Linda, I was laughing to myself when I read your post. Here I've been saying how horses don't understand reward and punishment in my posts and you just described your mare practicing operant conditioning on you. What a hoot. Just goes to show there is always more to see and understand.
BTW, my gelding is very much like your mare, minus the nipping. I have to admit I find it hard to discipline for this activity, but I guess I have a set limit for it and over the years he has learned what that limit is and has learned to respect it. I have to pop him once in a while, but I would be alittle dissappointed if he didn't challenge me once in awhile;-) Some people like to be dominant 99% or 90% of the time. Me, I think 51% is just fine. Congrats on your new mare. Best of luck.
PS. We're neighbors, I'll be doing a training ride at Myles Standish this Sunday if you're interested. Jennifer.
Julie Suhr said:
>...I have a
>gelding who regardless of how many times I have turned around and slapped his
>face (a no-no for many of you, I am sure) for nudging me when my back is
>turned and pitching me forward into a gate or whatever else is in the way,
>continues the behavior although he is becoming a bit more wary. But he is
>certainly indicating disrespect and I have not established myself as dominant
>when I am on the ground although he seems to respect my wishes when I am in
>the saddle...
From this I'm thinking that my (relatively) new mare
is challenging my dominance. She's taken to nudging
me with her nose as I stand outside her stall screen.
I was interpreting it as a kind of cute "give me some
food," so, if she kept it up long enough I'd usually
relent and toss her a flake of hay.
This past week, it's progressed to something more.
She's now nuzzling my arm, and then making tiny
little doesn't-really-hurt pinch nips. I didn't
really know how to react to this. I'd turn to
face her and raise my arms in her face as I stepped
toward her and she'd back off the stall screen into
her stall and turn sideways to me--but she'd always
return to my side when I turned back around and
recommence nuzzling.
It feels kind of funny to be getting drafted
into "horse universe." My old gelding never tries
to engage in these head games with me.
I guess the flake-of-hay for nudging is going to
have to stop. But what do I do about the sneak
nips?
Linda B. Merims
Massachusetts, USA
