other horse but she IS NOT the boss of me. In this situation I used her headcollar and leadrope that was in my hand and gave her a smack with it (safer then trying to get close to push her over) a couple of times until she did as she was asked - and before anyone starts about horse abuse, she had a thick rug on and I didn't hit her hard, just enough to get her to respect my wishes.

When I bought her in this evening she didn't want to stand still whilst I was hosing her legs off, she was cold and ready for in but to me that is no excuse so I persevered until she was clean and then she was tied up on the yard for rug change, quick groom, and hoof pick out. She knows that her feed is waiting in her stable but I still expect manners when I am dealing with her and on the whole she is usually pretty good.

Mum brought them in for me the other night and made a comment about it being to cold so they didn't want to have their legs washed off but IMO it doesn't matter, if I feel they need their legs washing, or anything else for that matter, then I expect them to be mannerly whilst I do it.

Being cold, wet and hungry is no excuse for bad manners and as I have told my mare tonight, the sooner she stands still and behaves, the sooner she will be tucked up in her stable with some grub ;)
 
Pippa is being lovely :rolleyes: Typical! Normal weather she's a bratty mare, but now she want's cuddles and will let me do anything without kicking up a fuss!
 
Definitely think they as well as us humans have had enough now, both mine are shedding like mad also, they are ready to come back in as soon as the hay in the field has gone, I do tie up with a haynet on the yard so they can munch, but they can't wait to get in their stables at their balls and dinner !
 
Yeah I guess...it's just a fine line between bending my rules because he really is fed up and giving in to a tantrum..... Know what I mean?!
 
TBH atm i tie up by the hay as i cant be assed with the dancing about. My leg is worse this time of year and i cant move out of the way in time. If it were me hun i would tie up by the haynet :) Somedays we have to pick our battles. :)
 
yep my little lady is getting bit wound up now with being in so much cant wait much longer to get going properly and her getting out for longer periods been a very long cold dark wet misserable winter

im off to do a sunshine dance
 
Yes mine is very grumpy which mostly gets taken out on the little one, she's just hungry and possessive over impending food so I separate them as soon as I arrive, give them their food and they'll share hay nicely after that. She does try to grab more and be a bit uncooperative about moving to be sectioned off but she's starting to understand now that cooperation equals quicker food! I am strict about manners but you've got to feel a bit sorry for them sometimes and let them have their food asap!
 
I don't think there's anything wrong with tying up with a haynet while you clean the horse up, if it shuts him up. Would personally have everything ready, and bung him in, but I don't hose mud off legs - having had awful mud fever this year, I leave it to dry, then brush off.
 
My mare isn't so much grumpy, as hyper-reactive. She's jumping at everything, refusing to go through the gate (it's electric) and jogging to and from the field. As I'm leading two it can be a right pain, as Henry is being such a good boy. I may well bring in one at a time, later, as it's just getting embarrassing!! Coming out of the field she tries to gallop through the gateway and then spins on the end of the lead rope. From the swear words I'm hearing elsewhere on the yard, though, everyone's normally well-mannered horses have just had enough of this sh**. Especially the poor YM!
 
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