I have a 9month old, welsh section D foal. When let out in the riding school, she has a run around, then, when my backs turned, she runs into me with her head held high, sometimes rears and kicks out at me, with her front feet. She seems to be trying to domineer me, I try and chase her off when she does it (or just before she does it) but that doesnt tend to put her off.
I now have to carry a lunge whip with me just to protect myself if she charges! I dont want her to get into this sort of habit, and have her doing the same thing when shes ten times bigger.. any help, or tricks to stop this would be great :)
2007-03-10 04:31:23 · 9 answers · asked by Husky_mad 2 in Pets ➔ Other - Pets
I've had horses all my life, just not one that barges into me lol
I dont ever use the whip to hit her just to guide her, and it seems to help a bit, but shes not scared of it, and I dont want her to be either.. I just need to make her see whos the one in charge, she seems to be very intelligent..
If I take my jacket off she thinks im someone else and runs away, when I put it back on she comes galloping over and starts nipping and pushing me around!
2007-03-10 04:57:22 · update #1
what you want to is when she charges at you is to push your hands against her chest and make her back up with your head held high, this is a sign of I am over your lead in the pack, you then want to push her head down gently so its lower then yours and kind of toss your head to the side as if her attempt means nothing to you and you wont take it, this is how horses associate if they like you or can over power you ( I have a SB that does it to me and I had to do all of this and he now respects me greatly, but may not work on all horses) and then you walk around with her on her side, pushing against her form slightly, to show her your equal tempermant in the areana/outside area, meaning only rough housing is allowed when she is alone or with another horse and not you, because she will only associate your whip as bad as she gets older and not see it as a teaching advice to make her learn everything she will need to know in her life.
I hope I helped some.
2007-03-10 04:40:19 · answer #1 · answered by ~*Twilight Star*~ 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Your foal has got you nicely trained. she knows that you're worried and what's scary, she is only nine months old and she knows she's big enough to cause damage. You need to stop this before it becomes extremely dangerous as a full grown pony. But, count your blessings, you've got an intelligent, playful horse on your hands that will be able to teach you a lot.
What I suggest you do is try some natural horsemanship methods. 'Tricks' to stop her won't do any good. There is an entire mental process going on that you need to stop, not just a behavior.
This pony, if you do things right, will turn out to be a wonderful friend that is never tired of playing. She is playing a dominance game with you, and she likes to see you get all flustered.
Go to www.parelli.com and check out the instructors page. See if there are any in your area. If there are, have them come out for an hour or so (won't be cheap, but well worth it) and have them give you advice. It would be very interesting to hear what they have to say and you can trust that they'll be able to help you repair things.
Good luck!
2007-03-10 05:25:56 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
she's developed a bad habit and you need to stop it as soon as possible! However, I don't think carrying a whip with you all the time is the answer. For now yes, but soon she'll try to avoid the whip and develop other tricks. I don't know how much experience you have training horses, but maybe you should ask an experienced horse trainer.
Try to figure out why your foal is doing this. Is it because of fear or is she taking advantage of you? Once you've figured this out think about how you could help her/solve the problem.
Remember to always stay calm and don't get mad at your foal, take it easy and always be gentil. Have fun with your foal (wish I had one too!)
Good luck!
2007-03-10 04:48:11 · answer #3 · answered by sunshine 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
They often try it on at this age, just to see how much they can domineer you. If there were two foals they would be doing it to each other. Be very firm and forceful with her otherwise she will become boss and you will finish up s***t scared of her. The soda can with stones in it sounds a good idea. It works with dogs as well. Shake it just before she attacks and use a deep, loud voice saying 'No!', at the same time.
Good luck!
2007-03-11 07:32:40 · answer #4 · answered by ? 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Seeing as she is 9 months old, it is possible that she is playing with you. If she really wanted to hurt you she would.
On the same token, I would suggest looking into Parelli or Clinton Anderson training methods. They are very helpful for teaching you how to teach your horse how to respect you while building a bond of trust.
2007-03-10 05:10:09 · answer #5 · answered by Penny's from Heaven 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I've been around horses all my life it sounds like to me that the horse is spoiled and if you don't watch out she will hurt you . Not on purpose but just because she is playing.
2007-03-10 14:15:29 · answer #6 · answered by score2beat2004 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
my pony used to rear up on me all the time. once i got so annpyed so i cracked an egg over its head the next time it did it. never done it agen since.
i did that because it is supposed to make the horse feel like it is bleeding i will not do it agen....just a thought.
2007-03-11 10:24:21 · answer #7 · answered by sid 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Sounds like you are doing the rite thing with the whip. try a soda can with pennies and shake it to startle her.
2007-03-10 04:41:11 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
show it whos boss!
2007-03-10 05:26:42 · answer #9 · answered by xXx Catherine xXx 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋