Question
Jasper- saddled
Hi, im 17 years old.i have a 2 year old gelding, ive had him since he was 8 months old and have been handling him since. i got him gelded asap when i got him as he used to strike out and had bad habbits such as rearing and biting. all that settled down once he was gelded. i can now pick up his front feet, stretch them out easily, clean them play with them no problems. I can saddle him up using a light wintec, and use the girth as tight as i need. when hes saddled up, i can lay accross his back with my hole body weight accrross him and he juststands there and falls asleep.He accepts the bit, and the bride no problems, and releases it without any problems. Im working on picking up his back feet, SOMETIMES he will let me pick them up for a few seconds than he wont take anymore.hes also learing to lunge at the moment, some days hes excellent, others hes not very co operative. we have a great bond, he follows me everywhere and trusts me more than anyone else. He has recently moved to a new farm, where there is a problem pony in his paddock. she charges at people, bites, kicks etc. And until now my gelding had never really had any of these behavioural problems. i was wondering how i can fix his nipping habbit? i smack him on the shoulder and growl at him when he goes to do it but he doesnt seem to be learning.... ?
Also, i was going to ask, what age is normal to be broken in? hes about 14 hh now, hes a reg paint. but hes not very muscly.Hes quiet enough to be broken but i dont want to hurt his back or hurt him full stop if hes to young.
thanks
AnswerHi Alanna,
When you say "nipping", do you mean nipping at you?
If so, that is a big no-no. Nipping starts out very benign. The owner pets the muzzle and rubs it thinking the horse likes it. Which they do. Then they start to feed treats and the horse gets used to eating out of your hand. Then they think it's cute when the horse appears to kiss their hand or nibbles. This just keeps growing and growing until it becomes outright biting. So, the best thing to do is not begin the habit in the first place.
"Smacking" him does no good as you have found. It turns into a game for him.
I would stand and saddle him as usual. And appear to ignore the problem. Don't look at him. Just go about your business. If he goes to nip, raise your elbow up sharply and pop him in the nose with it. Then go on with what you're doing as if nothing happened. It will be like the horse ran into your elbow and you didn't hit him. This may take a few times of doing this but it works. The more attention you spend on the problem and make an issue of it, the worse and harder it is to fix. So be patient. The horse didn't learn this behavior overnight and it probably won't be fixed overnight.
As far as "breaking in" of horses, I personally look at not only their age, but also their bone structure and their mind. I will not ride a horse less than 2 years of age. The joints are not fully fused. Even at 2 years, if the horse doesn't look or feel as if it can handle the work, I hold off. I will start putting some weight on them by leaning on them or laying on their back. If the horse's bones are strong enough, then I will continue with the riding portion.
I would suggest you have a vet come out and check him out to see if he's ready to ride or find a qualified trainer to look at him if you're not sure.
I hope I have been of help to you. If you feel you need to discuss this further, you can email me:
blpdoc82652@yahoo.com
You can also read more about me on my website:
www.yazooequinetraining.com
Please stay safe.
bad stallion
QuestionQUESTION: Hi Im 15 years old and have a beautif
My horse has a bad habbit.
QuestionI bought a Walking horse about 2 weeks ago, he
Canter to walk
Question
Erica and Flicka
I have a 6 year old Swedish
Help before i get hurt again
Question
Cheeky
im typing with a broken left hand tonit
Cars
Question
May
I have a 7 year old mare, Ive owned
