Seen this article?

[Flicker]

Pretty much the sentiment of most of us on here but it can't hurt to read it so eloquently expressed:

http://www.bethbehaviourist.co.uk/articles/your-horse-is-not-naughty

 

[swilliam]

Well put.

 

[thegreenergrass]

<3 what a great article, thanks for sharing.

 

[kamili]

very well written, thanks for sharing that.

 

[Sukistokes2]

Read this before, totally agree. Great article. Had someone this very weekend suggest a horse was a so and so for keep going off on the wrong leg. Like the animal had sat up all night and worked out a plan to piss his owner off!! When I suggested this I got a blank look. Rider is looking in to things, at least she doesn't think her horse is naughty

 

[Flicker]

Read this before, totally agree. Great article. Had someone this very weekend suggest a horse was a so and so for keep going off on the wrong leg. Like the animal had sat up all night and worked out a plan to piss his owner off!! When I suggested this I got a blank look. Rider is looking in to things, at least she doesn't think her horse is naughty

Oh god it's desperate isn't it? Thank goodness she is at least investigating a physical cause. The Thoroughbred Retraining Centre posted an interesting video on Facebook some time ago about SI pain causing wrong leg strike off in canter and how it absolutely wasn't 'naughtiness' or laziness.

Having seen a friend's horse going from an aggressive, tail swishing, nappy bundle of nerves to a calm, safe, forward and willing riding horse following ulcer treatment and replacing metal with plastic shoes has absolutely cemented in my mind how vital it is to investigate pain as a reason for behaviour in every case.