What bad habits do your horses have?

[GeeGeeboy]

Following on from the thread re; what bad habits you cant abide, what does your horse do that you cant stand? Also how are you working on it to imrove its bad habit/habits?

My boy G's bad habits are fidgeting and not standing to be mounted. He is MUCH better now than when i got him but still has his "off" days. Ive managed to improve his behaviour by getting someone to hold him as i mount and giving him a treat when i get on IF he stands still Its still a work in pogress but were getting there!

 

[Charlie007]

I wouldn't say my boy has any 'bad habits' as such. He cribs, but that doesn't bother me. The only annoying thing he does, which is once in a blue moon fortunately, is that he fixes on something and then becomes stupid, cantering sideways, bucking etc. He gets upset at something and this can carry on for half hour or so in the ride, then he settles as if nothing has happened! I wouldn't say its a habit, I think its just his nature!

 

[V1NN]

My horse likes to stand with his mouth wide open with his teeth on the palm of your hand not doing anything just standing like that, i dont know why and it doesnt bother me but it bothers other people. He tries to back up to you a lot so that you scratch his bum! he occasionaly kicks the stable door but it tends to be just one big bang. he is a bit of a fidget in general.

 

[mja]

Acting the maggot being girthed up or having tummy burshed (mare) and being a grump in the morning or when waiting for his hard feed (gelding).

 

[Arkmiido]

I've got a crib biter - managed with electric fencing around gates, and all round her stable!
Mad horse with separation mania - box-charging (not walking!), goes nuts when tied up and another horse is taken away. Recently managed that with teaching him to ground tie - problem solved.

However, my shetland who paws the ground and is a general dynamo - no idea how to solve that one! tried shaking a bottle with pebbles in it and backing her up, but I think she's just too highly strung. She's an incredible driving pony though, so I guess we let alot of her behaviour go unchecked, especially as she's 33". If she was 16.2, no one would go near her - she rears, leaps and charges off when she sees cones and obstacles, because she gets so excited! She comes back after 10 yards and performs a hoof-perfect dressage test (except for rearing and waving at the judge when we saluted, but some idiot had put sawdust in the arena all down the centre line!) And she crosses the road when she see a drain cover or a puddle. Other than that she's perfect. Oh and she rears on command (Hup!) before loading, leaps like a stag onto the ramp, and then walks up the rest of the ramp like a lamb, and travels loose in the lorry, otherwise she unties herself anyway. I get the feeling she has me pretty well-trained in fact, probably because she makes me laugh so much - its behaviour I would never tolerate in a horse!! But hey, she went to the indoor driving national finals, and she beats all the bigger ponies at driving trials, and if she didn't have her spark, I'm not she she would do it with such gusto!