My horse looks like an RSPCA case....

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MizElz

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i am soooooo mad!

thought we'd go for a nice long hack yesterday, as not had time to do it recently. anyway, the route i had planned involved a little wooden footbridge on a bridlepath over a river. ellie has only ever been over this twice before, and that was wen following another horse. i was a bit dubious, but bless her, after an initial snort, she plodded over good as gold. that was the nasty bit over (or so i thought)! about a mile on, there is a little stream that runs over the road; she's been through it countless times when the water has been 2 feet or so deep. so why on earth would she go nowhere near it when there was no water, just normal road!!?!?!?!??!?!?!?!?
she planted all four feet and just stood there, so i squeezed and legged her on - to no avail. (at this point i thought she was showing off to a little pretty palomino gelding who had come to the fence to gloat). after about 4 mins of patient coaxing, i resorted to the good ol' pony club kick, flapping my legs on her sides like a 3 year old. still she wouldnt budge, just stood there. normally, if she is being stubborn like this, the minute i get tough with her she either kicks out or attempts to go up, but this time she just stood! now, i dont carry a whip on her as i like to think she doesnt need it, but, without resorting to getting off and leading her (i used to do that when i was 12 - at nearly 20, i like to think i can win such battles now), a stick was what i needed! i broke off a little willow twig, thinking that a swipe with the leaves would be enough to tickle her forward. no joy. 10 mins now passed, and that palomino still watching!! ellie suddenly decided to whi round and make for home - bloody nappy mare!!!! so i broke off a stick - and i mean a proper stick - and whacked her, and whacked her. we went forward at about two footsteps a minute, and i still had to keep hitting her (i have NEVER had to do this before, but this was a battle i had to win!) anyway, she suddenly decided 'all is fine' and plodded straight on over the non-existent stream, and pretended nothing had ever happened! but her backside is now streaked with raised stick-marks; bloody mare, it was her fault, but i feel so guilty!!!!


sorry, that was a v long rant, and if nobody reads, i understand! LOL
 
They will soon go down. I think that your use of the stick was justified. Sometimes they really do just like to take the p*ss. Will be interesting to see what happens next time you try to cross it!
 
Niiiccceeee!!!!!
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ummm not really the best approach in my opion...I tend to either get off my horse and lead him on or just sit patient even if its all day and squeeze with my leg....I dont think your going to get alot of sympathy on here...
 
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ummm not really the best approach in my opion...I tend to either get off my horse and lead him on or just sit patient even if its all day and squeeze with my leg....I dont think your going to get alot of sympathy on here...

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sorry, but sometimes all the squeezing in the world wont do any good - i have had my horse 7 years now, and there are many times we have had situations where i have completely understood her being fearful, and yes, in these instances, i have always jumped off and led her (ie. the first time we had to cross previously mentioned wooden bridge.) i like to think we know each other well enough by now, and i can tell 100% that yesterday, she was taking the proverbial. as i said, i do not carry a whip, and i do not wear spurs, but the last thing i want to do is jump off everytime she is stubborn and let her think that mucking around is ok. i have done this with others, and know people who have done the same, and the result is that everytime they revisit the situation, horsey thinks, 'ah, here we go again, lets just plant our feet and wait for rider to jump off.' i think my case was proven by the fact that, after going across the road after our little episode, i threw said stick in hedge again, and, on our return from our hack, ellie walked straight back over the road with no fuss.

but if you are one of these people who believes that all discipline is wrong, then good luck to you.
 
I do see the point in discipline but just not to the extent that you are battling with your horse. I dont agree with making the horse fearful of you and thats in every aspect. Yep understand horses mess around and yep can completely see your point but I do also agree that the gentle but firm approach is the best. I have ridden for many years and owned horse for over 16, I dont know everything but I do realise now that taking your time and listening to your horse, then working out together what the problem is and going forward with it works alot better then fighting with them.
 
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Discipline and leaving your horse looking "like an RSPCA case" are IMHO two entirely different things.

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oh for gods sake...i would like to know how many other people have taken me literally! its a turn of phrase! she has a few stick marks across her backside, but thats about it.
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I do see the point in discipline but just not to the extent that you are battling with your horse. I dont agree with making the horse fearful of you and thats in every aspect. Yep understand horses mess around and yep can completely see your point but I do also agree that the gentle but firm approach is the best. I have ridden for many years and owned horse for over 16, I dont know everything but I do realise now that taking your time and listening to your horse, then working out together what the problem is and going forward with it works alot better then fighting with them.

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i have also stated that this is the first time it has ever happened with us - i do 'listen' to my horse; christ, we've been through enough over the years. and when did i ever say i had made her fearful of me?!?!?!?!? we got back home and she was rubbing her head up and down my back, then asking for a wither scratch, then dangling her leg in the air to ask for a polo.......yes, thats a really frightened horse. i didnt start this thread to discuss how cruel i had been, and how horses should all be beaten the minute they refuse to do something. i was merely bringing up the fact that sometimes they can surprise you with stubbornness, and seriously take the P!!!!
 
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Discipline and leaving your horse looking "like an RSPCA case" are IMHO two entirely different things.

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oh for gods sake...i would like to know how many other people have taken me literally! its a turn of phrase! she has a few stick marks across her backside, but thats about it.
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And then we have [ QUOTE ]
but her backside is now streaked with raised stick-marks; bloody mare, it was her fault, but i feel so guilty!!!!

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and you have the cheek to call me for "taking you literally". Read what you wrote. I should think rather a lot of people have taken you literally. This horse is marked up the next day. That's not ordinary discipline.
 
I very much doubt her horse looks like an RSPCA case, stop being so pedantic.

I trust that she can judge her own horse and the situation that she was in. If she felt that her horse was genuinely taking the mickey then I understand what she did.
 
the point i was making is that i wish she hadnt pushed me that far, not that i wish i hadnt smacked her! i did clearly state that i tried everything (other than leading her) before resorting to what i feel is an extreme measure. are you saying i should have let it go, turned around and gone home? if she was a 3 year old, then maybe that would have been the best thing, but she is 12 years old, has been up and down that road numerous times, and was being a complete minx! honestly, i dont understand why people like yourself have animals, only to let them walk all over you. it is this kind of attitude that cultivates the idea that children also should not be disciplined, and explains why so many are on medication and running riot!!!!

the first reply to this thread is in the kind of vein i had expected; i never expected to be interrogated as a horse beater
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happihorse, Miss_Huggy_Bear and thewonderhorse - thank you! i never wanted it to blow up like this; it seems some people are intent on having a row. perhaps they have nothing better to do on a saturday!
 
Actually when they do this it is very annoying. I had a pony years ago that would stop at the end of the road and plant itself. It would go a few strides and plant again. The only thing that would make it move was hitting it on the bum with a coat! This one would not be led or pushed at all it was just a VERY nappy pony that had got away with doing nothing for so long that it thought it should do nothing all the time. (He pulled me onto someones front garden once and planted himself! It took 4 people to move him- he was only 13.2hh!!!)

Ive never had one like this since and would be like you, in not letting it get that far.

I do understand and having been there, would have probably done the same, rightly or wrongly. You have to win the battles with horses like this but it doesnt sound as bad as mine was!!! So breathe a sigh of relief and remember that there are worse horses!!
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Right - you were bound to get those sort of responses from fluffy bunny huggers, so don't take it to heart. I would have done exactly the same thing if I had been in your situation, the horse had been there lots of times, you asked nicely and were patient but she was taking the mick. And whoever said they would get off is an idiot, don't care how long you've been feeding polos...

Hopefully your mare will play nicely next time, but take a crop with you so she 'remembers' and I doubt you will need to use it. Mare's really can dig their heels in though eh?! Good luck and her marks will go down really quick!! (hug) xx
 
I would think that she had marks, not from the severity of the smacks but the material (As in it being a stick against specially designed materials that absord the force)- If it had been a whip, there would be nothing there.
 
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the moral of the story is to always carry a stick of some sort - 99 times out of the 100 you won't need it - but they know you have it and usually that is enough.

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Or in my case ....a coat!!!! LOL
 
I know how you feel! I have to ride a little nappy pony, when we first brought him back he would not move, i was there for a long time with no avail apart from reversing, i even tried the get off and lead him but as soon as i got back on- back he went again. Sometimes some horses do just need a good smack to tell them to get over themselves, sometimes theres no 'nicey nicey' way around it!!
 
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Right - you were bound to get those sort of responses from fluffy bunny huggers, so don't take it to heart.

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Oh God, the predictable....'you don't agree with hitting horses therefore you are a fluffy bunny hugger' reply!!!
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I can understand that she was testing you etc but i dont agree with smacking with a stick to the degree that it leaves marks (MY PERSONAL OPINION)

I have never carried a whip with my own, maybe i have been lucky or maybe my soft approach works.

At the end of the day you do what you do to your own horse and everyone has the right to do so but if i were to see anyone booting or smacking their horse to such a degree that i felt it was OTT i would find it hard not to drag them off the animal and lay in to them myself.

I dont want to get in to a argument and as i said if you felt this was the approach you needed to take then fair play but please dont be offended by those who have different methods for dealing with that kind of situation.
 
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I can understand that she was testing you etc but i dont agree with smacking with a stick to the degree that it leaves marks (MY PERSONAL OPINION)

I have never carried a whip with my own, maybe i have been lucky or maybe my soft approach works.

At the end of the day you do what you do to your own horse and everyone has the right to do so but if i were to see anyone booting or smacking their horse to such a degree that i felt it was OTT i would find it hard not to drag them off the animal and lay in to them myself.

I dont want to get in to a argument and as i said if you felt this was the approach you needed to take then fair play but please dont be offended by those who have different methods for dealing with that kind of situation.

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Agree with this post
 
i appreciate what you are saying - i also believe that everyone is entitled to their own opinion (those who do not should not be on a forum!) however i was quite hurt by the patronisation that took place earlier on in the thread, hence why i felt the need to defend myself!

as far as marking her is concerned, the lines are now long gone (i checked at lunch time!) i too detest seeing people laying into their horses without good reason, and would be one of the first to step in to stop them if i felt it unnecessary.
 
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the moral of the story is to always carry a stick of some sort - 99 times out of the 100 you won't need it - but they know you have it and usually that is enough.

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Totally agree, I never hack out without one, even though my horse has never needed it.
 
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the moral of the story is to always carry a stick of some sort - 99 times out of the 100 you won't need it - but they know you have it and usually that is enough.

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Exactly, apart from my hat and gloves that's one of the most important things to have with you - oh and mobile before you all shout!
I have to say I would have done exactly the same. Fear is one thing but taking the schmichael is entirely another and not to be accepted under any circumstances when the horse does in fact know right from wrong.

Perhaps the title could have been better phrased but at least it's clearing the air today!
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the moral of the story is to always carry a stick of some sort - 99 times out of the 100 you won't need it - but they know you have it and usually that is enough.

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Exactly, apart from my hat and gloves that's one of the most important things to have with you - oh and mobile before you all shout!
I have to say I would have done exactly the same. Fear is one thing but taking the schmichael is entirely another and not to be accepted under any circumstances when the horse does in fact know right from wrong.

Perhaps the title could have been better phrased but at least it's clearing the air today!
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thank you! i agree actually; on hindsight, i dont regret my actions yesterday, but i do perhaps regret trying to make light of it in the title; its only coz thats what i said to my mum last night (ie. 'RSPCA would have a benny - look wat my bloody horse made me do to her!!!')

ah well, you live and learn!
 
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