cvb
18th Mar 2007, 09:17 PM
Fi is being a pain. She bit my mother this week when she was being led up to the stable. A really nasty bite mid-back :(
Since then, various options have been tried to manage this better - none are ideal. She was shod today - which may help if she was sore and pain is/was a factor. (her toes were getting long, which will have put more stress on her tendons etc). (I've also just started her on a calming supplement - but it'll take a while to kick in. And hopefully it is only a few weeks til they can go out permanently for the summer).
Anyway, it looks like my old guy (35 this year !) has her sussed. While she was being shod, she was tied up outside his stable and proceeded to pull menacing faces at him - and in to HIS space. Rather than move back from the door (as Rosie might - Rosie is right next door to her all the time), Red seemed to take a moment to think, eyed up the situation, and then grabbed the loose tail (*) on her headcollar in his mouth. He held her there, with her head bernt to one side (lateral flexion !), for about 4 or 5 minutes. She appeared not to be able to move. When he let go, she stood back and gave him his space.
(* by which I mean the bit of webbing sticking out beyond the buckle)
He did again, a while later. Though this time there was nio provocation. It was almost as if he was proving a point - that he could still do it anytime he chose to.
It was at the same time both funny and an outstanding piece of mare management :)
Especially as the old guy has next to no teeth at the front, so will have been grabbing the headcollar with his gums.
He had her in pin-down, in a head lock. :cool:
He is sooooo cool :D
(There is research that says that this type of approach is valid for kids that are behaving badly - you hold them firmly til they calm down).
Since then, various options have been tried to manage this better - none are ideal. She was shod today - which may help if she was sore and pain is/was a factor. (her toes were getting long, which will have put more stress on her tendons etc). (I've also just started her on a calming supplement - but it'll take a while to kick in. And hopefully it is only a few weeks til they can go out permanently for the summer).
Anyway, it looks like my old guy (35 this year !) has her sussed. While she was being shod, she was tied up outside his stable and proceeded to pull menacing faces at him - and in to HIS space. Rather than move back from the door (as Rosie might - Rosie is right next door to her all the time), Red seemed to take a moment to think, eyed up the situation, and then grabbed the loose tail (*) on her headcollar in his mouth. He held her there, with her head bernt to one side (lateral flexion !), for about 4 or 5 minutes. She appeared not to be able to move. When he let go, she stood back and gave him his space.
(* by which I mean the bit of webbing sticking out beyond the buckle)
He did again, a while later. Though this time there was nio provocation. It was almost as if he was proving a point - that he could still do it anytime he chose to.
It was at the same time both funny and an outstanding piece of mare management :)
Especially as the old guy has next to no teeth at the front, so will have been grabbing the headcollar with his gums.
He had her in pin-down, in a head lock. :cool:
He is sooooo cool :D
(There is research that says that this type of approach is valid for kids that are behaving badly - you hold them firmly til they calm down).