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15' rule, and rules that you break

4K views 44 replies 33 participants last post by  Mulefeather 
#1 ·
I have been around horses for Oh Jeez, 50 odd years, and I still find out new things regularly, somethings are true others myths, some just personal rules, so when I hear a new one, I have to ask.

I read on @Hoofpic journal that he has a 15' rule when handling horses, doesn't allow any horse into that space, now that it a new one on me, and sounds like a lot of real estate to claim as your own. Does anyone else have this rule? The biggest issue I see, if you have caught your horse, how do you maintain such a large 'bubble'

Now I have a personal space, but it is only 3 or 4 feet from me, LOL I once saw my stallion fall on his knees to avoid getting to close, he was chasing a cheeky colt and suddenly realized that he was getting to near to me.

Today I has finished with Gibbs and had him loose in the round pen, went out through the gate and brought Ace in to do her burrs, and Arab witches knots, he chose not to leave but to hang around with us. The whole time I was working with Ace he was well inside my bubble, I could either feel that soft mushroom nose on my arm, or the warmth of his breath, sometimes I couldn't feel him, but he was close enough when I took my elbow back I would hit him:grin: I never once asked him to step back, he was there, eyes half closed, just chilling, he never nuzzled, lipped, or mugged for treats, so I left him.

Now technically he was in my bubble, but it wasn't an issue. So how about you, how big is the bubble, and are there exceptions to your rule?
 
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#2 ·
I have never had a problem with Roy standing next to me like shoulder to shoulder maybe 10cm between us as long as he isn't barging or shouldering me then I don't mind, I do keep enough space that if he bolted or shied he wouldn't instantly hit me. I have noticed if Roy is going to spook he does it away from me or goes backwards but never towards me.
 
#3 ·
There are some people that exaggerate that so much that the horse is halfway across the arena...and barely out of their personal space. >.> Personally, I don't say "horse, keep a 2ft distance from me!" If they want to come up to me, let me pet them, or whatever, fine. With that being said, I don't allow them to run over me or get so close, like when walking or something, that it gets dangerous. So I don't care if they're close to me unless we're working, leading, etc. Just the other day I was leading Star to the barn, I usually walk in front. We had stopped and Roman ran up to the fence across the pasture carrying on. Star gets distracted and bumps into me, to which I quickly let her know who she needed to be focusing on and where she was going.
 
#22 ·
This.

Depends on the horse and how comfortable I am with them. Aires, I'll let him get as close as he wants because I know he's careful. My best friend's horses? Not so much 'cuz they're rude and pushy and demanding. The horses that I worked with at my friend's barn were all pocket ponies, so good luck enforcing a 15' "bubble" with them. They'd get their delicate Arab feelers bruised and not talk to you for the rest of the day. :-p Now, if they enter my space and start getting rude or pushy, even with another horse, they will most definitely get sent away. Other than that, eh. No harm, no foul.
 
#5 ·
It definitely depends. Now if a horse is coming towards me I expect them to stop a good bit away (I'm horrible with distances but the 15' sounds about right) then I will close the distance. They don't ever get to come into my space.

But that's about it. Other then that it's close quarters and obv if I'm in their space then I'm close.. A horse isn't allowed to step into me ever, so with that rule in place then the "how far" issue is irrelevent as I'm in their space in 99% of situations. It's all mental.

Also depends on the horse. Today I was in the middle of 4 horses crouched on the ground in a little triangle corner of the pen. No not safe, not something I'd recommend, but they were my horses (the "new" one we've had 8 years) and I knew how to do it properly (make sure they all knew I was there, that this one might move but that one wouldn't, this one gets along well with this, etc). A horse I don't know so well (most) or a horse I didn't trust would give me a much bigger bubble. Also again with the me move into them.

I've never heard of 15' before...nor any set rule for that matter.
 
#6 ·
I'm pretty lenient with Trouble, except when I want. It's when (if) he doesn't listen I get all flappy on him. Usually if I want person space I just say "back" and he backs off. If not he gets an elbow to the face. So it's pretty simple for him. Sometimes in the pasture I'll let him rest his chin on my shoulder, but I lean on him in the pasture sometimes too. When he was a baby he used to lie with his head on our lead mare while she was also laying down. NO ONE gets that close to her, ever. But if she ever told him to get away, he'd oblige. I think it's a give and take situation.

He lets me sit and prod and lean all over him, so sometimes I let him get away with little things. If he was a bargy, disrespectful horse, no. But he's never been like that. If I ask, he'll leave. At grain time I sometimes bring a crop if he starts getting a little too close just to remind him "no you stay in that corner until I say".
 
#7 ·
Before I moved my herd of two to my own place recently I boarded. If I changed boarding barns I never had an issue with the herd hounding me when I went to get my horse. I do believe horses understand a persons intent. And my internet was to deal with one horse. I never looked at or showed any interest to the other herd members and they felt it I suppose. If one did show any interest or look at me I would square my body and they would just go back to grazing or turn away from me.

With this little herd of mine now there is no rule. They are both at the gate at feeding time. I tell them to back up so I can open the gate, I slip halters on even though they are shoulder to shoulder. I ground tie them to open the gate fully....it is electrified and I don't want them or me to get zapped.....pick up the leads and walk them into the barn.

We are ruleless!
 
#9 ·
Admittedly I am biased and I don't like groundwork. Outside or work horses are required to have a bubble, my personal horses are probably too close for most peoples comfort.
Hooey leads and follows me with his left nostril on my sleeve, and like Goldenhorse, not obnoxious, lippy or biting. Whether I have a halter on him or not that is how he is. If it ever gets beyond that I will no issue correcting it.

15' is a lot, I don't think I have a lead that long on my halters. Maybe on the ones we used for halter breaking older horses.
 
#12 ·
15' is a lot, I don't think I have a lead that long on my halters. Maybe on the ones we used for halter breaking older horses.
I have one 15' lead, I only use it with problems loading, and sometimes for a specific exercise, getting a horse to turn away from me on the rope. I never use it for general catching or leading, so I'm not sure how, when you have your horse on a lead you can maintain that 15' boundary.
 
#11 ·
I don't have a personal bubble but I do have the rule that they must mind their manners. No biting or kicking at me or one of the other herd members when I'm present (Cutter tends to forget this one at times), no barging into me, no swatting me in the face with their tails (they've been bad about this one because the flies have been relentless this year but they all know the command "tail" which means to quit swishing while I walk by), no mugging for treats, and no pooping in the barn (which they totally ignore LOL).
 
#13 ·
I don't have a space bubble rule because I don't think I could be consistent about it. I think horses trust people more if they are consistent.

What I see is many people who are very inconsistent with space rules, and in my opinion this makes them seem unpredictable to the horses. I believe if you don't want a horse to be within two feet of you, then you should consistently every time not allow the horse within two feet of you.
What I see is people standing around, not paying attention, the horse ends up within their bubble, and nothing happens. They lead the horse, they're talking, the horse is in their bubble, nothing happens. They talk to the horse, the horse sidles in, they do some sort of petting and nudging with the horse. Then suddenly, three or four incidents later, they feel the horse is too close to them and they start yanking on the horse. "He knows he's not supposed to be in my space!" Um, how? Because you let him in six times and punish him the seventh?
That's my biggest issue with people having a space bubble - not being fair about it.
 
#14 ·
they must stay ONE jump's worth of distance away from me. meaning, the distance they would reflexively leap were they suddenly spooked from behind, usually that's about 3 to 4 feet. I may go close to them and often do, but I feel best when I know that at least that first step they take will hit ground, not the top of my foot.

also, I think it's a good skill to be able to send a horse away from you and ask him to stand peacefully , away from you. it's good for him to learn patience there, and, I also think it's good for less experienced riders to learn to start building that constant conciousness of where the horse is in relation to you and your feet, where he is likely to move if something spooks him and have this in your minds, at all times.

you don't hvae to live in constant terror, but to be aware of these spatial things with hosres is a very good way to start. later, you can break the rules becuase you'll better know how to feel when it's more than likely ok, . . . and when it's not.
 
#15 ·
I think that the longer we're around horses, the more rules we break. I also don't have a hard and fast space rule, but I will square up and send a pushy horse away if he tries to come in too close. I also hand feed treats to my horses (only mine) and I let Ducati lick my hands like a dog, it's his only vice, he's never offered to bite, so .....? What else? Oh, last time I had a vet call here at home, I had on a pair of Birkenstock clogs because I had just gotten home and discovered an injury. I called the vet and didn't think to go change shoes and slipped out of them while trying to get a very sedated and injured horse into the barn to be treated. I got frustrated and totally kicked out and went barefoot until we got the horse situated, then went and got some proper shoes on. Anyone who knows me, knows I NEVER, EVER go around the horses without proper foot gear on, but this time I made an exception. I lay down and snuggle up to Patti out in the pasture, have fallen asleep up against a round bale with her, and wakened to find the "herd" had made a protective circle around us. I could probably write a book about the rules I break with my horses, but I also don't break them until the horses have been schooled on what the rules are. That way when it counts, I can say, "Gotta make you behave this time." and get no argument.
 
#16 ·
If you watch horses who know each other, the space the dominant horse has is exactly what she wants, right that second. It isn't a measurement. Sometimes they are leaning on each other, sometimes 15 feet is about right. When it's too close, a slightly evil look is all it takes for the beta horse to move off. I have not perfected my evil look (working on it!) but I just flap my hand or tap the offending part of the horse. If that's not enough I use a verbal command. Then things may escalate a bit.
 
#18 ·
One rule I break on a regular basis is being barefoot around the horses. I hate shoes. So - my space rule is that their feet have to stay away from mine. Tango likes to follow me around and 'supervise' the mucking. He can get close, but if I say 'back off' he'll take a step back. At feeding time, both horse know they have to stop and wait about 2' off before I'll fill their bins. No crowding allowed. If I need to be where they are, I can say 'move' and they'll step away.

But these are my horses.

If I get a new horse, or if I'm around someone else's horses, I do put my boots on. ;-)
 
#19 ·
If you're that fearful of horses that you need to insist on it being X number of feet away from you all the time then it's maybe not the right 'thing' for you. (You in the general sense that is)
If I'm handling a difficult horse then I've got more control of it if I'm close to it
If a horse is loose then as long as it's not acting like an idiot I don't care where it stands in relation to where I am
If I want a horse to come to me to be caught then insisting on it standing several feet away is going to be a real problem
Who thinks up these things?
 
#20 ·
If I want a horse to come to me to be caught then insisting on it standing several feet away is going to be a real problem
Who thinks up these things?
Yeah, or leading into a trailer? Or grooming? I'd like to see a currycomb with a 15 foot handle :)

The only 'rule' I have is "no shoving", otherwise they're perfectly welcome to stand next to me.
 
#21 ·
In a crowd it would the length of my buggy whip from me and only the horse I am after gets to come closer. Handling a single horse or even a pair if I am alone bringing horses in for driving then 15 inches sounds right. Most of mine though I could halter and then tie the lead up and they would follow wherever i want them to go where they are then ground tied for me to do whatever it is I needed to do. Some follow closer than others. Most it is with their head at my shoulder.
 
#23 ·
Can't say I've ever heard that one before! I'm wondering how in the heck do you work with a horse doing much of anything with 15' between the two of you? Maybe 15' applies when lunging or in the pasture?? Otherwise I'm stumped.

I can see where it helps to have some sort of bubble that the horse respects as your own space, a bubble they don't enter unless permission is given (person goes to them and not the other way around). One of my mare's is respectful, but very, very, in-your-pocket. And she's 17.3h. Thankfully a gentle giant. So, especially in cases like this it is super important to establish boundaries (though, not 15 feet, lol). In all honesty though, I probably let said 17.3h moose mare way too close for others comfort. If I ever have any friends that haven't met her before, or new staff at the barn, what-have-you, I do always warn people that she is super friendly and wants to be near you at all times, and I make sure to warn them of this, as well as that if she is too much in your bubble to push her away and she will respect that. =)
 
#24 ·
@beverleyy, I think the "15' rule" is for in the pasture only when there are loose horses around.

Although, I am also in the camp of "how the heck do you manage that?!". When my gelding was turned out with a herd of 8-10 other geldings, it was hard enough keeping them just out of my personal space, much less 15' away from me. :shock:
 
#29 ·
@beverleyy , I think the "15' rule" is for in the pasture only when there are loose horses around.

Although, I am also in the camp of "how the heck do you manage that?!". When my gelding was turned out with a herd of 8-10 other geldings, it was hard enough keeping them just out of my personal space, much less 15' away from me. :shock:
Yes, I think even in the pasture 15' is excessive. I personally don't understand that. Boundaries, yes, but 15' even in pasture seems a bit extreme. And in group turnout, I'm wondering how one would accomplish that. My horses are turned out in groups of 2-3 generally, and while the other horses do respect a person's space, it's not my job to train someone else's horse to stay 15' from whomever is in the pasture. :lol:
 
#25 ·
15'? I've never heard of that...that seems like a bit much IMO.
I let Redz hang around me closely, but he knows better than to knock into me of course/disrespect me. I hang around him too! If I want the other horses to not get close like if I'm in the pasture, I just wave my arms and they move back a few feet LOL, doesn't take much!
 
#28 ·
I don't mind horses being close as long as they aren't pushy or rude. That said, I don't like going out to get Nav from his field and having to navigate around a tight packed group of horses just because I know that something could set them off and I would be in a bad situation! I can usually call and they'll all come running, but typically they'll disperse a bit and then I can grab Nav with decent space between myself and the others. Any horses who try to crowd us at the gate get shooed off with the end of the lead rope and they are all respectful of it and will back off.

My biggest rule is that if I let Nav in my space he cannot become pushy. If he starts to rub all on me he gets corrected right away, or if I'm leading him and he doesn't stop when I do we back up a couple steps to get him focused on me again.

I like being close to my horse though - why would I have him if I couldn't be close to such a magnificent animal some of the time?! :grin:
 
#30 ·
All our horses are rescues so for them, as far as we've been able to find out, this is the first "home" any of them have had. They are all people oriented and curious about what we're doing whenever we're working around the barn and pasture, so much so that sometimes we have to tell one "back" before swinging the hammer! However they are respectful of us, no one has accidently run into us, there is no squabbling while we're in the herd, and neither hubby, DD, the grandkids, or me have ever felt threatened by them being so close. As for that 15 foot rule, all I have to say to the herd if I want to take one out is say "stand" which means don't move until I tell you too so I see no need for it--After I have the horse I want out, I release them from "stand". That's much easier that worry about feet!
 
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