Naughty horses?

Following on from H's Mum's interesting thread...how do you discipline your horse when it is naughty? Is it acceptable to smack it with hand/whip?
And do you have 'rules' that the horse is expected to obey?
Do you have an instructor/expert to help you with your naughty horse?
S
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dianchi

dianchi

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Short sharp smack mine used to get.
She knows after 8 years what is and isnt acceptable and a quick loud NO does the trick now!
 
Generally shouting at Bob and kicking him on sorts him out (he doesn't like being shouted at). I have had to smack him a few times but I don't like doing it and it's never been very hard. Just a gentle reminder who is actually in charge - yes, Bob, it's me - the one with 2 legs not 4!!!!

He is very good and toes the line 99% of the time!
 
Voice generally...they know when they've p**sed me off!!
I won't fight or argue.the most they'll get is slap on the chest or neck or some arms waved at them and a grimace!!..never a whip..

My rules are just basic manners..

I have no outside help on the whole..
 
My girl is seldomly naughty, but if she ever does anything all I have to do is lower my tone in my voice, or blow a rasberry! She dosnt like either and it works really well. I have never smacked her and hardly ever use a whip (only going xc and then i only carry it.

I have found with another horse I used to ride (big 18h) who was bargy, I used to pinch his chest/ low neck and this prevented him from trampoling (sp) me!!

I really dont like people hitting them as i dont thinkit gets you very far as you loose the trust in an instant.

It takes years to make a horse, and minutes to break one!
 
Depends what situation - horse nipping, kicking, refusing to stand still to be groomed etc, a short sharp smack and a 'no'. Horse barging or dragging, handle with rope round the nose or in a chifney. Horse naughty when ridden, all depends on the horse, generally a smack with the whip but for some that only makes the situation worse....
 
Depends on the type of naughtiness.

If under saddle (rarely), she will get a smack on the bum or down the shoulder, whichever appropriate, if she is refusing to move forwards because of some scary alien in the hedge. She's never naughty schooling (other than the odd spook) so I very rarely carry a whip; hands and legs are enough.

On the floor, she isnt so much naughty as just cheeky - she pretends to nip, and a raised hand is normally enough to make her back off, and then she looks at you as if butter wouldnt melt! If she does ever bite, she gets a smack across the nose, pronto. No excuse for biting.

*MizElz neglects to mention the extensive range of whips she keeps hidden in a corner of the barn*
 
A slap is needed for bad manners, always.

My horse had a little bucking issue when we first got her but a combination of ignoring it initially, then sueezing her forwards & smacking her with the stick on her rump at the same time has cured her completely.
Doesn't sound kind but it literally took twice to stop her doing something she'd done 20 times.

The other day, my horsey who normally leads perfectly with her head low & a nice pace was instead dancing with her head in the air, feeling good, so I tugged the rope, said NO, and gave her a slap & one of the kids told me off because "she wasn't THAT bad" which I found offensive as horsey gets lavishly rewarded with lots of kisses & pats for good behaviour!

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I just need to say NO! or clap my hands now and my horses understand what I mean, however they did need the odd smack, normally to the neck/shoulder, to teach them initially that I meant business. Both will step back in their stables and wait on their feed buckets being put down, same with haynets, they also stand for vet/farrier/to be mounted, pick feet up, can be lead by child/novice and generally behave themselves. I couldnt ahve my horses any other way, there is no need for bad manners.
 
The only thing that my horse does which is 'naughty' is she can rear and be a bit nappy if she's insecure. It's totally avoidable in all situations bar on an xc course when, on the odd occaision that she has done it, a relax, chill, breath and gentle guidance first will usually do the trick, if not then short smack on the bottom and *normally* she gets on with it.

Most horses will worsen as you get angrier. If Moon half thinks of napping out hacking, a rub down that side of her neck and a gentle, not forceful aid will keep her straight. Resorting immediately with a kick and a sharp pull will create a much bigger issue and I do think this is where many, many people go wrong. You should never over-react to horses as they will in turn over-react to you.
 
Mine have very clear rules about what is and isn't acceptable. If they feel the need to do something horrendous like paw the ground when tied up
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(and yes, I do consider that horrendous as I mine have been taught to be very well behaved!!!) all I have to do is turn and look at them and they freeze... this does provide some amusing poses
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!! I do not have any problem with giving horses a short, sharp smack if they are misbehaving
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. After years of cruel abuse mine daren't play up.......
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Mine have very clear rules about what is and isn't acceptable. If they feel the need to do something horrendous like paw the ground when tied up
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(and yes, I do consider that horrendous as I mine have been taught to be very well behaved!!!) all I have to do is turn and look at them and they freeze... this does provide some amusing poses
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!! I do not have any problem with giving horses a short, sharp smack if they are misbehaving
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. After years of cruel abuse mine daren't play up.......
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I'm glad I'm not the only one who considers pawing horrendous!

My horsey understand "the look", also - I was salt tubbing an empty hoof abcess after she came in from the pen the other day & tried to lift her foot out everytime I went to do something else (was mucking out) but all it took was a look & she'd put it back in!

We had an audience watching as I had to go & get a barrow of straw & as I was leaving, I kept looking back over my shoulder to make sure she'd put her hoof back down. lol.
 
I'm with you Demolition Derby - I smack mine only when they're naughtiness requires it...and they have ignored other warnings.
I am also really careful not to reward behaviour I don't want...for example my Shire x TB was box rested after colic surgery, and experimented with pawing and door banging when she wanted attention.
My OH, friend and I walked and grazed her in hand, which she enjoyed. If she doorbanged as we approached her stable, we'd all turn abruptly on our heels and walk away again. Same with feeds. She soon stopped, although there was one woman at the yard who would go and pat her to comfort her when she doorbanged....argh
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S
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I do have to ride with a whip, if Bob knows that I haven't got one he will start trying to take the p*ss. It is a schooling whip - in the past I've ridden with a normal one and when he was being particularly stupid over absolutely nothing I smacked my own leg (much to the amusement of Cara who nearly wet herself laughing).

Also it's good for removing any kind of flying thing that decides my horse would make a good landing pad.
 
I don't use whips on either of mine, not because I don't believe in using them, but because one is really scared of them and they just don't work as a form of discipline on the other. I find a stern "NO" works well with both in most circumstances and I will use my hand to smack them.

I don't have any 'rules' as such - I expect reasonable behaviour from them most of the time. But I realise that sometimes they are going to try it on, or be genuinely worried about something, and I deal with that as it arises.
 
I've had my horse since he was a 2 year old and he was a pretty wild colt from the field in Belgium. As he got more confident a few firm smacks were needed and now he is so well behaved as a 4 year old. He has since been gelded but is at least 17hh now.
I am a big believer in punishment for naughtiness and praise for good behaviour on the ground and when ridden, he can be led pretty much like a dog, left with his stable door wide open and he wouldn't dare walk out without being asked. I treat him the same when ridden as well-I think consistancy is best for them.
 
We also have people at our yard where they will go up to horses when they doorbang!! Its sooo annoying! I keep telling them to ignore them, but i think they think that I am being cruel!

The same for scraping the hoof on the ground when tied up!! Each time a horse does that i think '40p of shoe gone!!'... it soon adds up!!

When I feed the yard at weekends I feed the quiet horses first and those kicking the stable walls have to wait!!
 
There is a massive difference between being naughty and being scared its recognising the behaviour. Naughty I stamp on. Scared I sit and wait giving them confidence.
 
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We also have people at our yard where they will go up to horses when they doorbang!! Its sooo annoying! I keep telling them to ignore them, but i think they think that I am being cruel!

The same for scraping the hoof on the ground when tied up!! Each time a horse does that i think '40p of shoe gone!!'... it soon adds up!!

When I feed the yard at weekends I feed the quiet horses first and those kicking the stable walls have to wait!!

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It's so annoying, isn't it? When I was in the field with my other two, having just 'done' Shire x TB, this woman once phoned me to tell me she had gone to comfort the horse as it was doorbanging, and shouldn't I give it a hard feed to quieten it (it had hay)?
She was a bit shocked when I said 'Ignore the horse, and leave it alone - don't even speak to it'....as I was horribly cruel.
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I'm with you Demolition Derby - I smack mine only when they're naughtiness requires it...and they have ignored other warnings.

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I would hope that before you smacked them you had tried bouncing a large rubber ball against their heads or waving a 'vegetable' stick around them????
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I'm with you Demolition Derby - I smack mine only when they're naughtiness requires it...and they have ignored other warnings.

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I would hope that before you smacked them you had tried bouncing a large rubber ball against their heads or waving a 'vegetable' stick around them????
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Bouncing and waving do not instill the levels of terror one would hope.
My 3yo would just steal the items and b*gg*r off....
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When I was in the field with my other two, having just 'done' Shire x TB, this woman once phoned me to tell me she had gone to comfort the horse as it was doorbanging, and shouldn't I give it a hard feed to quieten it (it had hay)?
She was a bit shocked when I said 'Ignore the horse, and leave it alone - don't even speak to it'....as I was horribly cruel.
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Yes THOSE people!!!! 'arrhh poor horsey trying to get more attention, ill come and give you a bucket of nuts, a bag of carrots, a tube of polos and a cuddle'... you can SEE in the horses face that they are smerking away from getting their own way!!!

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That depends on the horse and the situation.

I've had both of mine long enough now for them to know my rules and an "Ahem" usually does the trick
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I would cartainly smack them if they did something naughty eg biting or kicking.

They have lots of rules but I think those rules are quite personal to me as it's based on what behaviour I consider acceptable.

So, for example, I don't mind if they move around a bit when the are groomed though actually bumping into me would not be acceptable. They also have to politely turn in the gateway when i turn them out and wait patiently until I take their headcollars off before they walk off - I hate bad manners in the field!

I have not paid an expert to teach me this
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It depends on the horse and what it is doing. my horse knows good manners when led and will be grrr'd at if it's being naughty but must the time I simply ignore it. Under saddle I try to ignore things like launching and bucking (as I think things get worse if you make a big deal out of it). If she is being naughty like rearing napping due to insecurity I will remain quiet but persuasive. If she is being arrogant she may have a little reminder and grrrr
 
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Bouncing and waving do not instill the levels of terror one would hope.
My 3yo would just steal the items and b*gg*r off....
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Now repeat with me Shilasdair:

WE WILL NOT ANTAGONISE PARELLI BELIEVERS.
WE WILL NOT ANTAGONISE PARELLI BELIEVERS.
WE WILL NOT ANTAGONISE PARELLI BELIEVERS.
WE WILL NOT ANTAGONISE PARELLI BELIEVERS.

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We also have people at our yard where they will go up to horses when they doorbang!! Its sooo annoying! I keep telling them to ignore them, but i think they think that I am being cruel!

The same for scraping the hoof on the ground when tied up!! Each time a horse does that i think '40p of shoe gone!!'... it soon adds up!!

When I feed the yard at weekends I feed the quiet horses first and those kicking the stable walls have to wait!!

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It's so annoying, isn't it? When I was in the field with my other two, having just 'done' Shire x TB, this woman once phoned me to tell me she had gone to comfort the horse as it was doorbanging, and shouldn't I give it a hard feed to quieten it (it had hay)?
She was a bit shocked when I said 'Ignore the horse, and leave it alone - don't even speak to it'....as I was horribly cruel.
S
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OK S - who was that then?
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PM me if you prefer, and I will send evil stares next time I am at the yard
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QR: Never use a whip, hands, elbow and big scary waving arms and voice work well. I have NEVER owned a badly behaved horse, I will not have it and the ones that I have had through to sort out are soon put in their place - I will not tolerate bad behaviour on the ground and all of the horses I handle know this. When I say NO I mean it and make sure that I am consistent and fair.
 
I have just realised how well be-haved our horses are. If we get an i'm boss one it goes in with my old mare. She soon says with facial expressions and body movements you are not boss. If we have a bargy one, i suddenly grow and walk at them. It does work and they back off. One tried to kick me in the field one day. I made her go forward with voice and body and would not let her stop until i was ready. She never did it again!
Jazz was the worst we have ever had. I did take her to Monty Roberts as i thought i could not do it - he told me to carry on as i was!
She was terrified bless her and had never had anyone be nice to her. She would rear and spin and do everything not to do a simple thing like stand to be groomed. I held her on a lunge line. When she reared or whatever i turned my back on her and ignored her - she was beaten for it in her former home. When she stopped and stood i made a fuss of her. She soon learnt fuss was nice and the rearing etc did not get any attention. She is fantastic on the ground now and 95% with the farrier, a wonderful farrier. She has just started ridden work again. Terrified of the bridle, spins, rears and bucks when ridden. My daughter sits totally quietly and does not react. When Jazz has finished Charlotte asks her to stand and then walk on. When she does she is praised. It is working. The person who broke her in/sold her to someone who couldn't ride! asked me if i have had the looney shot yet!
I love her to bits. If you could see her face when she is told she has been good it makes your heart melt. They are not big rears just all the tension and stress comeing out.
 
Murphy is generally a good boy, if a little cheeky. He very ocasionally paws the ground/bangs his stable door....I completely ignore him and he stops.

He went through a phase of trying to nip on the way out to the field (completely my fault) and I used to shout, growl, jump about and wave my arms at him until he took a step back (but I never touched him).

If he won't pick up a hoof or he tries to pull his hoof away he gets shouted out, and gets a bit of a shove if he doesn't then behave - I cannot abide not picking feet up politely, it's my pet hate
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He has the world's strongest neck, and has been known to drag me off towards grass/hay in hand, he does get shouted at for that.

When ridden I do always carry a whip, but these days I don't use it much. He used to tank to the gate of the school quite a lot, last time he tried it (a few months ago) he got a smack on his outside shoulder and I really shouted at him, and made him work hard for the next 5 mins. He hasn't done it to me since...

Murphy is a typical cheeky pony - he never does anything seriously naughty, just little things that you can't let him get away with, because if you give an inch he often tries to take a mile.
 

I expect a horse to lead politely, stand when asked & not move off again until asked. I expect them to step back from the stable doorway if I'm going in & to stand while I leave & not try to barge.

I won't take barging, biting or being pulled all over the place with a horse.

If S attempted to bite me she would get a smack under the chin, a hard one.

If it's fear then I'll be as quiet & reassuring as possible.

I have had S get too big for her boots on occasions & she has been put down a peg or two when she has done it. This means that she can be led, groomed etc by a novice or a child.

Absolutely cannot abide badly behaved horses.

*I always have a lunge whip on standby should she need a good beating though
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ETS; I always carry a whip when riding. Just because it's there it doesn't mean you have to use it & it's handy for other things while out hacking such as to keep dogs back etc.

S hates shouting so a low tone works much better with her
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