Head butting

D

dcp

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Mar 31, 2005
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Hi, Can you give me some advice on how to deal with head butting? My horse has started to do it more than usual. After lunging him last night I stood at his head and clapped him and he almost winded me when he head butted. I'm not sure if I was just in his personal space. It seems either that or he doesn't like me much! I know he's not a really affectionate horse but I wouldn't say he's alwys grumpy. Thanks :)
 
Most horses try and headbutt after a ride, not sure why, I don't think it's anything mallicious just a bit of playfulness and bad manners. If you aren't happy with it you need to make that clear to him. Perhaps grab the reins or head collar and hold him firmly and tell him no untill he stops.
Grady headbutts when he's hungry I was really worried about it but now I just ignore him when he does it, I just turn away from him untill he stops.
I think it's mainly bad manners, he'll learn if you're consistant.
 
I'm not sure but I think they do it for attention....like a dog would do. (but witha bigger head it hurts..lol)
I think the easiest way to deal with it is to stand to the side & give his head a rub & not in front.
My boy launched the yard cat from a fence by doing it once..!!

F~F xxx

Horses are Us©​
 
Attention probably. He was inhis stable when I arrived last night and he stood there whilst I was chatting swinging his head around and then started to scrape and bang I can't stand that. Thanks
 
I'm not sure, but I think our horses do the same think. But they don't really headbut... they just take their heads and rub against our legs... A lot of people say that letting do that is a bad idea, and that they are showing that they are in charge, and dominating you, but that's not true with our horses... :)
 
It's just extremely bad manners and needs to be nipped in the bud before it develops further. It can get to the stage where thay literally knock you over, and then it becomes barging and nipping.

You need to be strict with it and make it clear it is totally unaccaptable. :mad:

When he goes to head-butt, move your elbow out so he smacks his head off it. If he really whacks himself, it serves him right. ;) Never make it look like you hit him, but make sure he gets a good crack. Then turn on him and chase him out for you personal space. Make yourself big and fierce and make him back off at least a step. He then doesn't get to come back in until you've said.

Don't hit him or flap your hand - it either makes them head shy or it becomes a game - 'how fast can I head-butt then get out the way before she smacks me'. Just force him out of your personal space - big, agressive body langague, stamping feet, possibly swinging a leadrope. No physical contact should be nessasary. He MUST take a step back and away from you. ye how moves their feet first looses. ;) Make sure it's instantanious - the second he smakes his own nose, round on him and push him away.

He'll very quickly learn that's it's not on. I persoanally think itching and headbutting is the worse bad-manners. The horse would get themselves a kick in the teeth if they did it to another horses and continued even after they were warned.
 
Hmm... some of the lesson horses scratch themselves against us.. Should i stop letting him do this to me? He won't push hard or anything, but will rub his head against our pant pockets or anything that will create friction to catch the itch.

Is there a difference between headbutting and scratching?
 
In terms of manners, there's not much difference. Either way, the horse just sees you as a nice, if animate, scratching post. They wouldn't DREAM of scratching or headbutting a higher ranking horse, but don't think twice about scratching on you. That should tell you something about your position on their 'herd' ;)

Headbutting is usually attention seeking or 'get out of my way' action. Scratching is just thats - 'ooo, nice portable tree that follows me around. Very convinient :rolleyes: '

I never let ANY horse itch on me, and some have been quite affronted when they discoved they weren't allowed to. They quickly re-thought their herd postion and respect ;)

However, I don't a have a problem with a horse asking for a scratch. Brodie was the worlds worst scratching head-butter - his owner had let him away with it and then it became a serious problem (turned into nipping, barging and kicking) until she was terrified of him. When I took him on loan it was the first thing I sorted out. He really got a hard knock (seemingly self-inflicted from his point of veiw ;) :rolleyes: ) on the face and chased away a few times but quickly learn. Now, when he want's his face scratched, he asks. He comes and stands close (but not right in my face) and tilts his head to show the part he wants itched. :D If i'm not paying attention he'll, very gentley, touch me with his muzzle and re-present the itchy part. However, with everyone, he just barges in and rubs :rolleyes:
 
After a ride my gelding has a routine. He scratches his muzzle on his right foreleg's knee and boot and smears green slime all over it, then scratches his head on anything close enough to stand still. Fences, walls, halters, cats, jumps, people, cars etc. He gets very firmly told not to do it on me, but occasionally for a treat I'll put on a grooming mitt and let him scratch his itchy temples and muzzle on it. He then scratches again on the nearest available (usually the post he's tied to) when I take his bridle off. I've seen him flatten his face against the leanto wall and rub it up and down to get at the itchy spots. He also 'forgets' about once a week and has to be reminded that I'm not a convenient scratching post.

He's the worlds worst headbutter too. I was uselessly trying to get him to stop when I got him and he'd ignore it until one day he headbutted a 4 month pregnant woman in the stomach and she slugged him so hard he walked dizzy for a couple minutes. He treated her with the utmost respect after that one.

Now if I give him a look or say his name with that 'you'd better not even think about it mister' tone of voice, he'll freeze in place with a 'who me? I would NEVER' look and stop. Good thing too, those curb chain hooks hurt! Unfortunately though, he remembers who doesn't correct him properly and who does and when told to stop will then beeline to the next available. If none are available, he downright pouts.

Though he forgot again last ride and tried to headbutt my mother. He 'conveniently' cracked himself against her cast and decided that the fence was a better idea.

How did you teach your horse to present the itchy spots? That's so cute. I gotta try it :) Might save the problem of him remember each person who corrected him for what and when, sorting through them in his mind and going to find them.
 
How did you teach your horse to present the itchy spots?
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I didn't - he's a bright bunny and very expressive and worked it out for himself :D However, he's learnt very quickly to position my hand where he wants it. ;)

I offer to itch him (usually a light scratch between the eyes) then keep my hand position. He moves his head so my hands on the itch point then bobs it up and down a bit. I'm then expected to do the actually itching :rolleyes: If he want it harder, he bobs more, or will back off it it's too hard. When he's had enough of that area he moves his head to a different one.

After being ridden he was ALWAYS itching round his lips. He would stretch his neck out and touch me with the flat of his face, with the bit rings. I was expected to take his bridle off and itch it for him :rolleyes:
 
Pink's lady said:
They wouldn't DREAM of scratching or headbutting a higher ranking horse, but don't think twice about scratching on you. That should tell you something about your position on their 'herd' ;)
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I totally agree with your replies, but the above made me laugh. I have a very lovely, but extremely cheeky 8 month old foal who thinks nothing of walking up to her father and using him as a scratching post. She see's the gelding off his dinner, and will barge her way past any of the herd. She seems to get away with it all the time.Maybe it's the cute factor.
 
Whether it's bad manners, lack of respect, or just a need for a good scratch or loving attention, the horse is not seeing you(general you here) as an alpha.
A sturdy person may not mind it but what happens if a wispy or little person gets it? Like the cat: the little one will go flying!

Let the horse know that there's a time & place for this and on your terms. When my horses try to head rub, I say no & back away but as soon as I can (I'm not rushing here though), I get the grooming tools out: my handy dandy grooming mitt (or which ever the horse prefers) and start rubbing the head between the eyes.

They usually get the hint pretty fast and start reciprocating.

LMS
 
I have a very lovely, but extremely cheeky 8 month old foal who thinks nothing of walking up to her father and using him as a scratching post. She see's the gelding off his dinner, and will barge her way past any of the herd. She seems to get away with it all the time.Maybe it's the cute factor
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Awwww. :D But just wait till she tries it in a new, non-family herd. ;) They might put up with her at the mo cos she's Cute and Fluffy (awwwww, again :D ), but she'll get her little foal butt booted into next week if she tried that with my horses :rolleyes:
 
Alpi used to be terrible for headbutting, he used to nearly wind me every time I tacked him up :eek: Every oppurtunity he got he would shake his head and headbutt and rub you, it was a an arrogance thing with him I think, he did it when he didn't want to be somewhere so he would try and 'shove' you to make his point. I just pushed his head away firmly when he did it and he didn't get any rubs, he picked up pretty quickly that it was a pointless thing to do but he still does it if he's stressed or upset about something, the best thing is just to ignore him and he gives up.

He's another one that will show you his itchy bits and ask nicely :D He comes over in the field and either tilts his neck or swings his bum round for a scratch :rolleyes:
 
Bobby!!

Hey! i have a 14.1hh grey gelding and he head butts me all the time and the girl i got him from has had him 4 about5or6 years and he has all ways done it :) so don't worry. it might just be a habit!! :p TRIGGER!! :D
 
trigger said:
Hey! i have a 14.1hh grey gelding and he head butts me all the time and the girl i got him from has had him 4 about5 or 6 years and he has all ways done it :) so don't worry. it might just be a habit!!
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Yep, but it's an easily broken habit, and a very bad mannered one that they shouldn't be allowed to get away with ;)
 
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