Dealing with a pushy horse

From Mugwump
http://mugwumpchronicles.blogspot.com/2008/08/staying-safeon-ground.html

First off. I never pet a stud below the eyes.I will rub his ears, I will pet his neck. I'm big on scratching a horse on the withers. I only touch a stud below his eyes when I need to handle his head, bit him, halter him, etc.Studs bite to play, bite to initiate sex, and bite to fight. I am not interested in participating in any of those activities.I make it clear to a stud that I'm not going to handle his face unless I need it for a specific purpose. Therefore he can keep his big goobery face away from me, always.It saves a lot of stress on the stud if I keep it that simple.This works on all mouthy horses, by the way.Second. I never hand feed treats. Ever.Watch a herd of horses. The only horse that walks away and gives up his feed is the one that everybody can beat up.A horse will sometimes choose to leave it's feed. Usually to go take someone elses. Then another horse can go and eat the food that was left.Sometimes they will share. That's so sweet. I don't share.In my mind, feeding cookies is like saying, "Here I am, come take my food! I'm just a wimp you can push around, really, just shove you're big old head at me and grab that carrot."The most dangerous horses I've ever worked are the ones that looked at people as nothing but animated bags of feed.I also understand that you can teach them to be nice about treats. It just seems like a lot of extra work to me, work that could be applied to something constructive.Third I have an invisible circle around me. It's called personal space. My horses can't cross it. Ever.I can break it if I choose.That means they can't rub on me. C'mon people, how disrespectful do you want them to be. We are not trees!With studs, that circle is pretty big.Fourth. I will touch them all over, whenever I feel like it. I mean everywhere. My horses are not allowed to have personal space. That may seem contradictory to my second step. But I handle their faces when I need to. Which leads into my next rule.KISS. Keep it simple stupid.Especially for studs, but it helps all horses.Studs are essentially 13 year old boys trapped in an 1100 lb. body. They are horny, hungry, horny, tired, horny, confused, and horny. They are easier to freak out than mares and geldings, they are way more insecure. They are quicker to anger.So take it easy on them. Don't muddy the waters.Fobby started out as a nippy, playful, pushy little brat. Not too bad, but lots of spastic jumping around, and some border line aggresive nipping.The first day I had Bruce declare his personal space. It took a crop, and a lot of horrified screaming and rearing from Fobby to get the point across.I had Bruce teach him to back away and stand politely in the corner of his pen until Bruce approached him to put on his halter.Fobby could leave, and run to his pasture any time he wanted. It's important to give a horse plenty of room to get away from you when you're whacking him on the chest with a crop. I would have Bruce wait until he came back, and we'd start again. Fobby always came back, because he really wanted to play. It took about twenty minutes to get him to stand without shoving or nipping.Then I had Bruce show me how he led him.Fobby would charge and buck and roar around like a wild burro. He would rear and strike and buck. None of this was aggressive. He just figured being led was playtime.Bruce was hanging on his head, with a stud chain wrapped around his nose. It was ugly.The first thing we did was reiterate the personal space. I had Bruce crack him back pretty aggressively, until Fobby didn't think he was at summer camp any more.When Bruce had his attention, I let them both air up.Bruce is really good at letting go of any anger, and started back with a clean slate. Which is vital.Fobby would stand, but pretty soon his attention would wander, and he would start looking around. I simply had Bruce pull his head back to him, every time."You'll do this for the rest of his life. Let him look, and then bring his attention back to you within two or three seconds. Always let him look. As time goes on you'll feel his attention leave you, give him a little twitch of a rein, and he'll come back. (Good example of learning feel) For now, you'll do whatever it takes to refocus him, and then let him go."Then we tried leading again."Leading is about you, the horse's feet, and where you want them to be. Not the lead rope." I said. "His feet need to go where you want them, because you said so, not because you've got a stud chain and a death grip."So I had Bruce let out a bunch of slack, and walk off with authority.Of course Fobby took off past him, blowing and squirreling around.When Fobby hit the end of the slack, I had Bruce set his heels, and flop him around like a fish. He still had his chain in place, so it was pretty effective. Then Fobby got jerked around again.As soon as Fobby was looking at Bruce in absolute horror, I had him walk off again. This time Fobby dug in and refused to go. So I helped him change his mind with a pop of my lead rope.He charged past Bruce, and they went at it again.I need to make two points here. First, I would prefer to not be doing this with a stud chain. But that is what both Fobby and Bruce are used to. Bruce had to feel safe enough to work the horse, and the only authority Fobby recognised was the chain. Eventually, we will shift to a rope halter, and then, a standard leather halter. But not until it's safe for both of them.Second, I have a little exercise for you. You need to do this with a friend. Take a lead rope. Each of you grab on with about a foot of rope between you. Now brace your feet and tell your friend to move you. You will get about jerked off your feet when they go to pulling. Now play out 6 feet or so of lead rope. Brace yourself, and tell your friend to try to pull you off balance. They won't be able to do it.That's why I keep my lead rope loose.When Fobby follows Bruce like he should, he can hold the rope wherever he wants.I will let a horse walk about where they want, as long as I can see them out of the corner of my eye, they don't cross a line past my shoulder, and they don't pull on me, the tiniest little bit.You have to react hard and strong if they break any of those rules. Leave it up to them to find out where you want them, and stay there. As time goes on, you'll be able to feel them shifting, and correct them with a twitch of the rope. (another way of developing feel)Once Fobby was getting the idea, I had Bruce start changing direction, stopping and starting, whatever he could come up with.