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Location: Never in one place long | I am working with a 2yr Thoroughbred and he is super friendly, very athletic and willing but he is SUPER reactive.... he often strikes out with his front feet and has even tried kicking out with his back feet getting close to kicking me..... for example, I pulled his fly mask off yesterday and the sound spooked him so he threw his front leg up at me, then when I lunged him he got spunky and kicked up and then struck out with his front feet when I asked him to changed directions....... it's been a while since I've broke out a horse and furthermore haven't ever had one that acted this bad..... Any tips to get him to STOP this behavior????? I do get after him but it's hard to get close when he's acting this way.
He ties wonderfully, loads, saddles, bridles, I've sat on him etc, great for farrier... how do I break this dangerous habit? I think he was SPOILED up until I got him, his ground manners were bad, he was pushy etc but since he stopped that completly. |
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 Expert
Posts: 1857
| his striking at you is a sign of disrespect to you! Start from the bottom with him. No loving on him, no pampering him, nothing... when you walk in his pen or wherever he is, he isn't allowed near you unless asked, feeding time push him away and don't let him eat until your away from it(chase him away) Once he starts standing back and paying attention to you then start inviting him into your space. If he acts a fool push him back away, aggressively! When he strikes at you in the round pen I would get after him and make him move his feet, with a purpose, until he thinks he is dying. Changing directions all the time. You don't have to get real close to him, get you a buggy whip that way you can reach out and get him on the butt without being real close to him. He comes at you, id pop him on the chest, nose, whatever you can reach out and pop. He's going to hurt you if you don't get it under control now. He's only going to get bigger and smarter. there is a fine line to walk and you cant get too aggressive with him because then he's going to fear you, you want him to respect you and your personal space. Let off with good behavior, get after him when he starts getting aggressive towards you. Once you get the respect established and he knows that you have a personal space and if he respects yours you'll respect his, you can then start desensitizing him and teaching him to think first instead of react first. |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 490
| watch Clinton Anderson videos on gaining respect on the ground. He needs to be taught that striking, rearing, kicking etc are no no's. I had 1 like that and we had several come to Jesus meetings. He is now VERY respectful of me. No more striking, running over me, turning his hip to me. |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 489
| I had one like that 2 years ago. He was not mean - not a fiber in his body. But if something scared him, he was reacting and going somewhere fast. He was big and stout. Broke halters when tied and when he went, you couldn't hold him.
I have 2 telephone poles set outside my round pen, across from each other. About 15 foot up, a cable runs from one to the other -going across the round pen. I have an adjustable rope (attached to the cable) hanging down in the middle of the pen. When I put one on that - it will hold them. I like using this, because they stay tied no matter what, and I can get away from the storm if I have to.
I attached a approximatly 10 foot or so piece of webbing from an old style lawn chair (the kind that the material wove in and out to form the back and seat) to the end of a stiff buggy whip. A roll of stiff ribbon might work too. So glad that my round pen has solid walls -nobody saw me dance, and twirl and act the fool around the outside edges -swinging this ribbon thing. Eventually I worked my way closer to the colt and let the material start touchng him - standing way back out of the strike zone. He faught. He kicked. He struck. I just kept at it. When you start, you know you have to finish. Finally he took it, and I flicked and wrapped this stuff all over his body. The next day we started all over again. Eventaully he understood I wasn't trying to kill him and he came around. I've flagged and bagged him. Anything I could do to accustom him to stuff. I like using the "riibbon" first - because I can stay back out of the strike zone and it wraps around them. Once a colt is not fighting dangerously, I can get in closer and move it all over their body.
This colt came around. He is still reactive - its his nature - but he knows that I'm not going to do something to hurt him, and he is easy to handle. I also had a friend help me lay him down. Very slow and quiet. No fight. That also helped him to be more accepting of the things he couldn't change. |
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  Friendly horse swapper
Posts: 4122
Location: Buffalo, TX | Be very careful, I had a 3 yr. old exactly like that about 8 years ago....one day he pawed me on my arm as I reached up to halter him....it happened so quick that I never saw it coming....I thought he broke my arm, it swelled immediately and turned black the next day...then about a week later, I was turning him out in the pasture and he whirled and kicked at me faster than I could believe...I felt his hoof graze my hair...yes, it was that close...scared the Sh__ out of me....I sold him with full disclosure and was relieved when he was gone.....I love horses and I want to save them all (lol), but there are too many nice horses out there to risk getting seriously hurt by one like this, especially if kids are around him.... |
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Expert
Posts: 1432
Location: Never in one place long | Cindy Hamilton - 2014-06-24 2:18 PM
Be very careful, I had a 3 yr. old exactly like that about 8 years ago....one day he pawed me on my arm as I reached up to halter him....it happened so quick that I never saw it coming....I thought he broke my arm, it swelled immediately and turned black the next day...then about a week later, I was turning him out in the pasture and he whirled and kicked at me faster than I could believe...I felt his hoof graze my hair...yes, it was that close...scared the Sh__ out of me....I sold him with full disclosure and was relieved when he was gone.....I love horses and I want to save them all (lol), but there are too many nice horses out there to risk getting seriously hurt by one like this, especially if kids are around him....
YIKES! and this is what I'm afraid of! he's SO darn quick, like he just does not think. I am goign to try all these suggestions... I've just never had a horse so QUICK to react. He doesn't try to be mean but he is dangerous when he acts that way for sure. :( I'm hoping I can get some of that out of him with consistency and training. def have to be on the gaurd with this one though. |
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 Warmblood with Wings
Posts: 27846
Location: Florida.. | or strike your stomach. And get internal injuries |
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 Veteran
Posts: 223
Location: Idaho | He would be getting laid down at our house. He needs to learn to give complety and accept your control. The transformation in some is amazing after a time or two and this horse sounds like a prime candidate. |
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Tried and True
Posts: 21185
Location: Where I am happiest | We have 2 that are VERY reactive. Or should I say "were". Now, they are quiet ad easy. We have done everything very quietly and carefully and not done anything in a way to scare them. We have done everything quietly, easily, and methodically, and now they have full trust and know we will do nothing to hurt them. For instance your fly mask yesterday.........why be in a hurry to take it off so you scare him? Just slow down, and ease down and he will settle down. |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 512
| Jethro - 2014-06-24 4:02 PM
He would be getting laid down at our house. He needs to learn to give complety and accept your control. The transformation in some is amazing after a time or two and this horse sounds like a prime candidate.
Can you explain this some more? How you go about doing it? Thanks! |
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 Certified Snake Wrangler
Posts: 1672
Location: North MS | Warwick Schiller groundwork- he has youtube videos plus a subscription service for about $20 a month. Covers everything to completely restart a disrepectful horse.
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Expert
Posts: 3300
| velcro can do that sac him out every day work the heck out of him every day
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Expert
Posts: 1432
Location: Never in one place long | Jethro - 2014-06-24 4:02 PM
He would be getting laid down at our house. He needs to learn to give complety and accept your control. The transformation in some is amazing after a time or two and this horse sounds like a prime candidate.
How do you do this? videos??? |
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