When WOULD you hit a horse? Or would you?

Enfys

Enfys

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I don't mean a slap when he's bitten you, or a "hey! buck your ideas up" tickle with a schooling whip, I mean a real "Oi, behave yourself!" type wallop.
Is it ever warranted?
 
I've never walloped any of my own horses, but when I was learning to ride on very naughty school ponies, they would often buck, nap and generally be little *****s, so yes, they would get a wallop (remembering I was under 10 at the time). This would literally be a one off thing after taking the nice approach with a squeeze, a kick, a tap, followed by a wallop, which generally meant the rest of the lesson was me riding very well behaved, forward horses. One wallop meant that they would then respond to very subtle aids, such as squeezes of my legs, not needing kicking or anything, and were generally very well behaved.

I've managed to train my own horses without needing to do that, and considering 2 of them would deck me if I even tapped them with a whip, they definitely don't ever need a wallop :D
 
I did this when I was riding my 5 year old along the usual route and he decided he'd go sideways. Put my leg on to move him back over and he was totally ignoring it - and I could see a very nasty and deep ditch that any minute now we were going to disappear down. Yes - he had a real, sharp whack and was told to move forwards not sidewards - which he did and a bad accident was averted. He's 7 now and never had a repeat performance, I'm glad to say.
 
The only circumstances in which I would hit a horse is if said horse was in serious attack mode (believe me it happens) and I had no other escape.
 
I dont think it is personally - if my boy is nasty when i pick his feet - snatching or kicking for example, i will shout oi and slap his shoulder but not hard .
I also praise him heavily when he does behave.
Ive seen fellow liveries kick their horses in the head for beign naughty - I would never ever do that and have fallen out with them because of it - that is abuse plain and simple - i slap my boy the minute he is naughty to remind him of his manners and weh nhe is good he gets lots of praise
I know what im doing and its not in anger - i hate it when horses get kicked or punched in anger - abuse plain and simple
 
what do you mean by attack???
I think if a horse is in that dangerous mode you need to escape sharpish, not sure any whack would help tbh
 
My arab had two proper whacks tonight. He leapt right in front of an oncoming car because there was a little white gate in the hedge line which he couldn't see until he was alongside it. I felt mean because he doesn't have a naughty bone in his body, but how else do you explain to a horse that suicide because you've just seen a gate isn't appropriate behavior? :confused:
 
There are times I'm afraid I think that it is unavoidable. And by the way, I'm not talking about beating up a horse - I would never condone or do that. But there are times when a "discussion" just isn't going to work and isn't safe - and it is up to me to make sure, as far as it's possible, that we stay safe. Thankfully, I've never had to do it from the ground.
 
I think I must be fortunate then, I've never been attacked by a horse.

Very often we are the architects of our own mis fortune when people get into these sort of situations.
 
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I would hit a horse in self-defence if I had no other option and I was being attacked. I would also hit my horse if it was to prevent more serious injury, such as if she was pratting about in front of an approaching lorry and ignored my other attempts to move her (which doesn't happen but I would have no qualms about a smack to save our lives or serious injury).
 
All I can say is that people who answer 'NEVER' have not been around horses of all types of temperaments and behaviours.

Yes, I will hit a horse if it warrants it. A horse that is nappy and refusing to go forward will get one hit on the right, one on the left and another back on the right - with my riding whip and without me changing hands and taking not more than a second or two to complete. I can assure you that he will feel it and if a bit thin skinned will be marked.
I am not ashamed of this, in the natural world it is less than it would get for misbehaviour from a lead horse.

A horse that knows better but is refusing to load will get a crack across the backside or the back legs. (I am talking about seasoned travellers not youngsters or horses that are frightened)

As Enfys says, have a horse attack you and believe me, if you know what you are doing then you will retaliate with whatever is at hand.

I had a Welsh 'A' pony livery that I was told should never be turned out as he attacked when you went to catch him. He did! WHat is more, he meant it. When he came at me ears flat back and mouth open, punching with his front legs I hit him with the halter hard. He spun around and reversed back into me to kick. I again wrapped the halter around his back legs and he shot forward unfortunately taking the halter with him. He backed into me again and the only defence I had was my feet so, I kicked him as hard as I could and got him on his hamstring. He went on three legs across the field. I picked up the halter, walked up to him and caught him. He was never any problem again to catch.

If a horse lifts a leg in a threatening manner then I will set it up so it follows through and actually kicks. I will then punish it hard, usually with a yard broom bristles. End of kicking.

It is very rare for me to resort to this sort of punishment but should the need arise then I sure as heck will. I can assure anyone that a correctly administered whack applied at the right time does not make a horse frightened of you, it actually makes the horse respectful of you and to actually trust you because it accepts that its behaviour was wrong and you, as leader have told shown it so.
 
darkhorse123 said:
what do you mean by attack???
I think if a horse is in that dangerous mode you need to escape sharpish, not sure any whack would help tbh
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Sometimes you have no option, whilst trying to escape you don't actually think of anything, basic survival instinct kicks in and you literally fight for your life.

Horses DO attack people, for various reasons, I was once teaching a private lesson, it was hot and horrid, just walk and trot (pretty boring stuff) I didn't feel like working either so I can't entirely blame the pony, but she dumped her rider (intentionally) and went after me. By that I mean teeth bared, ears flat to her head, neck outstretched and front feet flailing, I have no illusions that should she have got to me before I flew over the fence she would have done serious damage, my Boss had been working in the school and she then went after him and he had to fend he off with a shovel. Funny thing was, as soon as that pony stopped being used for lessons she reverted to being her usual sweet self, we never used her in the school again after that though. Just having a really bad day.

Then there was the time that I was skipping out a stall whilst an owner groomed her horse and he attacked her and then me. We weren't doing anything that we hadn't done a hundred times before...he was held off as we sidled out of the door with whatever we had in our hands. Physical reason that time, he had a brain tumour, that was discovered after he went after someone else and his owner had him destroyed that same day.

Then there is this kind of situation...the pony would have been killed if the appaloosa hadn't been driven off him, he was kneeling on him and shaking him by the neck. It took two people to get him off.

DSCF3599.jpg
 
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I have always been told to carry a whip with me when I ride because you never know when you may need to give them a tap.

When were jumping at shows and horse has stopped twice at same jump so we get eliminated I will only ever smack him if I am 110% sure that it wasn't me ( riding a dodgy line to fence, not enough leg on) and 110% he was not doing it due to pain (Had this problem before and had their backs checked just to be sure). I will only ever smack a horse after stopping if I know I have done all the right things if its them being naughty then they will get a tap. I rarely ever have had to smack my horses when jumping because most of the time it is me thats made them stop. I feel sorry for the ponies/horses that are stopping due to the rider not riding properly or out of pain and they then get walloped repeatedly.

I am not against giving them a smack when there being naughty but I do not agree with smacking them because they got confused when you are not giving clear aids.
 
darkhorse123 said:
what do you mean by attack???
I think if a horse is in that dangerous mode you need to escape sharpish, not sure any whack would help tbh
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I did say if there was no other means of escape, in certain circumstances you can't get out of the situation quickly and easily, and it some situations you have to try to protect others in the vicinity.

By attack I mean a horse that has completely mentally lost it and is hell bent on seriously injuring and possibly killing you. They come at you attacking with both ends at once, teeth legs and body mass all used as weapons. Whether through past treatment, mental problems or just plain bad breeding it can and does happen and people are lucky to survive it.

Thankfully horses who are capable of such extreme behaviour are few and far between, the do exist though. One of the reasons I am so against stallions of questionable temperament being kept entire is because this, certain behaviours should mean instant gelding regardless of talent and bloodlines in my opinion, unfortunately this is rarely the course of action.
 
sorry my mare was a mess from being walloped battered and beatened - i never raise a hand or voice to my 2 - my little mare esp knows from my boby language and " ah ah ah " when she is stepping over line - both are well mannered - open door of stable and will standquiet till told to walk on - but sorry there is no excuse to hit a horse even a biter - 2 wrongs dont make a right - seen the results of hiting a horse to often with happa and nope never a reason or excuse - think horse and work as a horse - michael peace is my hero :) xx
 
I have never been attacked by my horse although when my sister got her 12hh pony when she was 7, he actually hated children and would go for her teeth bared and all. Hmm, all she did was leg it! Lol. He was evil but then, thinking back he had probably been abused.

I have never been attacked by a horse as such but i have been guilty of belting mine in the past and now I know better i do feel bad about it. However, it certainly has not affected him andi wouldn't do it now. I guess I have learnt there are different ways and also there are generally reasons for a horse behaving in a certain way. I would NEVER hit a horse around his head though. I have slapped on occasion to avoid a nip (my youngster being a bit of a swine for it) but that's more reactive athan anything. I wouldn't intentionally ever whack something as an act of aggression or to get them to submit or something.
 
To save a horse that was going to do itself, or me, an injury - such as the example of a horse backing towards a ditch that was not listening to other aids. It's not ideal but it's better than a broken leg.
 
I would if the horse is being a danger to me or to himself! Im really anti walloping for no good reason as I know a few people who do wallop for example if the horse pulls a face (I think they are secretly scared of their horses but hey). However having been run into shut stable doors by bargy horses and squashed so I cant breath I have booted a horse in the chest to escape, also current loan horse will come at you in the field and he has run people down, hes nasty and doesnt respect space so he has been hit with the headcollar before (again he was coming at me in a gallop, i got out the way and he span round and came back for more, ears flat back planning to flatten me). I can probably could the amount of times I have properly hit/kicked a horse though on one hand as I have then found alternative routes to deal with the problems
 
If it insulted my Mother :D






Sorry.

Not sure actually, I'm very lucky that any horses I've had/ponies I have are all very laid back and well mannered (apart from one shettie on occasions ;) ), so I honestly never find it necessary. Might be different if I'd had some bad mannered horses I suppose. Maybe I've just been lucky.
 
Enfys said:
Sometimes you have no option, whilst trying to escape you don't actually think of anything, basic survival instinct kicks in and you literally fight for your life.

Horses DO attack people, for various reasons, I was once teaching a private lesson, it was hot and horrid, just walk and trot (pretty boring stuff) I didn't feel like working either so I can't entirely blame the pony, but she dumped her rider (intentionally) and went after me. By that I mean teeth bared, ears flat to her head, neck outstretched and front feet flailing, I have no illusions that should she have got to me before I flew over the fence she would have done serious damage, my Boss had been working in the school and she then went after him and he had to fend he off with a shovel. Funny thing was, as soon as that pony stopped being used for lessons she reverted to being her usual sweet self, we never used her in the school again after that though. Just having a really bad day.

Then there was the time that I was skipping out a stall whilst an owner groomed her horse and he attacked her and then me. We weren't doing anything that we hadn't done a hundred times before...he was held off as we sidled out of the door with whatever we had in our hands. Physical reason that time, he had a brain tumour, that was discovered after he went after someone else and his owner had him destroyed that same day.

Then there is this kind of situation...the pony would have been killed if the appaloosa hadn't been driven off him, he was kneeling on him and shaking him by the neck. It took two people to get him off.

DSCF3599.jpg
Click to expand...

Was the pony ok? Poor little love must have been so scared.
 
If the horse was putting me or itself in danger i would give it a whack and tell them to behave. There are times when a horse needs telling off, in the wild the lead horse does this so as we are leaders to our pet horses we need to do this to prevent serious accidents.
My farrier was nearly kicked in the head by my old yard owners shire as it decided to pr*t about when being shod...got a serious whack, those feet dont need to collide with people.
 
HollyWoozle said:
I would hit a horse in self-defence if I had no other option and I was being attacked. I would also hit my horse if it was to prevent more serious injury, such as if she was pratting about in front of an approaching lorry and ignored my other attempts to move her (which doesn't happen but I would have no qualms about a smack to save our lives or serious injury).
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This is exactly what I was going to say. I would have no hesitation giving mine a wallop if her benaviour was putting us in danger. She can be quite bolshy and nappy out hacking. However if her temperment was different eg if she was highly strung and spooky, I think hitting might exacerbate the problem. It depends on the horse and the situation,
 
i have once with my 2 year old, she was all fine and dandy then she got me in the corner, i asked her to move over and instead she ran forward and double barrled me, she was trying to get me the little moo, my hands were level with my head and she kicked me in the arm and just missed my head, shes barefoot and she really was giving me a goodun'. she knew i was there because i was talking to her and grooming her, IMO there was no reason for doing that, so she got a wollop on the shoulder, turned back out then i went to the hospital to have my arm sorted :/ hmmmmmmm
 
Well I whacked my 2 year old on the arse as hard as I could with a plastic shovel! Does that count? Basically I was unaware that she had worked out that if she turned an double barrelled people/horses in the paddock they went away. She thought that was fab. Nobody told me and I only found out when she nearly connected with someone.

Anyway I was out poo picking in the paddock and she was mooching about watching me. She suddenly turned and reversed with ears flat back. So I whacked her as hard as I bloody could (which is not very hard with a plastic shovel :D ) Anyway she never ever did it again so I think it was perfectly justified and I would do it again without hesitation!
 
I'd Never properly wallop a horse unless it attacked me but I think tbh i'd probably just try to get out of the way sharpish as I think it would make it worse if it was in full blown attacking mode.

I am quite lucky though that my mare has never done that and I hope she never does and I have never had to properly 'hurt' her like that but she does occasionally need the odd 'oi behave yourself' nudge but even that is rare as she is usually a star.

So basically I in principal probably would but in reality would probably try to get out of there pdq if i could and get help!
 
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