Ground manners

[Sonsie]

Bossy Ponies
OK Horsey ladies, you have a ferocious reputation for savaging people but I'll take a chance and ask for a little guidance. I bought two larger minis for my kids to grow up with. They are sweet and have no bite, kick, or aggression in them. They were used as birthday ponies and don't bat an eye at kiddy screams, dogs, or chaos. They are really lovely ponies and we enjoy their puppy-like curiosity and friendliness very much.

My problem is in how they were raised, they have no ground manners at all. They were raised as pets, the lady loved and pampered them. I like the cute doggie aspects too but the bad manners are getting on my nerves. I go out with two buckets of feed and get mobbed; they tread on my toes, go after the buckets, and snap and kick at each other. They will try to drag you along when you lead them, unless under saddle oddly enough, and they about frisk me for food every time I open the gate. If I want peace I have to catch and confine them in their stalls before I get the feed. This is ridiculous; I need to get a handle on these chow hounds fast**.

I've owned horses many years back but these were never problems I encountered. I need some respect for my person, even though I can bounce them back and can muscle them when necessary I need a long term fix. Can anyone recommend a book or website for teaching ground manners to spoiled ponies?

**They have acres of green grass, they are not deprived of food.

 

[lbreder]

Bossy Ponies
OK Horsey ladies, you have a ferocious reputation for savaging people but I'll take a chance and ask for a little guidance. I bought two larger minis for my kids to grow up with. They are sweet and have no bite, kick, or aggression in them. They were used as birthday ponies and don't bat an eye at kiddy screams, dogs, or chaos. They are really lovely ponies and we enjoy their puppy-like curiosity and friendliness very much.

My problem is in how they were raised, they have no ground manners at all. They were raised as pets, the lady loved and pampered them. I like the cute doggie aspects too but the bad manners are getting on my nerves. I go out with two buckets of feed and get mobbed; they tread on my toes, go after the buckets, and snap and kick at each other. They will try to drag you along when you lead them, unless under saddle oddly enough, and they about frisk me for food every time I open the gate. If I want peace I have to catch and confine them in their stalls before I get the feed. This is ridiculous; I need to get a handle on these chow hounds fast**.

I've owned horses many years back but these were never problems I encountered. I need some respect for my person, even though I can bounce them back and can muscle them when necessary I need a long term fix. Can anyone recommend a book or website for teaching ground manners to spoiled ponies?

**They have acres of green grass, they are not deprived of food.

You could always call Super Nanny....Im kidding!!!

 

[Phyxius]

Basically you just have to retrain them. Do not, do not, do not give them any treats, snacks, or meals by hand. You can use a chain lead to help with the "dragging you around". Or even a rope halter. I'm a big supporter of the "natural horsemanship" BS many people spout but your horse should respect you regardless of it's size. There are many natural horsemanship techniciques that truly can help you regain or establish the respect on the ground.

Check it out.

 

[DQ2B]

John Lyons, Pat Parrelli, Dan Sumeral (Sp?), Mark Rashid...just to name a few people that have published books, tapes etc. on natural horsemanship.

More importantly though, I doubt these ponies need any grain type feed at all. I've rarely seen one that does, in fact, it could be dangerous to feed them grain. Those little ones can founder pretty easily even from pasture alone. That should solve at least a portion of your problem.

 

[poster]

Bossy Ponies
OK Horsey ladies, you have a ferocious reputation for savaging people but I'll take a chance and ask for a little guidance. I bought two larger minis for my kids to grow up with. They are sweet and have no bite, kick, or aggression in them. They were used as birthday ponies and don't bat an eye at kiddy screams, dogs, or chaos. They are really lovely ponies and we enjoy their puppy-like curiosity and friendliness very much.

My problem is in how they were raised, they have no ground manners at all. They were raised as pets, the lady loved and pampered them. I like the cute doggie aspects too but the bad manners are getting on my nerves. I go out with two buckets of feed and get mobbed; they tread on my toes, go after the buckets, and snap and kick at each other. They will try to drag you along when you lead them, unless under saddle oddly enough, and they about frisk me for food every time I open the gate. If I want peace I have to catch and confine them in their stalls before I get the feed. This is ridiculous; I need to get a handle on these chow hounds fast**.

I've owned horses many years back but these were never problems I encountered. I need some respect for my person, even though I can bounce them back and can muscle them when necessary I need a long term fix. Can anyone recommend a book or website for teaching ground manners to spoiled ponies?

**They have acres of green grass, they are not deprived of food.

Have you tried this on every occasion that they "crowd" you? I would think that if you're pretty firm and consistant they'll stop. Use a chain over the nose. Don't carry treats, they've learned to look for them.

I bought a large mini for my daughter that was like this and he learned not to crowd because I nearly knocked him down one day. Didn't have a problem after. Funny thing was he didn't do this to my daughter only me.

As for the way they interact with each other I don't know that you can do much about that. They've got to work out their own pecking order.

 

[happyappygirl]

John Lyons, Pat Parrelli, Dan Sumeral (Sp?), Mark Rashid...just to name a few people that have published books, tapes etc. on natural horsemanship.

More importantly though, I doubt these ponies need any grain type feed at all. I've rarely seen one that does, in fact, it could be dangerous to feed them grain. Those little ones can founder pretty easily even from pasture alone. That should solve at least a portion of your problem.

Clinton Anderson. He's well spoken, doesn't get repetitive, and you can understand clearly what he is trying to do. His DVDs are awesome, he shows you everything, no matter what, good, bad and ugly. We have them ALL.

 

[Pasofever]

Bossy Ponies
OK Horsey ladies, you have a ferocious reputation for savaging people but I'll take a chance and ask for a little guidance. I bought two larger minis for my kids to grow up with. They are sweet and have no bite, kick, or aggression in them. They were used as birthday ponies and don't bat an eye at kiddy screams, dogs, or chaos. They are really lovely ponies and we enjoy their puppy-like curiosity and friendliness very much.

My problem is in how they were raised, they have no ground manners at all. They were raised as pets, the lady loved and pampered them. I like the cute doggie aspects too but the bad manners are getting on my nerves. I go out with two buckets of feed and get mobbed; they tread on my toes, go after the buckets, and snap and kick at each other. They will try to drag you along when you lead them, unless under saddle oddly enough, and they about frisk me for food every time I open the gate. If I want peace I have to catch and confine them in their stalls before I get the feed. This is ridiculous; I need to get a handle on these chow hounds fast**.

I've owned horses many years back but these were never problems I encountered. I need some respect for my person, even though I can bounce them back and can muscle them when necessary I need a long term fix. Can anyone recommend a book or website for teaching ground manners to spoiled ponies?

**They have acres of green grass, they are not deprived of food.

1. carry a whip..keep them away from you until you let them near you..

2. put a chain on them and snatch them around some...(Hire Devine J she is good with horses like this)

3. No more treats...hand fed

 

[happyappygirl]

1. carry a whip..keep them away from you until you let them near you..

2. put a chain on them and snatch them around some...(Hire Devine J she is good with horses like this)

3. No more treats...hand fed

those short dressage whips Elam sells are real good for those smart quick whacks. I have to use one when i put a horse back into the field. The others mob the one coming back. SNAP right on the snoot. Not on my dime! I break way too easy and take too long to heal now a days. if i'm broken, nobody gets fed.

 

[Pasofever]

those short dressage whips Elam sells are real good for those smart quick whacks. I have to use one when i put a horse back into the field. The others mob the one coming back. SNAP right on the snoot. Not on my dime! I break way too easy and take too long to heal now a days. if i'm broken, nobody gets fed.

Always have a whip longer then the leg of the horse you plan to tag

 

[SouthernMdRocks]

Bossy Ponies
OK Horsey ladies, you have a ferocious reputation for savaging people but I'll take a chance and ask for a little guidance. I bought two larger minis for my kids to grow up with. They are sweet and have no bite, kick, or aggression in them. They were used as birthday ponies and don't bat an eye at kiddy screams, dogs, or chaos. They are really lovely ponies and we enjoy their puppy-like curiosity and friendliness very much.

My problem is in how they were raised, they have no ground manners at all. They were raised as pets, the lady loved and pampered them. I like the cute doggie aspects too but the bad manners are getting on my nerves. I go out with two buckets of feed and get mobbed; they tread on my toes, go after the buckets, and snap and kick at each other. They will try to drag you along when you lead them, unless under saddle oddly enough, and they about frisk me for food every time I open the gate. If I want peace I have to catch and confine them in their stalls before I get the feed. This is ridiculous; I need to get a handle on these chow hounds fast**.

I've owned horses many years back but these were never problems I encountered. I need some respect for my person, even though I can bounce them back and can muscle them when necessary I need a long term fix. Can anyone recommend a book or website for teaching ground manners to spoiled ponies?

**They have acres of green grass, they are not deprived of food.

I say tackle them until they submit,,,,, learned it from WWF...LOL

Clinton Anderson!

 

[Wait4It..boom]

1. carry a whip..keep them away from you until you let them near you..

2. put a chain on them and snatch them around some...(Hire Devine J she is good with horses like this)

3. No more treats...hand fed

I agree with Pasofever. When I walk into a field with larger, more bullish horses I carry a longing whip out to the field (I carry the length of whip that gives me the circumference of space I expect until I invite the horse into my own space). When they are pushing towards me they get a warning verbal "back" and if they don't listen, the whip 'taps' the air gently in their direction (towards their head), once again taps the air harder, and then WHACK if they haven't listened to me previously ask, insist, then tell.
I love Clinton Anderson myself. I think his techniques are easy to understand and they've all worked well for me.

It's not uncommon to have a horse that lacks manners in one or the other area - good on the ground but poor saddle manners and vice versa. In my opinion, you've got the best situation since they have good manners under saddle, especially since you're using these ponies for your kids. Also, you should think about doing some other ground manner exercises (both on and off a lead) so that when you walk into the fence, you've got their attention and it's being reinforced.

 

[happyappygirl]

I .....then WHACK if they haven't listened to me previously ask, insist, then tell.

You know WHY you do this?

Cause you CAN
They shouldn't be close enough to you that you can tag 'em unless you invite them into your space.

The whips Elam carries are about 4', with a round thing on the end of the handle, and REEEAL thin at the tip. SNAP. Yowza.
this method works on wayward hubbies too....Ask RC how that feels

 

[SouthernMdRocks]

You know WHY you do this?

Cause you CAN
They shouldn't be close enough to you that you can tag 'em unless you invite them into your space.

The whips Elam carries are about 4', with a round thing on the end of the handle, and REEEAL thin at the tip. SNAP. Yowza.
this method works on wayward hubbies too....Ask RC how that feels

Glad to see all is well after that nasty storm last night.. took me forever to get home.

 

[Cowgirl]

Just remember with those natural horsemen guys....you don't need to buy expensive "miracle products" to get your horse to behave.

 

[Robin]

Just remember with those natural horsemen guys....you don't need to buy expensive "miracle products" to get your horse to behave.

 

[Wait4It..boom]

Usually after once or twice getting whacked, most of the horses back up when I either tell them back or tap the air once. Especially at feed time, that whip is crucial because some of the horses lose their little monkey minds when you're trying to walk into the field.

 

[Sonsie]

John Lyons, Pat Parrelli, Dan Sumeral (Sp?), Mark Rashid...just to name a few people that have published books, tapes etc. on natural horsemanship.

More importantly though, I doubt these ponies need any grain type feed at all. I've rarely seen one that does, in fact, it could be dangerous to feed them grain. Those little ones can founder pretty easily even from pasture alone. That should solve at least a portion of your problem.

The previous owner was giving them about 1 1/2 quarts of 16% sweet feed twice a day! I cut the feed in half and kept them confined a lot during the first few weeks with all the grass, I was paranoid about them foundering since they had been kept in a barren lot with no grazing. I talked with the vet when he came out to give shots, he said to step it back gradually and they didn't need the 16% mix. I'm waiting to see if they are pregnant, she had them in with her mini paint stud for a few months and she said he had been getting busy. Babies would be cute but I'm hoping they didn't catch, there are enough minis looking for a home without adding to that number.

Thanks for all the suggestions ladies! I've been looking online and found a bunch of books. I also found a channel on our cable down here that also has a lot of horsetraining shows and videos, I saw a Parelli one this morning. I need to get more firm, I must admit their high cute factor made me tolerate crap from them but it's got to end. Looks like I need to get some more gear, especially that nose chain. I was leading the younger paint back to the pasture after a bath and she was so frisky and full of herself she actually reared up a few times even with me holding the halter! Not acceptable. It's time to cowboy up and get serious with these pushy ponies.

 

[fredsaid2]

The previous owner was giving them about 1 1/2 quarts of 16% sweet feed twice a day! I cut the feed in half and kept them confined a lot during the first few weeks with all the grass, I was paranoid about them foundering since they had been kept in a barren lot with no grazing. I talked with the vet when he came out to give shots, he said to step it back gradually and they didn't need the 16% mix.

Yowzer! That is a lot of grain! I have a small, probably one step up from a mini. He gets zilch grain and is still a fatty. He is getting a grazing muzzle. If you have a lot of grass you can do this w/ yours and not worry so much over them being out.

 

[Robin]

The previous owner was giving them about 1 1/2 quarts of 16% sweet feed twice a day! I cut the feed in half and kept them confined a lot during the first few weeks with all the grass, I was paranoid about them foundering since they had been kept in a barren lot with no grazing. I talked with the vet when he came out to give shots, he said to step it back gradually and they didn't need the 16% mix. I'm waiting to see if they are pregnant, she had them in with her mini paint stud for a few months and she said he had been getting busy. Babies would be cute but I'm hoping they didn't catch, there are enough minis looking for a home without adding to that number.

Thanks for all the suggestions ladies! I've been looking online and found a bunch of books. I also found a channel on our cable down here that also has a lot of horsetraining shows and videos, I saw a Parelli one this morning. I need to get more firm, I must admit their high cute factor made me tolerate crap from them but it's got to end. Looks like I need to get some more gear, especially that nose chain. I was leading the younger paint back to the pasture after a bath and she was so frisky and full of herself she actually reared up a few times even with me holding the halter! Not acceptable. It's time to cowboy up and get serious with these pushy ponies.

Minis survive on very little.
What should I feed my miniature horse? The basics of feeding a miniature horse.

 

[Sonsie]

Yowzer! That is a lot of grain! I have a small, probably one step up from a mini. He gets zilch grain and is still a fatty. He is getting a grazing muzzle. If you have a lot of grass you can do this w/ yours and not worry so much over them being out.

Both mine are currently a healthy weight, I asked the vet because I was concerned about all the grazing available now to them. I'll have to keep a good eye on them in the future though.

Minis survive on very little.
What should I feed my miniature horse? The basics of feeding a miniature horse.

The writer of that article dosen't live all that far from me! Unless the ponies are indeed preggo I do plan on cutting back their feed even more. I have no desire to do weight reduction program on a lead line pony. Maybe I should try to find a trainer to teach them to pull a cart.... hmmmm... that sounds fun! Even if I look goofy it would be a hoot and then I could drive the kids around too.