Aggressive Horses

The following is an exerpt from a written conversation through Penzance e-mail list concerning aggressive horses. The original question addressed the actions of the horse handler when the horse bites or kicks. What should one do? Fight back? Run? Grab whatever object is closest and wail on the horse? Read this ...

-------------------------------

I think we need to assess the meaning of the bite or kick ... before we haul off and wail with fists, whips or other types of physical reactions. Some horses just need us to be intentively scary - others, however, need physical striking rebukes. It depends, again, on the intent of the aggressive behavior. A young horse that is mouthy/nippy is just being a horse and probably does not have an aggressive, out to harm the human, intent. I feel strongly that an aggressively physical striking reaction will do more to harm the relationship than is necessary for this intent behavior. Making yourself HUGE with HUGE scary motions, yells, shouts and predatory-type noises and behavior is enough to get the message across. HOWEVER - and this is something I should have written before - it is IMPERATIVE to let the horse know who is the leader! This means following the scary huge predatory actions on the human's behalf with some good, move 'im out roundpenning after the disciplinary action. Make that little bugger move those feet! It's through the FEET that we get to the mind; not merely acting like we're going to kill them. It's getting the horse to move where the HUMAN decides and WHEN the human decides is the key factor. Keep that horse moving as long as *you* want - take over the horse's territory and move it out ... don't let him stop when HE wants to stop - keep him moving until you "allow" him to stop. Make him change directions or prevent him from changing directions when he wants. When he begins to exhibit apologetic behavior (head lowering, eyes softening, perhaps a bit of licking and chewing) ask him back into you -- into the "herd". The moving the feet part is imperative because, also, in the wild, when a horse exhibits what is deemed unacceptable behavior, that horse is moved out of the herd - the worst case scenario for a horse. The horse that is expelling the other from the herd is not doing so with the intent to kill it. It is a disciplinary action. It is a "mental" behavior modification taking place.

Go To Page: 1 2 3

Articles in this Topic    Discussions in this Topic