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Re: [RC] Kicking filly - Lysane CreeI'm no expert and you'll probably get a lot of answers on this BUT :) I got my filly when she was 8 months old and she already had a dominant personality. When she did not like something that I was doing she kicked. When I first got her, she would kick for brushing her belly or hind end. She has never been "mean", she just wants her way and when I got her she had almost no handling of any sort. The first thing was to do everything slooowly and break it into baby steps because even now at 18.5 months, if I go too quickly her reaction is to "fight", i.e. resist and threaten to do me damage. Also, quick, strong, immediate punishment is very important. I love my horse but there are certain things such as kicking, that are totally unacceptable (and would be unacceptable if she was in a herd situation, after all she has to understand that I am the boss horse, not her). I always tried to position myself in such a way that *I* would avoid injury should she connect with a kick. And if she does kick, one quick hard smack with my open hand on her rump or flanks is my solution. Lately she has decreased her "attitude" to from actual kicking to threatening to kick by raising her head, ears pinned and raising a hind leg. Or she swings her hind end towards me and try to shove me away. This also is unacceptable and results in punishment. No exceptions. She has shown me that she can behave with better manners and I demand those better manners. Recently she has been injured and I have been having to changes bandages twice a day and spend lots of time down by her hind legs :) She has only behaved badly when she anticipates pain. I understand that it hurts and it sucks for her that I have to be touching it every day, so I work with her as gently and slowly as possible and give her time to adjust to my touching her injured leg, to give her a chance (to behave). I stand close and I move down her leg slowly. If she raises a leg, I say a loud "no" and I keep my hand where it is until she puts it down. I find that even in this situation a kick or threatening to kick is unacceptable and deserves punishment, whether that is a loud "no" or a slap with the hand. She has alternatives responses available to her after all...she could shift her hind end away from you to try to "get away" from the hurt. There is no "need" for her to kick and she needs to learn that. JMHO. Lysane and Mae West Holliday ______________________________________________________________________ Post your free ad now! http://personals.yahoo.ca =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Ridecamp is a service of Endurance Net, http://www.endurance.net. Information, Policy, Disclaimer: http://www.endurance.net/Ridecamp Subscribe/Unsubscribe http://www.endurance.net/ridecamp/logon.asp Ride Long and Ride Safe!! =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
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