How To Handle A Difficult Horse Who Keeps Rushing Backwards Or Forwards
This is a good way for a horse to get out of things such as having their teeth done by a dentist etc. Once a horse learns to do this it can become a reoccurring problem.
A common way to stop a horse going backwards is to back them up to a fence or wall etc. I don’t like either of these ways as I’ve seen a horse rear up and go over a fence and also a horse rear up and cut their eye on a shed roof. And please, please don’t ever back a horse up to a fence with stakes. Unfortunately I’ve also seen the repercussions of a horse being impaled on a stake and it’s a very sad thing.
I use a whip and an open space. I’ve got an old lunge whip that’s lost it’s tassel part and it works very well as it’s nice and long to reach the horse’s thigh. A dressage whip would also work well or twist the tassel part of a lunge whip around the base so it doesn’t fly around.
This is one of the rare occasions that I’ll use a little force with a whip. Basically every time the horse attempts to go backwards I’ll smack them on the bum/thigh with the whip. If the horse keeps trying I’ll increase the smack. It is very important not to keep smacking the horse as they’re travelling backwards as not to upset them further and to give them time to digest the information of backwards = a sting. One good smack on the bum at a time, wait for the horse to stop and if they attempt it again, smack again. Before too long the horse will figure out that it’s their backwards movement that’s causing the sting on their thigh/bum and they’ll soon learn that going backwards isn’t such a good idea and should stop attempting it.
Getting a smack on the bum can very quickly make a horse change direction and go forwards so please keep to the side of the shoulder of the horse. This can also work on horses that lunge/rush forwards. Smacking them on the chest with a whip can soon stop them in their tracks. A crop is good for this as it’s much shorter.
I learnt to do this with horses as it was my horse that reared up against the shed. A dentist was trying to do her teeth and she kept going backwards at a hundred miles per hour! So he put her in a yard against a shed wall. She reared sky high and cut her eye brow only an inch from her eye and it was that day I decided there had to be another way, a safer way to get horses to stand still. So I came up with this way and it’s always worked. I also used to handle a horse that would barge through a gate the moment you tried to open it and he soon learnt that barging meant a sting on his chest and he soon gave up and walked through like a gentleman.
I have issues with telling people to smack their horses with a whip. I am talking about one swift smack only when necessary not belting them ok. Horses are living and feeling creatures and should be treated with great respect.
Thanks for reading,
Elizabeth
