New Pony...Facing Her Rear End At You?!?!?!:S

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Well;; basically, our new pony can be a bit nippy sometimes, & when we try to put her rugs back on after we have come back from riding or anything, she like, turns round and kind of faces her butt at me
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And if i try and go near her face with this rug - (its the same with her bridle..) she will kind of open her mouth up really wide, like shes going to bite!!!!

Anyone have any ideas??

Thanks![:
 
Ditto tie her up, she may of had a bad experience at hold old home and its just going to take time to reassure her that you are not going to hurt her and it won't be uncomfortable. Praise when she's good and a sharp no when she's not. No tit bits though as that can encourage nipping as well
 
Does she face her bum at you as though she's going to kick you? If not, it could be that she's 'taught' her previous owner to scratch her rump (most horses like it) and she's asking you to do the same. If that's the case, walk away and ignore, she'll soon get the message.
 
Tie her up with a haynet and make a fuss of her, while grooming and the rugging gets better. It's not the words you say it's the tone, softly calms them,sterner or harsh when they have done wrong, they soon learn.
 
Tie her up for a start, before you go anywhere near her with a rug.

Stop ANY titbits.

Train her to face you when you are in the stable, and also that 'whoa' or 'stand' or whatever else you say means just that, feet stay put. It takes some time and patience, but is very easy and is one of the best things you can possibly teach a horse, it is a crying shame that most horses aren't taught it the same time they learn to walk in hand. (Sorry, major bugbear of mine)

Is it ALL rugs she does this with, or just one in particular? Check the linings etc. Does she really, really, need a rug or is she getting too hot? I had one rug that my clipped horse hated, turned out that the static built up and the poor beggar was getting zapped.
 
When we got our little 11.2 shetland cross - he was always very cross - he would turn his bum to us at first.

I think part of it was he didn't quite trust us, and he was using horse language to say keep your distance, I'm still wary of you.

As everyone else says, tie up, be firm, and also be patient. Quite a few horses don't like having rugs on so it's just something she will have to put up with and given time hopefully she will become more trusting. It's always hard for ponies, they change homes more often than horses and they have to start all over again, training their new humans to do things the way they like
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Bless them!
 
Do her rugs fit properly?

I used to share a horse who was terrible with rugs and I am absolutely sure that it was because her rug did not fit her properly. It has also been very mild recently and possible she could be too hot. Ponies can be little furnaces with regard to keeping warm.
 
I suspect it may be a learned response to the sweetitch if she has had it badly in the past as it can make them very uncomfortable when being handled/rugged.
 
Sounds like she's trying it on - my new mare did it to me in the field and got whacked on the bum with her headcollar. Funny enough she hasn't done it again!
 
I'd do the human equivalent of what a horse in the field would do which is to bite the pony firmly on the backside for such rude and disrespectful behaviour. Human equivalent is a smart crack on the bum with a crop. Doubt if she'll do it again!
 
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