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Member
Posts: 46
| How do you go about working with a horse that may have been abused or was severely reprimanded? |
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 I'm Cooler Offline
Posts: 6387
  
Location: Pacific Northwest | Same way I do any other horse. I have found that when people try “babying” abused horses they don’t seem to progress. And they always have the “well he was abused” excuse ready and waiting.
I treat all my horses the same way. If something scares them I try to desensitize them to it, whether that’s physical objects or being head shy because someone smacked them. If they spook at something I ignore it and keep working them.
Typically the less you react to them reacting, they eventually stop or they at least get better about it. |
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 Serious Snap Trapper
Posts: 4275
Location: In The Snow, AZ | I have one that was used a little rough. He’s very quick to react if he thinks he’s going to be “corrected”. I’ve found that the easiest way to deal with him is to ignore how he responds and go about what we’re doing. It has settled him down a lot by just not acknowledging when he gets worried. He didn’t even know how to be loved on, and he’s much more affectionate now. Still very stand-offish, but will allow me to rub on him. |
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 Veteran
Posts: 194
Location: Texas | Treat them like you would any other horse. If you stay consistent they will catch on that your not abusive. |
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 623
Location: /ARKANSAS | I bought a 2 year old filly from a kill pen, it was horrible. First I concentrated on getting her fed correctly. Then I let her be a horse and choose me on her own terms, just like other horses join up with you, they come to you. And...that is what I have been doing, I have learned she loves to be brushed, she is touchy with her feet, she has been halter broke. Don't be in a hurry.. she is a fun project. 
Edited by fastwrapn3 2018-03-15 12:27 PM
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Married to a Louie Lover
Posts: 3303
| We have one currently who was handled roughly for sure. He will set back and he can be flaunchy if you come at him too quickly. He’s a different horse under saddle, thankfully.
We’ve started tying him with a blocker tie ring, catching him regularly (instead of just opening his gate to the dry lot in the morning I catch him and lead him out), and just working calmly and methodically around him. He is quite reactive to our attitude - I’m better about this than my husband, his patience is a bit shorter than mine. My husband is also a bit bigger than me, and I wonder if that has something to do with it.
Any time he wants to move around from us we ask him to move, it’s our idea. After a few steps we go back to what we were doing. I think in 30 days time he’ll be a different horse. |
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 Miss Laundry Misshap
Posts: 5271
| Show them that you aren't going to hurt them.
We bought a mare that my mom was in love with. We had seen previous owners beat her out back of their trailer at shows.
She would try to attack you when you went in her stall as a defense. She was terrified of anything pencil sized or above, sticks, whips, flag poles, etc.
We have a super old barn with mangers. My mom would crawl in the manger when she was eating and pet her. She hated it! But if she wanted food, she'd tolerate it and she did. Wasn't long before she realized we weren't going to hurt her. The stick think took longer, but finally we were able to carry a flag on her. She wasn't afraid of the material, she was afraid of the pole! |
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Member
Posts: 46
| Rough is a good way of putting it. I dont have any proof he was abused but his responses to certain things make me think so. The vet also confirmed his tongue was almost severed in half from a bit. You cant ride him with spurs or he will buck until you're off. When under saddle if you get after him with the end of your reins he panics.
He isnt shy about approaching me in the pen. He will come right up to me and is very friendly. Sometimes too friendly to the point is running over me (not literally running). He has developed a habit of biting his lead rope when he is tied or he tries to bite now when being led. I havent had him quite a year but he didn't do this when I got him. Now that he has sat over the winter hes seems to have gotten a bit nasty.
I think some retraining is in the works this spring. To be honest Im a bit afraid to get on him. Last summer he never bucked or reared only bucked if you wore spurs. |
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Veteran
Posts: 194
Location: Texas | IN MY OPINION, if you are scared of him then get rid of him. He needs someone with confidence so neither of you get hurt. He will never get over it around timid people
edit to add: I'm not saying you are, just a suggestion if you are
Edited by AshleyJ2911 2018-03-15 2:09 PM
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I'm Cooler Offline
Posts: 6387
Location: Pacific Northwest | handerson - 2018-03-15 11:52 AM
Rough is a good way of putting it. I dont have any proof he was abused but his responses to certain things make me think so. The vet also confirmed his tongue was almost severed in half from a bit. You cant ride him with spurs or he will buck until you're off. When under saddle if you get after him with the end of your reins he panics.
He isnt shy about approaching me in the pen. He will come right up to me and is very friendly. Sometimes too friendly to the point is running over me (not literally running). He has developed a habit of biting his lead rope when he is tied or he tries to bite now when being led. I havent had him quite a year but he didn't do this when I got him. Now that he has sat over the winter hes seems to have gotten a bit nasty.
I think some retraining is in the works this spring. To be honest Im a bit afraid to get on him. Last summer he never bucked or reared only bucked if you wore spurs.
He actually sounds kind of spoiled to me. Like at some point he had someone’s number and maybe someone tried “cowboying” him to get him over it. They can be scared but still be jerks at the same time lol
I think he needs some wet saddle blankets and consistent work. Don’t let him get away with biting the lead rope just because certain things scare him. If he was in the field with another horse and he tried to bite the other horse the horse isn’t going to be like “I don’t want to scare you so okay”. Most likely the other horse will put him in his place.
You don’t have to beat him but if he bites at the lead rope I would swing it so the snap pops him under the jaw and then carry on my business. |
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Member
Posts: 46
| For the biting that is exactly what I have been doing. So thats reassuring. Right I do believe that may have happened he scared someone and he knew and took full advantage of that. His overall manners are different from when I got him. So I think its just going to take some relearning. thanks. |
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 911
Location: Northern Ontario | Same way you would any other horse, but with more patience and be firmer with them. They still need boundaries and I find them more inclined to turn bad when they see how nice you are....so be nice, but still firm |
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