I have owned Fancy since she was about a year old. I broke her and took her to shows when she was 3, but then I went off to college and only get the chance to handle her when I am home for breaks. I have been in college for a year and a half, just to give you a time frame.
She has always had a bit of an attitude, but since I have been gone it has gotten worse. I realize it's probably because she doesn't get handled much, but now that I am trying to sell her, I really need to concentrate on getting her manners back. No one wants to drive out here to look at a potential buy who just pins her ears back when you brush her -_-
I just got done doing some ground work with her, but I'm not sure if what I am doing is right. I started out brushing her (she wasn't tied up, I was holding the lead rope) and anytime she would pin her ears at me I would immediately send her off trotting in small circles around me. I didn't really know when I should release, so I just stopped after about a minute and continued brushing until the next time she pinned her ears and I would repeat the whole cycle over again.
After about 3 times of this, I decided to just take her to the round pen so that when I sent her out I could really make her work. So I stood in the middle brushing her, and when she pinned her ears I sent her out on the rail. I waited to let her stop until she showed signs of submission (head lowered, ear on me, licking lips) and then I would turn away from her and let her come into the circle with me. After doing that twice she stopped pinning her ears when I brushed over her back, but instead she would swish her tail and lift up her back leg in a threatening-to-kick way. I made sure to end on a good note, but she never really stopped the tail/leg thing like she did the ear pinning.
She also pins her ears at me when I walk by her eating which I don't like, but I don't know how to "reprimand" her in a situation like that. I could use some help with breaking these bad habits!
She has always had a bit of an attitude, but since I have been gone it has gotten worse. I realize it's probably because she doesn't get handled much, but now that I am trying to sell her, I really need to concentrate on getting her manners back. No one wants to drive out here to look at a potential buy who just pins her ears back when you brush her -_-
I just got done doing some ground work with her, but I'm not sure if what I am doing is right. I started out brushing her (she wasn't tied up, I was holding the lead rope) and anytime she would pin her ears at me I would immediately send her off trotting in small circles around me. I didn't really know when I should release, so I just stopped after about a minute and continued brushing until the next time she pinned her ears and I would repeat the whole cycle over again.
After about 3 times of this, I decided to just take her to the round pen so that when I sent her out I could really make her work. So I stood in the middle brushing her, and when she pinned her ears I sent her out on the rail. I waited to let her stop until she showed signs of submission (head lowered, ear on me, licking lips) and then I would turn away from her and let her come into the circle with me. After doing that twice she stopped pinning her ears when I brushed over her back, but instead she would swish her tail and lift up her back leg in a threatening-to-kick way. I made sure to end on a good note, but she never really stopped the tail/leg thing like she did the ear pinning.
She also pins her ears at me when I walk by her eating which I don't like, but I don't know how to "reprimand" her in a situation like that. I could use some help with breaking these bad habits!