Pretend itchy leg when hacking

newboult51

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About 20-30 minutes into a hack my 4yo suddenly develops an itchy foreleg necessitating me dropping the reins so he can have a good scratch. Once may be acceptable but this then happens every few minutes or so. I’ve gone from giving him the benefit of the doubt and let him have a good scratch to smacking him on the shoulder every time he tries to pull the reins and lower his head. I’m thinking this may just be a form of napping but wondering if anyone else has had this experience and what they’ve done about it.
 
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be positive

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He has an itchy or irritated nose and is trying to rub it on his leg, there are many reasons for this and often just ensuring their nostrils are clear and the noseband is not too low, a flash can make it worse, will be enough to stop it, they usually grow out of it once they are more educated generally unless they have an allergy which can get worse and a nosenet may help, it is not a form of napping in the true sense but can become a habit or get worse if they are stressed, nose blowing is sometimes the next stage.
 

Cortez

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....or his mouth may be uncomfortable. If he makes a lot of foam that can also be irritating. I wouldn't punish him for it, but perhaps just making sure he's forward and engaged might keep his mind on the job.
 

Mule

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Yes, my horse with allergies does this. His nose is genuinely itchy. He stopped to itch in the middle of a dressage test once 😂

(I used to think he was itching his leg but after I found out about his allergies I realised he was using his leg to itch his nose)
 

deb_l222

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Horses don't have the cognitive abilities to "pretend". He's got an itchy nose/mouth - you just need to figure out why

This.......

Animals aren’t that devious, he’s just working on instinct. One of my dogs licks his front legs when his anal glands hurt. They’re miles apart relatively speaking, he’s just using another part of his body to displace the discomfort.

Try and work out why he’s itching or just let him have a scratch.
 

Bermuda

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I agree that it sounds like he has an itchy nose, it may be worth trying to reduce any dust that he is exposed to and maybe try a nose net in case it is pollen - they seem to work very well. Wetting hay made a big difference for a friends horse although even the fields can be dusty when they are dry! Its tricky, I hope you get to the bottom of it.
 

flying_high

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Hmmm don’t know. I used to ride a horse that would ask to scratch nose on leg and then come up and leap onwards into canter. It was not accidental
 

Mule

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Hmmm don’t know. I used to ride a horse that would ask to scratch nose on leg and then come up and leap onwards into canter. It was not accidental
Sounds like operant conditioning. Not the same as pretending, it's a type of learning through experience and consequences. It can seem a bit like they're being cleverer than they are though. A bit like they're planning things 😀🐎
 

Corbie

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I would think it is something he does to allow him to stretch his back as he is still young and developing strength to carry a rider. This would fit with him starting after 20-30 mins when his muscles start to become tired, and then increasingly as he continues to be ridden. Stratching his leg is the one thing he's been given his head for previously so that's what he does. I certainly wouldn't be pulling it back up. Horses don't have the psychology to 'pretend', they just respond to how they feel.
 

Landcruiser

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hmmm, in my experience it absolutely can be a type of napping. Both of my clever horses have tried it at various times. Not that I'm saying this is the case with OP's horse. But "Oh, there's a fly on me, I have to stop and bite my leg/flank/whatever" and the next day in the same place - "There's that damn fly again!" And the next day too, only we won't bother with the fly this time, just have a stop thanks. Fly, scratch, look at the view - in the case of my two, and one in particular, wily is the word. I have learned to anticipate, and say "Oh no you don't" with my body language and intent, no crops or yelling or any other drama. But they still catch me out sometimes.
 

BeckyFlowers

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What noseband does he wear? If it is tight (like with a flash or grackle) the noseband can press on the facial nerves causing pins and needles and general irritation. Mine used to do it when I had him in a grackle and stopped when I tried him in a drop (or no noseband).
 

Wheels

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Hmmm don’t know. I used to ride a horse that would ask to scratch nose on leg and then come up and leap onwards into canter. It was not accidental

Maybe a previous owner smacked him down the shoulder every time he stopped to scratch so created this habit
 

pansymouse

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My mare used to do it all the time and I knew it was something to do with biting, so I tried every bit possible with professional advice. It only stopped once I went bitless. She has a small mouth and large tongue, there just isn't room for a bit of any sort.
 
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