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> Susan (or anyone who vets at rides),
> He 
> kicks out and I have my crop with me just in case so I smack him in the 
> chest and back him up.  What is too much reprimand so that I would then 
> be possibly scrutinized for being abusive to my horse?  I REALLY wanted 
> to reprimand my guy at the Carolina ride but I was sincerely worried of 
> what others would say or think if all of a sudden I'm yelling and 
> backing my horse.
>
> Kathy SE
I won't comment on what training methods might be most effective, there are
lots of others on this and other forums who are better qualified than I on
that aspect---only that I think you can reprimand a horse probably more
effectively with your voice and body language than any crop (I personally
think that you can cue or mildly remind a well-trained horse with a crop,
and you can efficiently offend people of susceptible mentality around you
for carrying a "whip", but it's darned difficult to promptly and
sufficiently reprimand an animal that size with anything that little. A
shovel is probably more effective, but awkward to carry.)   My guys all know
I have a "certain" voice and I-am-a-predator-and-don't-you-forget-it body
language that means business and that death is imminent if they push the
issue.  That way, I never have to always be carrying a crop, which I'm more
likely to drop or forget, utilize to dislocate a thumb or accidentally use
to smack a nearby innocent child in the face.  Plus, no one can accuse you
of beating your horse unfairly if you're not carrying anything.  

If I'm ever somewhere where I care what people around me are thinking whilst
I'm disciplining a horse/dog/husband <g> in public, I guess I'd still use
The Voice of Doom on the horse, but the words would very loudly explain to
everyone in earshot/time zone what I'm causing such a ruckus over, ie,
"DON'T YOU EVER EVEN THINK YOU CAN KICK AT ANOTHER HORSE IN LINE AND DON'T
YOU THINK FOR A MINUTE THAT I'D HESITATE TO TURN YOU INTO FURNITURE IF YOU
EVER DO IT AGAIN, ESPECIALLY AFTER I'VE SCHOOLED YOU TWICE A DAY AND TAUGHT
YOU BETTER MANNERS VIA DILIGENT ATTENDANCE AT EVERY PARELLI SEMINAR ON GOD'S
GREEN EARTH FOR WHICH I HAVE PROOF OF ATTENDANCE AVAILABLE IN MY TRAILER!!!"
You get the idea---specific words don't matter to the horse, but are a handy
opportunity to loudly broadcast your circumstances in excruciating detail to
everyone watching.

If and until your horse is utterly trustworthy, and until you also can trust
the biting horse standing/crowding beside you in line, don't be ashamed of
standing way off to one side, or getting pretty pushy about not letting
other horses get within the same zip code.  Worst case, you'll get the
reputation as being the crazy paranoid lady standing off to the side staring
suspiciously at the other horses.  Fine.  It'll give everyone else something
to happily gossip over as you complete your vet check unbitten/unkicked and
ride off on the next loop.  Better alternative than being thought of as
friendly, cozy and efficiently packed in line, but unfortunately now pulled
for post-kicking lameness and/or bite wounds.

Just keep telling yourself if you really cared THAT much what everyone else
was thinking, you'd be riding in a show ring somewhere, not out in the woods
in spandex with a bunch of other certifiable loonies. :-)

Susan Garlinghouse, DVM


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