Behvaior Problem

[Crossbuck Farms]

Whip across the ears. A trainer taught this to me and it works. It takes one crack, have done on several and they never reared again. It even saved the life of a slaughter bound pony who reared all the time til he was whip across the ears, now he is a happy child's pony and does not rear.

 

[Sunny]

I shared a method that I used successfully on my horse. Whether Ferrah or any of the rest of you care to try it, I don't care. With my horse, there were no flailing hooves or any other such thing. I stood at his right shoulder with his legs off to my right and hugged him around the neck. There was nothing painful or severe under his chin, there was no poking, there was no kicking or stepping on, there was no shouting, nothing. I did not "pick him up", but rather "caught" him when he was up on his hind legs already.

As for using this method on a 1000 pound horse, OF COURSE I WOULDN'T. Duh. The original question dealt with a miniature horse colt, not a Quarter Horse or Thoroughbred, or Belgian or any other breed of horse.

And for those of you who would want to cut out his nuts because he rears, how do you deal with a mare or filly that rears???

I agree that forward movement is a good way to stop him from rearing, but rearing shouldn't even be an option in the horse's mind.

 

[Marty]

OH PAA LEEEEEEEESEEEEEEEE People! We ARE talking about miniature horses here aren't we?

The law of gravity says that what goes up must come down so what is this about "pulling a rearing horse down?" Give me a break. He's coming down, trust me. I've seen them do it.

Most of you people here are over reacting. We are dealing with little horses, not terrorists or King Kong, Godzilla, or Mothra.

I have something to say here:

1. Go back to learn how to lead your horse correctly. Chances are that if you are in a proper leading position and have not given your horse too much rope, he can't rear on you in the first place. When you feel a rear coming on, jeepers, got no muscle in your right arm here or what?

2. Gotta agree with Rabbit and Leese and keep the forward motion going best you can before the fact.

I think Nick reared on me like once. When he first came here. I stepped aside and asked him if he was done yet. He said "yea, ok, I'm done"

And we went on our merry way. Sheesh! It's a horse!

 

[slaneyrose]

I agree that this is just colty behaviour and isnt dangerous in a mini, however, I was recently asked to help a friend with a youngster who would rear and box with his front feet which is no joke!! I use "horse language" whenever possible so did what the alpha mare would do if presented with this kind of behaviour....as soon as he started to rear I hit him in the shoulder......as the mare would have given a swift kick. He understood imediately.....end of problem. Are these minis on hard feed? Its so easy to give them more than they need or the wrong type and this can cause or exasperate these high spirited behaviours.

 

[Marty]

Sunny may be onto something. I never even thought of using her method and it may be an interesting thought.

I shared a method that I used successfully on my horse. Whether Ferrah or any of the rest of you care to try it, I don't care. With my horse, there were no flailing hooves or any other such thing. I stood at his right shoulder with his legs off to my right and hugged him around the neck.

 

[stormo41]

Sunny may be onto something. I never even thought of using her method and it may be an interesting thought.

I shared a method that I used successfully on my horse. Whether Ferrah or any of the rest of you care to try it, I don't care. With my horse, there were no flailing hooves or any other such thing. I stood at his right shoulder with his legs off to my right and hugged him around the neck.

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it does work very well. the point of it is that you do this while ignoring the horse. not only does it catch him/her off gaurd, if they are doing this for attention they wont get it, and they can't get back down till you let them. of course no one does with large horses, thats just silly! this method as i said before also works well with dogs that like to jump up on people. in both minis and dogs this method works very fast, they get the point very quickly. as far as danger goes, it's not dangerus to stand beside a horse and hug it. i also feel that milo's suggestion is to harsh on a horse of any size, a horse could spook from that or injure him/herself.

Ferrah it seems you have worked very hard with your horse. i admire how well trained you have him. most young horses are frisky, and colts are more prone to it. for you i suggest the method Sunny has described if YOU feel comfortable doing so.

as for everyone else. come on people. Ferrah asked a question, i'm sure not wanting to start a debate. you have the right to your opinion, so sate it once, not over and over again, and don't agrue with each other. it up to Ferrah to scan over our opinions and see what one is best for her.

 

[mizbeth]

Hi

Sounds like he is playing with you. He thinks you are one of his buddies. NOT GOOD by the way. You must correct this behavoir in him immediately as he will only get worse, or hit you in the face or head with one of his hooves.

I had one like that, but he was biting and striking at me too. It took a week or more of intensive hands on. He got out of it. I used a stud chain on him, tied him to a fence for several hours at a time and worked him in the round pen until he whoa'd, stop, trot on command, turned and faced me on command. In others words until he knew I was in charge.

Good luck, but gelding him with these manners does not always cure the problem! I thought my guy was cute when he first started doing it, until he clipped the side of my face/eye with his hoof. The comments - "oh bad boy" , or "don't do that ", "stop it" is not enough discipline in cases like this. It is easy to treat them like puppies/dogs in our responses to them, but them being so smart figure out this means, lets play horsey style!

Beth