Doesn't like grooming?

[Magic Marker Minis]

We had two two year olds a couple years ago. Both were not gelded. One acted like a gelding. Turned out with pregnant mares and ran from them when they came after him. The other one kept trying to breed them. Didn't matter that they were not interested. We still have one of them (the last one I mentioned) and you have to watch him during breeding season. He still is a work in progress. He gets amped up and becomes stupid. He is only 30" and weights less than 150 lbs.

 

[madmax]

Carly, I wrote the post about tying your horse for at least an hour while doing other chores in the area. I want to mention that this is not a one time thing.

You must do this everyday for a month if necessary to get him to understand you have control over him. Good luck with him.

When he rears have you tried giving him the 'boss mare' scream as you back him away?

 

[paintponylvr]

and please be careful "picking up stones". On a horse that is whole (stud, colt, stud colt etc) and ALREADY "full out rearing" at you as you've stated this is VERY DANGEROUS for you.

All it would take is one hoof hitting your neck wrong when he decides "game over" and it's permanent life changing (or ending) for you. The "full out rearing" and "following me" is DANGEROUS even with a mini and it's time for VERY TUFF LOVE. We already know you love your little guys and nothing wrong with that!! But "love" is also about training and teaching manners (ask your parents about that one,

) and appropriate behavior.

Something to consider for yourself would be strength/flexibility training (lifting weights/stretching), dance (just about any kind will work) and/or self defense training (ie: karate, ju-jitsu, tae kwan do - there are lots of different types!), even Pilates and yoga. What will these do? Well, they will help with your timing (while training), your hand/eye coordination and being able to shift/move in a hurry but quietly, calmly as needed. I saw a huge difference for me when I did the first and haven't really studied the dance or self-defense, but have done some. It improved my eyesight and coordinating physical movements to make me a more efficient AND calmer trainer! Also, improved my ability to move into/away from the horse.

So much more, but the others have covered it, so... just take care and be aware while working with him.

 

[always learning]

Gotta agree with Paintpony on the being careful " picking up stones". It's not a good idea with a young male with attitude. I remembered a 4-H teenager, who also showed in Jersey cattle open classes. She was practicing leading a yearling bull around the corral at home, when she spotted a piece of glass and bent over to pick it up. She knew better, but didn't stop to think, The bull took it as an opportunity to jump on her, fortunately, her Dad was leaning on the rail and got to her before more damage. She got a broken rib, but it could have been much worse.

 

[paintponylvr]

As to grooming, several ideas/hints -

1 - he looks really fine coated. AS a youngster up to maturity at 3-4 yrs of age, that type of coat knots up easy - with sand, dirt and sweat. Then, any kind of grooming is painful as the knots "pull" while being groomed. (Did they "pull" while clipping him?) Seems the horse that has this coat is also very sensitive to the pulling. Instead of a curry comb used in a circle, just short, "quick" strokes in a straight line. Same with a brush and yes, wash when/if you can. I really like the "scrubbies" - I've gotten them from the bath section of the Wal-Mart, Dollar General, Family Dollar (don't know what you have over there for in-expensive stores). Now I make a square from hay twine - crochet, knit or loom knitted. I will have to take pictures of mine... great use for ANY type of haystring! Or you can get the expensive ones meant for horses.





You can also make one from straw/hay - by twisting it into a "rope" then winding that rope into a flat mat that can be sewn into place or just twisted together and held in your hand... can't for the life of me remember what either the tool or the grooming technique is called - even though I grew up using it!! It used to be traditional in British barns and grooming. Older grooming books will still detail both the making of the "tool" and the application of it (besides like a curry comb - it is used to smack/hit the horse in light, short, swift strokes to encourage blood vessels to the top of the skin - bringing up warmth and oil, like a massage). This will also work to dry off a wet horse AND to help warm one that is wet/cold/hypothermic - stimulates blood cell work... There has been discussion of this in the past on this forum.

2 - tie him up short so that he can't turn his head to push at you.

3 - For the swinging of the hips into you while grooming, while you are working on training/manners. Drill a hole in a board on each end. Tie him near a corner of your fencing. Attach the board to the fence near his chest and haunches - somewhat pressing him into the corner. This makes an easy set of stocks - at his height. To groom his other side, you will need to take down the board, turn him around to the other side & re-attach the board. It will keep him off of you and prevent him from swinging out towards you, pinning you against the fence or kicking at you. IT IS A TOOL, not a training device! You remove it but haven't continued with his training, he'll be no different... Honestly a piece of pvc pipe or even just a rope, might work just as well.

Personally, I LOVE stocks and if you are going to be doing a lot with horses, you might want to consider purchasing a set or building a set. I've even seen the ones for mini horses that are built up off the ground (at a nice height for us humans working on them) w/ a ramp to get the horse up to/in the stocks and back down... Many different styles - just want safe and solid!

This is a full size horse, portable set. The short "top gate" was opened to allow a vet to palpate, ultra-sound and artificially inseminate mares OR to check for blockages causing colic and do fecal exams on unhandled horses. The reflectors are do to the fact that the vet hauled this set to many farms behind her SUV.



This is a wooden set that I built. For shorter ponies (Star is 13.1 hh), I moved that "chest bar" down under the side board to hook it up. We put a ramp behind this set up to allow our shetland stallions to live cover (breed) larger ponies and full size horses. Our 16 hh National Show Horse mare fit in this set of stocks, too!



and here is a post done here on LB in 2009 that includes pics of different ideas for stocks

http://www.miniaturehorsetalk.com/index.php?/topic/106450-photos-of-trimminggrooming-standsstocks/

 

[Rocklone Miniature Horses]

Walking and stopping is also part of the method I do but I don't pick things up. Bending over is very vulnerable position for you. but he should never rear up to you so that needs sorted immediately. He should not be able to rear if you are using enough pressure on his halter and pushin him back with your fingers poking into his chest. How big are you maybe your dad might need to step in here for a bit of muscle until he understand what it is you are wanting him to do. You do need to be very assertive in yourself tho. I can move a 17hh cob who is one on for bolshy behavior and his owner struggles with just my voice and body language now. They need put in place.

 

[chandab]

Paula, is it a Wisp? Or something like that?

 

[Marsha Cassada]

Wait, I found something that works.

The other day I watched some videos on ground manners. There was this little trick called "picking up stones" dont know if anyones heard it but its basically just leading him around and then you stop and pretend to pick up a stone. Then you start walking again, then stop again and repeat, it kind of teaches him patience to walk with you and stop and wait while you pick up 'stones'. I found this actually worked, it was a more peaceful way rather than using my whip and yelling at him to stay down and pulling on his lead.

I found that the picking up stones worked because I wanted my way and he wanted his. He didn't want to be yelled at and pushed around (when he reared up at me I pushed him away in defence) and I found that that way only made everything worse when we started the picking up stones he was a bit pushy and would bump into me or try rub his head on me and I did a quick pointing motion and told him no in a firm voice, and I just gave him a light push on the shoulder to tell him to move over a bit, all of these he responded to quite well.

I think he was curious on why I would stop and pick at the ground every now and then Because when I would bend down he would Lower his head and just look at me, it was cute, it felt good to have my Toby back for a while.

I know that I will have to do heaps more and that this little strategy won't fix everything but I see it as a start. When we finished I stood in front of him holding the lead rope and jumped around and waved my arms and he just stood there.

Hopefully soon we can improve more

Keep trying things! You will learn a lot from him.

My avatar horse is hard headed and resistant. I've had him 14 years and we've learned a lot from each other. I ended up getting a stud chain for him several years ago as he was so resistant. Now, about once a year we have to go for a walk with the stud chain on. Then he is good for a long time. He knows when I attach it, that he has overstepped his ornery bounds and becomes a lamb.

 

[paintponylvr]

Paula, is it a Wisp? Or something like that?

YAY!!! Then I googled it w/ images and guess what - you can see how it is made in drawn figures and in pictures!!!

Question on grooming

and here is what was posted on another area -

Here's how to make a hay wisp:

Arrange a line of hay on the floor, about 3 meters long, 30 cm wide and 30 cm deep. Wet it thoroughly by spraying it with a hose, let it soak a bit.

Press and roll it a bit on the floor like kneading dough out for finger cookies. This tangles it together so you can start twisting one end.

You will need a helper to twist the rope. You start in one end, twisting the hay into a rope about 2-3 cm thick. As you twist the first foot or so, you will need the helper to hold the twisted end and keep twisting it tight so you can work down the hay line. Actually you just lift the hay and press it a bit in your hands, it is the helper who does all the twisting.

Once the rope is twisted, take a length of fencing wire, some 2m long, and form two loops as shown in the picture. These loops can be from baling twine or the hay rope itself, but a stiff wire makes the job a lot easier.

While the helper maintains a tight twist, plait the hay rope in a zig-zag fashion around the wire loops as shown. Make it as tight as possible from the beginning.

When you reach the end of the hay rope, thread it through the two wire loops. Then tighten the loop in the bottom first by pulling one of the top loops. Then tighten the top loops by pulling the ends of the wire. Tie the ends together or twist them with a set of pliers and your wisp is ready.

Warning: I never said that the results of rubbing a horse with a wisp justify the effort of making one. You may not see a difference.

with this figure .

this one is kinda fun! A trip down memory lane

here's another one - and I'd completely forgotten about "stripping" the ears!! Time and help

**********

sorry got a little off your original topic w/ the grooming, but...

 

[chandab]

Making a wisp from sisal twine might be a bit easier than using hay/straw.

 

[AngC]

You don't mention whether you tried a metal or a rubber curry comb. Ours don't like the metal ones, and I think it's because of the sound. 'Course they don't like the rubber ones either.

Preferred grooming tools are human hands inside leather gloves, massaging. I have a nice collection of discarded horse brushes, labeled for horse use. But the ones our horses are most tolerate of are cleaning brushes bought at the supermarket (ie, non-horse ones and much cheaper) that have white nylon (or poly?) bristles.

I don't think I would teach a horse to rear. What if the horse topples over on its back? Maybe other people that know more can do that? The closest I've come to a horse rearing is when Baby tried to dance up on her hind legs at me the same as I had seen her doing to her dam when Baby was about a yearling. I think that's something horses do at that age. (???) I didn't want her doing that to me, so when she did (it was an off-halter encounter) I just grabbed her around the torso behind her front legs and hung on. She outweighs me, but I guess I was enough of an impediment that it discouraged her. After a couple seconds she was bored with that and hasn't tried it since.

 

[Marsha Cassada]

I was reviewing this post from several years ago. I am amazed and humbled by what I've learned about grooming horses in 5 years. This Forum has been fantastic.
One reason I think some horses don't like being brushed is static. I've tried spraying my brush with a grooming mist and that helps to keep down the static. A plastic grooming brush seems to generate less static than metal or fibers. I'm using the air compressor lately, as their fur is getting so long. Seems to feel good on them, as they stand quietly for the "grooming" session. (Midnight gets a little anxious around her head, so it's the plastic brush then)
Now cockleburs are around the pond. I try to keep them cleaned up, but Dapper Dan finds them. His forelock was so twizzled the other day it was actually uncomfortable for him!

 

[Maryann at MiniV]

Marsha, What do you do about the cockleburs? We have them too....... & call them "stickers". They get into the horses forelocks, manes, AND our cats' fur.
The only thing that seems to work for the horses (with a lot of patience, blood/sweat/tears on OUR part) is Non-Stick Cooking Spray and a comb! UGH.

 

[Marsha Cassada]

Marsha, What do you do about the cockleburs? We have them too....... & call them "stickers". They get into the horses forelocks, manes, AND our cats' fur.
The only thing that seems to work for the horses (with a lot of patience, blood/sweat/tears on OUR part) is Non-Stick Cooking Spray and a comb! UGH.

I have a grooming spray called Silvarado Shine. But W D40 works very well also. I've never tried the cooking spray. I think they are pretty painful for the animals when the prickles get close to the skin. When we got Midnight from the sale two years ago, her tail was matted with cockleburs all the way up to the tail head. Ouch! Poor kitties!

 

[chandab]

I won't use WD-40, it irritates my skin, so won't risk it irritating theirs.
Show sheen Detangling gel, Mane and Tail Detangler, Cowboy Magic Detangler and I like Healthy Hair Moisturizer. Lots of the detangler to lubricate the hair and burrs, and lots of time picking. These equine products don't have to be rinse out, and help keep more burrs for getting stuck. [Cooking oil, baby oil, cream rince, WD-40 would all need to be washed and rinsed out, especially the WD-40; and, a bath or even spot cleaning can be hard in the fall when temps are falling.]

 

[mrichmond]

Years ago I had 2 full-size horses that I field boarded. Cocklebur perms were a serious thing, often eliminating any possibility of riding when I had to spend hours picking them out. I had forgotten all about them until we moved here. We had a terrible time with cockleburs in our poodles’ hair before we had our property fenced. I never thought of using Cowboy Magic, but I’m sure that would be a huge help. With 6 dogs to groom this will be a huge help! Thanks!