[midi]

my horse is a well natured mare, but sometimes barges me with her head, what does this mean?

 

[NannonsWhiskey]

My horse would do that when I first got him, I just think it means she needs some more work with her manners. Don't let her into your space and after awhile she'll take the hint. After a couple weeks of ground work in the round pen & while grooming & leading my guy figured it out!

 

[midi]

How do u get them to respect ur space
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[midi]

And iv had her for two years, but she has not long started doin it
Posted via Mobile Device

 

[kevinshorses]

First, horses really respect proper spelling and grammar. If you don't believe me just try it for a year and see. Second, if she is pushing into you with her head then it means she wants you to move. I would not allow it and I would make her move so it became clear to her that I was not to be pushed around.

 

[smrobs]

:lol: Kevin, I missed you.

Midi, backward is always a good direction for space invaders. When she gets too close to you, make her move backward or away from you, the faster the better.

 

[Bandera]

umm... i do not agree with having the horse go backwards. What you want to be is like an electric fence. Have you ever seen a horse touch an electric fence after they know what it does? no. You want to set up 2 zones, a blue zone and a red zone. Say ur the red zone and you horse is the blue zone, u don't go into there space and dont let them come into theres. When you horse starts to swing his head around have your hand already up and if he comes into your space block him with you hand and lightly pop him on the nose or check. In reality you don't hit your horse is the face, never do that, but the horse is running into your hand, he is the one that made the decision. This will not make your horse head shy as you are not attacking him. I have tried doing the whole backing your horse up and then it can get bad... DO NOT TRY IT! I have had my horse become worse with that and you also dont respect his space. My horse has gotten so irritated with me she has reared. With the zones she stays in her space and i stay in mine and its all good, we both respect each other. with backing up they get scared. when you think about it when a horse came into the lead stallions area the stallion would just bit/kick the horse but they never chase them away, horses dont need long drawn out punishment but quick and too the point.

 

[kevinshorses]

When my horse buys my feed it can have its own space but until then I own it. I can touch that horse at any time and can stand as close to the horse as I want to. The horse however can only stand as close to me as I want and can only touch me when I choose. Why?? Because the horse wieghs 1200lbs and can cause great pain simply by placing a well shod hoof on my big toe. The same is not true the other way around. I don't get carried away correcting a horse out of my space. I try to use the way they moved into my space as a guide to how much force to use to get them out of my space. If the horse just kind of drifted into my space I won't get too excited and just kind of wake them up and move them away but if a horse actively sought to push on me or step on me then I would actively seek to make them get the hell back where they belong. Not every scenario calls for a lot of force.

 

[Bandera]

hmmm... okay i happen to disagree but okay! i guess every one is different in how they view there horses

 

[kevinshorses]

When you have been around enough different horses you will realize that to stay safe a horse must allow you anywhere around them but must stay as far away from you as you dictate. It's not a matter of domination or lack of mutual respect. It's a matter of staying safe.

 

[Bandera]

hahaha trust me i have been around a lot of horses, and i dont think most get any more dangerous than mine was. She kicked, reared, and would bite when i got her and now she does not of that because i trained her correctly.

 

[Bandera]

*now she doesnt do any of that.

She follows me around, ground ties, lunges just with my voice, and backs up without me pulling or yanking her back.

 

[kevinshorses]

hahaha trust me i have been around a lot of horses, and i dont think most get any more dangerous than mine was. She kicked, reared, and would bite when i got her and now she does not of that because i trained her correctly.

In 10 more years you MIGHT be able to say you have been around alot of horses. By a lot I mean more than 100 DIFFERENT horses in your care with the purpose of training them. If your avatar is any indication you're a ways from being there yet.

 

[Bandera]

umm... i have actually worked with more than 100 different horses... Umm 1st off that was very rude of you to say 2nd of that picture was taken a long time ago 3rd off that horse was ottb with 4 months of jumping training on him and right after this jump took off at a dead gallop bucking so pardon me for my position being a bit defensive. All i can show is the work i have done with other people horses and mine. I believe that my horse is my friend and that we share a bond and a partnership. After 4 month of owning my current horse she will do anything for me. I know how my horse is thinking and if she is okay or not. I guess i have a deep connection with horses most people wont understand and i know that treating a horse that way is absurd. You will never have a RELATIONSHIP with your horse if you treat them that way.

 

[Walkamile]

When my horse buys my feed it can have its own space but until then I own it. I can touch that horse at any time and can stand as close to the horse as I want to. The horse however can only stand as close to me as I want and can only touch me when I choose. Why?? Because the horse wieghs 1200lbs and can cause great pain simply by placing a well shod hoof on my big toe. The same is not true the other way around. I don't get carried away correcting a horse out of my space. I try to use the way they moved into my space as a guide to how much force to use to get them out of my space. If the horse just kind of drifted into my space I won't get too excited and just kind of wake them up and move them away but if a horse actively sought to push on me or step on me then I would actively seek to make them get the hell back where they belong. Not every scenario calls for a lot of force.

Excellent post Kevin. I agree completely and also demand/expect my horse respect my space.

Bandera, I have backed up many a horse and have never seen one afraid. They pay attention to me, but are not scared. Guess I've been lucky all these (too many to admit to) years.

 

[Walkamile]

umm... i have actually worked with more than 100 different horses... Umm 1st off that was very rude of you to say 2nd of that picture was taken a long time ago 3rd off that horse was ottb with 4 months of jumping training on him and right after this jump took off at a dead gallop bucking so pardon me for my position being a bit defensive. All i can show is the work i have done with other people horses and mine. I believe that my horse is my friend and that we share a bond and a partnership. After 4 month of owning my current horse she will do anything for me. I know how my horse is thinking and if she is okay or not. I guess i have a deep connection with horses most people wont understand and i know that treating a horse that way is absurd. You will never have a RELATIONSHIP with your horse if you treat them that way.

I suppose it depends on what you define by relationship. My horses come to me when they are out in the field, follow me around the field and move out of my space with little effort. They'll do whatever I ask of them without resentment. I have always insisted on good manners, and like a good "boss mare" will deal with the infraction in an appropriate way.

 

[Bandera]

i know my horse freaks out by it haha she reared, another person did it and you should have seen the look in her eyes, she kicked the person 2 minutes later lol but we all have diffrent ways to train, i just know mine as worked better on my horse and others horses than the other way has

 

[faye]

I'm (suprisingly) going to agree with Kevin and SMrobs. It is disrespectful for a horse to come into your space and should be sent backwards out of your space fast. My horses know to shift when I tell them, they dont touch a bucket of feed untill I say as untill I say so that bucket of feed is in my personal space.

My horses are taught that whilst it is alright for them to hang over the stable door as soon as I go to enter it they must back off and they will not get anything untill they do. I can invite them into my personal space and we can have a good scratch and a nice happy time but it is on my terms and my terms only not thiers.

I've delt with loads of abuse cases, loads of agressive horses. I've delt with horses that when I got them would activly attack people. I had one that came over a stable door, picked a girl up by her ear and shook her untill her ear ripped off (that was the reason he ended up with me). I've always backed off every horse I've owned, so that they know I'm the dominant one.

We had an accident on my yard with a box resting horse, I was away at uni so my brother was doing horses and he did not back horses off, little slips in discipline like not getting them to take steps back before they got feeds, allowing the pony to pull at the haynet as it was put up etc, led to a horrific situation with the pony deciding to take leadership from my brother and deciding to kick the living daylights out of him. Took 2 months for his manners to deteriorate, took me 2 hours to teach them again, he never ever did it again.

Also as you are dominant, you have the right to touch the horse anywhere at anytime, the horse is lower in the pecking order then you therefore you have the right to invade his personal space with no conciquences, but he does not have the right to enter your space.

A horse that knows his place and knows the rules is a happy, settled and content horse.

 

[kevinshorses]

umm... i have actually worked with more than 100 different horses... Umm 1st off that was very rude of you to say 2nd of that picture was taken a long time ago 3rd off that horse was ottb with 4 months of jumping training on him and right after this jump took off at a dead gallop bucking so pardon me for my position being a bit defensive.

It says on your user page that you have been riding english for only 7 years and the picture and the way you write makes you appear quite young. That is all I meant by my comment about your avatar. I have no idea if you are showing good position in the picture or not. I have been handling young and troubled horses for almost 20 years and I have not been seriously hurt by a horse on the ground EVER. The reason for that is I start correcting the horse before it even starts to get dangerous. You can do what you want.