RE: [RC] You should (was: agressive kicker) - Diana Peterson
Are we still talking about horses ? civilized ?
> From: katswig@xxxxxxxxxxxxx > To: ridecamp@xxxxxxxxxxxxx > Subject: [RC] You should (was: agressive kicker) > Date: Mon, 24 Dec 2007 17:40:40 -0800 > > Sandy said: > > > Having another STALLION at a vet check be > > ALLOWED - and he WAS allowed by his idiot > > rider - to BITE MY HORSE IN THE BUTT, > > causing my guy to take a kick and slightly swipe > > the P & R person(the bad actor boy got pulled > > apparently later on) is not cause for me to punish > > MY horse. Frankly, the rider deserved the swift > > kick - and I will not punish my horse for defending > > his person against physical attack. > > With this I cannot agree. With my stallions (and other horses for that > matter), the rule is, "I don't care HOW provoked you were, you are NOT > allowed to take pot shots with your hooves." At least not at a vet > check at an endurance ride, or anytime the horse is being handled > anywhere. > > While it may be understandable that a horse with let fly with its hooves > when bit in the ass by another horse, I don't consider it excusable. It > is called being civilized. The definition of being civilized is to > refrain from retaliation even when provoked. > > So yes, my horses get corrected for kicking at horses that run up their > butt, slam into them, or even bite them. And until they learn it, I > don't consider them civilized and refrain from taking them out in, at > least unsuspecting, company. Or keep them well away from other horses > (i.e. ride at the back). > > However, since the way to train horses not to retaliate even when > provoked is to provoke them, somewhere along the line, you HAVE to take > them out in company so they can learn it. My favorite way of doing this > is to pony another horse off of them so they get used to having another > horse in close proximity, jostling them, harassing them, etc. But I > confess to also recruiting friends to play "provocateur." > > That way, I can hope to be ready for when I am in a group of strange > horses with my horse and know that the horse will behave impeccably no > matter how ill-mannered the rest of the company. > > So yes, you SHOULD correct your stallion (or any other horse) for taking > a pot shot at the P&R person just because s/he happened to be standing > in range when your horse got bit in the butt and let fly with his hooves > indescriminately (after all he MISSED the true offender). And actually, > one of the biggest reasons that horses should be corrected for taking > pot shots at other horses that harass them from behind is just > this....often, they miss with their retaliation and some innocent > by-stander is the one that gets nailed. > > When I am riding and/or handling my horse, it is MY responsiblity, and > mine alone, to keep it from being harassed from behind. My horse > doesn't get to take matters into his own hands no matter how badly he > thinks I may be falling down on the job of protecting him from such > harassment. > > kat > Orange County, Calif. > :) > > "If the end justifies the means, everybody is justified." John G. Beck, > PhD > > > > =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= > > 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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