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Expert
Posts: 1343
  
Location: East Texas | I have a new horse (8 years old). Very sweet... most of the time, until he decides to just step on my toes, or tries to walk ahead of me while leading him, or just run into the back of me when I am leading and stop! I have been immediately making him back up and get out of my space when he does that, but its hard when I am not expecting it, and he just decides to put his foot down on top of mine! What do I do to correct this?
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 A Somebody to Everybody
Posts: 41354
Location: Under The Big Sky Of Texas | Get after him make him respect you, my last horse that I got 4 years ago was a bit like yours just no respect, he got swated a few times across his chest when he would bump into me and he thought he was leading me always trying to walk ahead of me so had to get after him a few times untill he learned I was the boss..Just every time he does a boo boo just get after him right then, your doing the right thing about backing him up when he trys to out walk you. and the steping on your foot, you need to watch where your putting your foot, watch where you step, I'm pretty sure hes not doing that because he wants to, lol.. |
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Expert
Posts: 1343
Location: East Texas | Southtxponygirl - 2017-05-22 10:57 AM
Get after him make him respect you, my last horse that I got 4 years ago was a bit like yours just no respect, he got swated a few times across his chest when he would bump into me and he thought he was leading me always trying to walk ahead of me so had to get after him a few times untill he learned I was the boss..Just every time he does a boo boo just get after him right then, your doing the right thing about backing him up when he trys to out walk you. and the steping on your foot, you need to watch where your putting your foot, watch where you step, I'm pretty sure hes not doing that because he wants to, lol..
Oh, I am sure it was all a mistake!! LOL |
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 725
| When you're leading him, stop suddenly and if he doesn't stop with you, stop him hard and make him back up fast, even slap the leadrope on his chest if you need to. Then walk another couple steps and stop again, never pull on the leadrope until you've given him a chance on his own to stop with you. Also if you are walking and he gets in your space, correct him again by stopping and backing. He'll soon learn to respect your space and watch and wait for you. I've done this with some really pushy horses and it usually takes a couple days to fix it if you are consistent. Also never let him walk in front of your shoulder, make sure you are leading him not vice versa. If he's not in your space he won't step on your feet. |
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  Ms. Marine
Posts: 4627
Location: Texas | I'm a firm believer in establishing a very strong respect from the very get go with a horse. Spend a lot of time doing ground work with him. Regardless of how he interacted with his previous owners he's not going to be the same with you. Horses will test you and see what their boundaries are, just like children. |
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Expert
Posts: 1694
Location: Willows, CA | Many years ago I was riding with Ray Hunt at a clinic when one of the riders asked Ray " what do you do if a horse bites you?" Rays answer was "bear the pain, and next time, don't let him bite you. A horse can't do anything without getting ready to do so. You need to be aware of what the horse is doing and redirect what you don't want or encourage what you do want". If you are going to stop while leading, be sure he is paying attention. If you are standing by him and he shifts his weight to be able to lift a foot close to you, be aware of that and redirect it. He will learn manners if you don't let him wallow around. |
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Expert
Posts: 1343
Location: East Texas | Thanks everyone for your answers! I think he was just allowed to get away with being very pushy and I am used to horses who were already taught manners before I got them. Great advise and I will work hard at getting his respect!
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 Expert
Posts: 2159
Location: NW. Florida | A rope halter with the knots on the noseband will help getting his attention. |
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 Texas Taco
Posts: 7499
Location: Bandera, TX | Yes! I had the same problem with my new mare. I carried a big cattle sorting stick whenever we walked somewhere. As soon as she got ahead, on top or elsewhere she wasn't supposed to be she got tapped on with the big stick. She is minding a lot better now. |
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 Expert
Posts: 3815
Location: The best kept secret in TX | My gelding came from an older gentleman who had bottle raised him inside his house. He then went to a trainer for his futurity career and eventually ended up at my house after the older gentleman no longer felt safe riding him on trails. This horse was the last baby of his favorite mare. His mom died during birth. She's buried on his place with a marble headstone. He now lays right beside her with the same headstone. His wife will eventually be beside him with the same headstone as both of them. He loved that mare... I think that's why this horse was so spoiled...
He would bite, kick, pin his ears, run me over, buck me off, step on me, lunge at me. Anything he could do to make my life miserable he did. I hated him when I first got him home.
I started in his stall. When I would enter his stall he would rush me for feed or treats (No, I don't give treats.) I eventually started coming in with empty buckets and pushing him out of my way. I would go straight for his feed bucket and turn around and leave when he rushed me. I would wait about 5 minutes and do it again. When he didn't rush me I put a bit of food in his pail. He eventually caught on. He now waits patently.
I then took him out of his stall and walked him with a stud chain. I wore a helmet in case he started to rear (Which he did often when he didn't get his way) and I made him behave while we were walking. I hand walked him up and down sideways, frontwards, and backwards of our 100 acres. I made him back up, I made him be at least an arm length away from my body and I let him rest when he got something down. I would make him trot and then stop when I stopped and back up when I backed up. Always keeping him at an arms length distance. (Think halter horse training 101 lol)
I nipped the biting in the butt by never giving treats and flicking him in the nose on the soft part when he tried to bite. Lots of long trotting and wet saddle blankets later he finally acts like a gentleman. He knows he can still be his quirky self but he's not allowed to be mean. (Or come inside the house lol.)
I still warn people at shows that he kicks/bites/rears just in case but he has yet to ever try while we are out in public. Always good to take precautions tho. 
Edited by IRunOnFaith 2017-05-22 2:09 PM
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 The Bling Princess
Posts: 3411
Location: North Dakota | horsesinharleton - 2017-05-22 10:39 AM I have a new horse (8 years old). Very sweet... most of the time, until he decides to just step on my toes, or tries to walk ahead of me while leading him, or just run into the back of me when I am leading and stop! I have been immediately making him back up and get out of my space when he does that, but its hard when I am not expecting it, and he just decides to put his foot down on top of mine! What do I do to correct this?
Move his feet on the ground! Foward, backward, left, right, disengage the hip, whatever the moment calls for, but do something to move his feet. They get a lot more respectful of you once you are in control of their feet. I've had pushy horses and I carried my handy stick everywhere. They try to run me over they meet the end of Mr. Stick and he isn't very nice. |
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Expert
Posts: 1343
Location: East Texas | IRunOnFaith - 2017-05-22 2:08 PM
My gelding came from an older gentleman who had bottle raised him inside his house. He then went to a trainer for his futurity career and eventually ended up at my house after the older gentleman no longer felt safe riding him on trails. This horse was the last baby of his favorite mare. His mom died during birth. She's buried on his place with a marble headstone. He now lays right beside her with the same headstone. His wife will eventually be beside him with the same headstone as both of them. He loved that mare... I think that's why this horse was so spoiled...
He would bite, kick, pin his ears, run me over, buck me off, step on me, lunge at me. Anything he could do to make my life miserable he did. I hated him when I first got him home.
I started in his stall. When I would enter his stall he would rush me for feed or treats (No, I don't give treats.) I eventually started coming in with empty buckets and pushing him out of my way. I would go straight for his feed bucket and turn around and leave when he rushed me. I would wait about 5 minutes and do it again. When he didn't rush me I put a bit of food in his pail. He eventually caught on. He now waits patently.
I then took him out of his stall and walked him with a stud chain. I wore a helmet in case he started to rear (Which he did often when he didn't get his way) and I made him behave while we were walking. I hand walked him up and down sideways, frontwards, and backwards of our 100 acres. I made him back up, I made him be at least an arm length away from my body and I let him rest when he got something down. I would make him trot and then stop when I stopped and back up when I backed up. Always keeping him at an arms length distance. (Think halter horse training 101 lol)
I nipped the biting in the butt by never giving treats and flicking him in the nose on the soft part when he tried to bite. Lots of long trotting and wet saddle blankets later he finally acts like a gentleman. He knows he can still be his quirky self but he's not allowed to be mean. (Or come inside the house lol.)
I still warn people at shows that he kicks/bites/rears just in case but he has yet to ever try while we are out in public. Always good to take precautions tho.
Ahhh... sweet, sad and happy ending kind of story! Thank you! |
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 Saint Stacey
| Kick him in the chest with the side of your foot. You walk along, they get too close, you stop and just raise your foot to the side and hit the chest. How hard depends on what it takes to get their attention. It just takes a few times usually. If you stop and back up, they need to back up too. If not you hit the chest as you back up with your foot. It's similar to how a mother reprimands a foal. Pretty soon the stay out of your personal space and watch where they are putting their feet. |
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 Money Eating Baggage Owner
Posts: 9586
Location: Phoenix | WYOTurn-n-Burn - 2017-05-22 2:05 PM horsesinharleton - 2017-05-22 10:39 AM I have a new horse (8 years old). Very sweet... most of the time, until he decides to just step on my toes, or tries to walk ahead of me while leading him, or just run into the back of me when I am leading and stop! I have been immediately making him back up and get out of my space when he does that, but its hard when I am not expecting it, and he just decides to put his foot down on top of mine! What do I do to correct this? Move his feet on the ground! Foward, backward, left, right, disengage the hip, whatever the moment calls for, but do something to move his feet. They get a lot more respectful of you once you are in control of their feet. I've had pushy horses and I carried my handy stick everywhere. They try to run me over they meet the end of Mr. Stick and he isn't very nice.
Yep! Watch some Clinton Anderson clips on YouTube. He makes it really easy to understand. |
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