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Question:
This is a
question that has been asked of me several times over the course of
the years and for some reason I have never addressed it in an
article. I hear pretty much the same thing across the country from
the west to the east coast. What I hear are two different things
but basically they refer to the same problem: My horse bit
me/kicked me for the first time. What caused that and what should I
do?
Answer:
My response is
always the same and it is never meant in a derogatory or sarcastic
way. The horse may have bit/kicked you before, you just didn’t
recognize it. What I mean is that any time you approach your horse,
you have an opportunity to “read” your horse. This situation
happens most frequently in a stall or a stall and paddock. As you
approach the stall, the horse’s ears may be back or there may be
some aggressive behavior like pawing. This may be because you
brought a treat and the horse is anxious and demanding. The horse
is getting a little cranky, telling mom to hurry up and feed me.
The demeanor of the horse is not pleasant. Sometimes we do not
recognize this behavior as a red flag; we pass it off thinking that
the horse just wants his treat or feeding.
What this
behavior does is become a pattern where the horse starts becoming
more aggressive. This behavior may have been going on for years or
maybe it only started a month ago. You approach the stall and the
ears go back. You don’t think anything about it, but just push your
way into the stall and halter your horse. But, the thought is as
good as the deed, and one day the horse actually bites or strikes
out. When you approach the stall and the horse exhibits a negative
attitude, that is how the horse is thinking about you. There is no
respect for you and the horse is not greeting you in a friendly
way. If you don’t deal with it, the aggression will increase.
I’ve learned
this the hard way over many years. I remember one time I went
through the same situation and didn’t recognize the signals. I
entered a stall and fortunately I had on a leather jacket because as
I turned my back to the horse, he bit me on the shoulder and
actually threw me across the stall. Since then, I have become more
aware of the body language of the horses I work with. The thought
is as good as the deed.
The other
situation that may occur is that as you approach the stall the hind
quarters are facing or as you approach the ears are back and the
horse turns around and presents the hind quarters. If you fail to
do anything and just go ahead and go into the stall, the horse will
get more protective of his stall and the aggression will increase
until the horses bites or kicks.
Kicking and
biting is a very natural way that horses deal with each other in the
herd environment. We are way too frail to allow this behavior but
the way to solve this problem is very simple. I’ve had a lot of
good comments from people who walk through my main barn. There are
25 horses and at any given time, even when the feeding cart is
coming through and they all know it is feeding time, they are not
exhibiting aggressive behavior. They are not lunging against the
stall doors, they are not pawing or kicking or showing any impatient
behavior.
When I have a
horse that exhibits negative behavior when I approach, I have a
halter with me and pitch it right at the stall. The idea is not to
hit the horse or hurt the horse but to startle it. In other words,
to distract its thoughts because remember, the thought is as good as
the deed. So, when you approach and the ears are back or the hind
quarters are turned to the door, throw a halter at the door and make
enough noise to distract the horse. The horse may jump or go to the
other end of the stall but you have distracted the thought. You
have to do this on a regular basis; you have to be consistent. So
every time you approach the stall and the horse exhibits negative
behavior you have to respond in a consistent manner.
The same is
true with the a horse who turns his hind quarters as you approach.
I take it further than distracting and teach the horses to face me
as I go into the stall. I have a hard time putting a halter on a
horse’s hind end. I always make sure they turn and face me and
present themselves in an orderly fashion. To get the horse to turn
and face you, bang the gate and if the horse does not turn, tap on
the hind quarters with a lunge stick just until the horse moves his
feet and turns.
This is what I
call stall manners. Some people think the stall belongs to the
horse and he can do anything he likes. I disagree with that. When
I walk into a stall, I want good behavior, positive behavior, I want
the horse thinking about me in a respectful way.
Remember, if
you get bitten or kicked for the first time, it really wasn’t the
first time. It started days, weeks, months or even years ago
because the thought is as good as the deed. Also, remember, it is
never, ever the horse’s fault.
Charles Wilhelm
It’s Never Ever the Horse’s Fault
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