This is more of a rant than anything...
So my aunt was talked into buying a new pony, and I was talked into helping her teach it some manners.
Oh boy does she need them! I started to teach her to respect my space and to allow me to catch her over the weekend. I had her going well in line (lunging both directions and backing up) the last time I had worked her.
Well, On Friday she did not want to be caught. Okay fine, looks like I need to teach her to catch me. I began to go over the same lessons I knew she knew (ie you face me you get to rest, you give me your hienny you're gonna work) she started off by simply trying to ignore me, and then she decided she just wasn't going to have any of it, turned and charged me.
Ears pinned, teeth bared coming straight for me at a canter- the whole 9 yards. Boy was she was surprised when I took a jump toward her and she met with the end of my lunge whip across her neck! When I connected she stopped dead in her tracks and just looked totally shocked. I can only imagine she's gotten away with being a bully at her previous home. Sorry Hun, that's not gonna fly here.
I promptly chased her butt away from the herd (the two other horses in the pasture) as fast as I darn well could, scolding her as I chased. A few moments later (once I had walked back to the other horses, gave scritches and was able to catch my breath) I went back to her to continue working her (still off line) as if nothing had happened. She still didn't want to be caught, so back to moving her feet. Initially she lunged around me just fine but again decided she didn't want to and would rather charge a 2nd time. She met a similar fate only this time I connected with her cheek and didn't just chase her butt away, I kept her moving for a good 5 minutes (long for her, she's been sitting in a 30x30 for the last 2 years).
By the end of our little lesson (my second time working with her) she was joined up/following well, backing up 4-5 steps, yielding her hind quarters 2-3 steps and I could send her around me both directions, yielding her HQ to whoa and I put her halter on and took it off a few times cor good measure. I finished with desensitizing and gave her a carrot.
I'm very interested to see how our next session goes.
What would you have done in this situation?
So my aunt was talked into buying a new pony, and I was talked into helping her teach it some manners.
Oh boy does she need them! I started to teach her to respect my space and to allow me to catch her over the weekend. I had her going well in line (lunging both directions and backing up) the last time I had worked her.
Well, On Friday she did not want to be caught. Okay fine, looks like I need to teach her to catch me. I began to go over the same lessons I knew she knew (ie you face me you get to rest, you give me your hienny you're gonna work) she started off by simply trying to ignore me, and then she decided she just wasn't going to have any of it, turned and charged me.
Ears pinned, teeth bared coming straight for me at a canter- the whole 9 yards. Boy was she was surprised when I took a jump toward her and she met with the end of my lunge whip across her neck! When I connected she stopped dead in her tracks and just looked totally shocked. I can only imagine she's gotten away with being a bully at her previous home. Sorry Hun, that's not gonna fly here.
I promptly chased her butt away from the herd (the two other horses in the pasture) as fast as I darn well could, scolding her as I chased. A few moments later (once I had walked back to the other horses, gave scritches and was able to catch my breath) I went back to her to continue working her (still off line) as if nothing had happened. She still didn't want to be caught, so back to moving her feet. Initially she lunged around me just fine but again decided she didn't want to and would rather charge a 2nd time. She met a similar fate only this time I connected with her cheek and didn't just chase her butt away, I kept her moving for a good 5 minutes (long for her, she's been sitting in a 30x30 for the last 2 years).
By the end of our little lesson (my second time working with her) she was joined up/following well, backing up 4-5 steps, yielding her hind quarters 2-3 steps and I could send her around me both directions, yielding her HQ to whoa and I put her halter on and took it off a few times cor good measure. I finished with desensitizing and gave her a carrot.
I'm very interested to see how our next session goes.
What would you have done in this situation?