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New Member
 
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Last Login: 7/3/2009 12:03:19 PM
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i was riding with some friends and took my horses. another person was riding my horse that tried to kick other horses. i've never taken him out for a ride with other horses, except for the one he lives with. he is a 3 year old gelding. at first when he seen the other horses he was acting like a stud. he would walk in front of the the other horses and try to kick them, and later he did it again and kicked a person in the shin. is there anyway to fix it or does it go away as they get older?
you're not a real rider unless you've fallen off once!
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Senior Member
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Last Login: 2/23/2009 3:07:07 PM
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| For a while, I would ride him in the back until this problem is resolved. If you cannot do that, warn the people behind you he kicks or flag him. As for the kicking, this MIGHT work. Carry a crop with you. If he starts too kick, swat him with that crop. Don't hit him like he's your baby, hit him like a 1000lbs. animal.
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Advanced Member
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Last Login: 3/5/2010 8:49:00 PM
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Bad behavior never just goes away as a horse gets older, unfortunately.
What you really need to do is take your young gelding back into the arena and do some training. He needs to have three cues totally programmed into him (conditioned response) before you take him out on trail again, with or without another horse. 1. the "Head down" cue 2. Disengagement of the hindquarters aka "hips over" cue and 3. a REALLY solid "go forward" cue.
The first conditioned response, "head down" is a cue you use when your horse gets nervous, antsy or aggressive. It allows you to flip the off switch on his emotions.
The second, "hips over" does two things. First, it puts you in control of the horse's ability to use his hind legs. He can't kick and take a side step with his haunches at the same time. And secondly, it puts you in control of his ability to move forward of his own volition. This is also the basis of getting a good, consistent and snappy "woah" response, and your "emergency break".
The third cue, "go forward" is just a refinement of your cue to make him go forward, or produce a change in gait/speed. Your horse should be consistently picking up a nice, forward walk, trot, and canter just off of a squeeze of your butt and thighs or even just a little bump of your heels before you ever introduce him into riding with other horses.
If you train all three of these cues (and if you want step-by-step instructions I'd be happy to provide them), then the next time you go out in company you have safe, effective recourse when he starts to act up. For example, if he goes to kick, you first get him energetically forward - make him trot two or three 30-foot circles, then stop him by moving his hips over. You may have to do that once or twice until he's standing still and giving you his full attention. Then ask him to put his head down to calm and relax him. Then continue on your ride. He'll need to do that several to a dozen or more times before he realizes that kicking just gets him a lot of work - PLUS you'll have a quieter, better trained youngster at the end of the ride. You'll want to let your friends know what you're doing before you head out, but after a few rides it should cease to be a problem. Just make sure you really train these maneuvers at home before you try to tackle them on trail.
"Quick fixes, by their nature, fix nothing; that's why they're repetitive."
-Dr. Laura
"It's better to ride even if you get thrown, then to wind up just wishing you had."
- Chris LeDoux
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New Member
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Last Login: 7/3/2009 12:03:19 PM
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i would love to have your step by step instructions. it would be very helpful to me. thanks
you're not a real rider unless you've fallen off once!
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Average Member
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Last Login: 3/3/2010 7:04:53 PM
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| I don't tolerate bad behavior from a horse who is pissy about their personal bubble, I'll let that be known now. Always warn other riders about your horse's predisposition to kicking, just to be safe. Otherwise, carry a crop and deliver a smack whenever the horse decides to act bratty. If you ignore this problem, you can end up with a horse who will be good for nothing - you won't be able to ride it in social situations, the show ring will be a nightmare for you, and no one will want to deal with your monster of a horse. A horse can pin its ears all they want and make nasty faces, but when it moves to kick or lash out at another horse, that is unacceptable. Period.
__________________________________________ "It is an interesting and demonstrable fact, that all children are atheists and were religion not inculcated into their minds, they would remain so." - Ernestine Rose "There can be but little liberty on earth while men worship a tyrant in heaven." - Robert Green Ingersoll 
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Starting Member
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Last Login: 8/14/2008 1:35:18 PM
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hey dont worry my horse did that all the time, i would stay in the back of the pack until he gets settled after a month or so my horse knew that he couldnt do that i dont know if it will work witha a 3 year old tho?
bye,
Sara   "In riding a horse we borrow freedom"
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