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Behavior....
simple and easy let me just ask....
What do you think is the reason why a horse is bullyish towards strangers?
What are your suggestions to do something about it?
Have you seen any good training videos or tools used to properly introduce a bully horse to new people...
Short background. My horse, Oliver, he is very docile with me..... and anyone he knows he's sweet... but new people, borderline kind of dangerous... it saddens me to have a horse that I love that I cannot trust with my friends or family and I would love some easy steps to start with as this problem has got to be resolved or Oliver will not ever be able to leave my yard without my trainer. I'm not sure if I trigger it or not... he is an orphaned horse, I raised him.. I just wonder what is going on with him... he is sweet/scary.....
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Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Jennifer Lamm on
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Permalink Reply by Barnmice Admin on
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Using this thread to test a new home page discussion feed. :)
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Permalink Reply by Shirley on
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We use Spalding Fly Predators also.
I saw a couple of BIG BOMBER HORSE FLIES the other day. One was sitting on Cash's bucking twisting back! No I wasn't on him. Those buggers are just sooooooooooo nasty!
Usually if I tell Cash "Whoa" he will try to stand still knowing I will save him but not this time. I need to keep something handy to swish them off of him. I prefer to smack them dead!!!!!
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This morning I got all fly stuff..... geez..... masks, which Oliver has destroyed 4 already...... and the catchers, spray, etc...... :)
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What kind of spray are u trying? Something you've used before with good results?
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I buy the ultrashield sheets.... and bronco or pirhanna..... whatever is on sale.. but the sheets are my favorite... and rinsing them off so they aren't all hot and sweaty and smelly... :)
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Permalink Reply by Shaiarabs on
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wish there was a like button Jennifer for the pictures they are great!!
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thanks Shai!!
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So here is a clicker training story for you that is really boring, so you should love it.... 2 actually.. firstly, I left a gate open which enabled my over curious gelding Oliver to find the bamboo patch that he dearly loves..... I however wanted to see if I could get him away from the bamboo in a non ballistic way. I do not like how he sticks his super large head into a small space to get it and it's dangerous and I don't like it... ...... I mean one option would be to chase him away from the bamboo and dominate him, or I can try my new clicker stuff and see how it works.... he's happily munching on long shoots of bamboo when I ask him to give me his attention..... the second he looks at me, and I am moving towards his hind end because that is how I catch him, nice and calmly, I clicked..... he kept looking at me.... then I asked him to turn around and follow me, through the gate, at liberty, which he did..... aw... what a nice boy.... to which I picked him some bamboo and then gave it to him... :) for him to pull away from a treat, not to be billigerant with me, to follow me and listen, I was super stoked...... and I never had to get aggressive...
later, my trainer came over and I told him we had practiced with a clicker while he was away..... at one point during a brief demonstration Oliver walked and looked away.... and I clicked.... Steve said, but then you lost the connection and I said, I know honey I asked him to walk away and to quit standing so close to us and to look away... .. so then he said cool!! and I get to practice with him tomorrow.. anyway, this is an obedient horse.... and I didn't have to lay a hand on him..... I really enjoy it..... and I have no rope or anything, all at liberty... and my trainer is on board.... and proud of me that I spent time with my horses during his time away..... other folks he said had their horses in their stalls for a whole 2 weeks but at least Oliver and I worked on our communication skills.. I really feel like riding him more now... I'm so excited to have a communication with him to where he is listening..... wow, it's really nice.... outside to practice.. it's Toby's day today..... I'll probably take him for a walk..... and I drive him and lunge him on line when we are outside too, but mostly we practice him being soft, supple and getting his exercise, having a good time, listening and doing all the online stuff I love to do with him... I'm feeling more like riding him too and he is billigerant... but I think we are getting along better than ever..... :)
oh another story with the clicker and Oliver is that when I halter him.... he bites the halter, shakes the halter, thinks he's hilarious and then sometimes even runs off with the rope which I personally do not want to deal with...... so new haltering 101.... Oliver bites the halter.... jennifer, the o so patient one waits for him to quit screwing around, he lets go, that second, click........ Oliver within five minutes no bitey the halter anymore...... yay!! 15 minutes no pulling away or being a jerko anymore, yay!! walking on a loose line following me and doing direction changes under control, that is next....... :) tomorrow is Olivers day...... my trainer rode him last night.....
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Permalink Reply by Jackie Cochran on
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Yeah, you are getting results!!!
So many people are content to be mere passengers on horseback, and when stuff inevitably goes wrong they often quit. You were not content to be a mere passenger, and you are now learning how to communicate and control a horse humanely. You will be a much better rider from your studies of working a horse from the ground.
I think the clicker training is putting on a final polish, training you the proper time for giving the horse signals and the proper time to release the signal (ie. immediately) and otherwise reward the horse. This is called equestrian tact.
Please remember to treat your body gently when you first ride. At our stage of life it takes longer for muscles to stretch or get strong or recover from overuse. When I started riding again I kept at the walk until my muscles got strong enough to go faster. I still got sore, but I did not injure any muscles.
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Oh Jackie, how well you read me... :) a passenger yes, with unruly friends that thought scaring me, yelling at my horse, asking me to kick and scream at Toby would teach me the equestrian skills that I so long craved for, NOT!! and out on trails no less with traffic..... one trainer told me to hold the reins like an icecream cone and have my horse follow up the butt of the one in front.. huh? lol... my plan for riding is sitting... and stretching.... and moving like a snail like usual.. and Oliver, he doesn't move quick anyway girl... he lumbers..... :) I don't think we would even be able to trot till we walk first anyway... but now, on the ground he trots for me now with the clicker.. before, he wouldn't even move his fat butt around for me at all.... :) Thanks for your encouragement and for reading about me and my horses... :) I look forward to doing yoga for equestrians on my horse and stretching out my legs, keeping my heels down until it becomes natural... like everything else with these guys, I hope it doesn't take force..... woohoo!!
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Wow, so behavior modification with bad habits is very very interesting... the power you have with a clicker is amazing though... so my horse, since he showed me that he loves bamboo gave me free stalks as good as carrots to continue with training.... now, remember, practice is not pretty.... have you guys ever seen a horse climb walls? Well, it's a little precarious looking and Oliver has done it for years to which I generally do the only thing I can think of.... leave... because he's being an ass......got him off the ledge..... got him away from the gate... and he did try and bite me which was discouraging when he didn't get his way so I shoved him away and left and he got sulky.. now as Chris Cox says he can soak up the smacking I gave him that Jon Lyons would have approved of..... we are in the middle of a revelating behavior change though and it is gonna happen..... the desired behavior is soft sweet eyes, ears forward, not pushy Oliver...... I'll keep you posted..... Toby and I got way off track... lol... we only scatched, hung out and ate bamboo which he seems quite happy with...
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