Quote:
Originally Posted by yorn
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Usually he's a real sweet, laid back, very gentle horse. But here lately he's been acting differently. He's been nippy and has no respect for my personal space. I can tell he's not doing it for meanness; he's just testing my leadership abilities.
Being bored may be part of the problem, but a lot of horses (especially males) use the nipping and pushing to test you and see where they fall in the chain of command so to speak. I'm no expert, but I think this is a critical time to establish that you are the boss, otherwise things can get bad. Take me for example.
A while back my Dad was out of the country for a month, so he needed someone to ride and take care of his 17+ hand fresian. As the weeks went on he became more and more pushy, more and more bitey. Now, I am pretty savvy around horses, but for some reason I was not catching the signs that this boy was testing me and my mother and we were both letting him know that he was boss. Finally, one day while my mother was grooming him on the cross-ties he lashed out, grabbed my arm and tossed me.
When my Dad came home, he started ground training straight away--doing a lot of ring-work and yes, lunging him. It seems to have helped. But really, I think it's all about savvy and respect.
I've heard that Parelli's Seven Games can help you establish a good relationship with your horse, but I've never tried it myself.
Nip this in the bud quick--before your horse nips you!
