tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5037107797013641705.post533797430373808940..comments2024-03-26T05:15:39.663-07:00Comments on Equestrian Ink: Burt, the Sometimes Bad HorseJami Davenporthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05259390150273030284noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5037107797013641705.post-43855820565345298792009-05-16T18:56:00.000-07:002009-05-16T18:56:00.000-07:00wow, really interesting as I have a friend with th...wow, really interesting as I have a friend with this issue. She's still not sure how she's going to cure it, if at all.Jami Davenporthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05259390150273030284noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5037107797013641705.post-34620444430998193862009-05-16T12:26:00.000-07:002009-05-16T12:26:00.000-07:00I thought about this and realised all the food agg...I thought about this and realised all the food aggressive horses I've had to deal with were either a) stabled or b) out at pasture and I guess maybe didn't get as hungry for hay as a horse in a pen would be. Normally if I had a horse out in the field to give hard feed to, I'd bring it in. So I can't say as what exactly I'd do, never having had quite this situation to deal with. <br />I did wonder if having space to zoom about in might have contributed - did he regularly forget to allow for your personal space when he got worked up on other occasions?<br /><br />I had a horse once that when het up was a total idiot when out in the open - he would flail around on the end of the lead rope, or if loose would fanny around like an idiot galloping back and forth, heedless to where any puny human was. However under saddle, or in a confined space he would just freeze. A helicopter went over us once when I was in his box with him, threading his stud holes (seriously not my idea of good timing) and all he did was quiver like a jelly in a gale force wind.FDhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01485030894416936129noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5037107797013641705.post-68948621196971979392009-05-12T07:51:00.000-07:002009-05-12T07:51:00.000-07:00littledog--You've got a good point. In the end, th...littledog--You've got a good point. In the end, that's what I did. But the problem was the not standing still. Burt continued to zoom around, and to the end of his life, if you didn't watch him, he was capable of zooming too close, kicking up his heels in exuberance, and coming dangerously close to hitting you. You could always drive him off--he wasn't truly agressive. But I never figured out how to get him to stand quietly.Laura Crumhttp://www.lauracrum.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5037107797013641705.post-84641261785206004642009-05-12T03:46:00.000-07:002009-05-12T03:46:00.000-07:00Pararaph 6: You set the hay down, then went after ...Pararaph 6: You set the hay down, then went after Burt with the whip until he kept his distance (though he kept running around), then fed him.<br />I might have kept the hay in my posession and fended him off with the whip until he kept his distance, not requiring him to stand still, just to respect me and my space with the hay ("It's MY hay until I choose to give it to you") then drop the hay and walk away without looking at him.<br />Of course, more complex if he's turned out with an unruly herd!<br />Still, what a minor issue with a good guy who was your partner for a long time.littledoghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15246918889252942468noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5037107797013641705.post-91952920550947412162009-05-11T10:41:00.000-07:002009-05-11T10:41:00.000-07:00I believe there are some habits, vices, etc. horse...I believe there are some habits, vices, etc. horses learn that simply become a part of their personality no matter how we may try to correct them. I'm not saying anyone should give up trying to correct dangerous actions, but sometimes they are what they are, character flaws, at least as I see it. <br /><br />As intellectual humans we have our own flaws. Our friends and loved ones may try to correct our flaws, we may try at times, but nothing works for very long if the habit/vice is ingrained. We'll go back to the same old habit because somewhere along the way, we found it worked for us on some level or maybe because it's just more comfortable.<br /><br />Horses, as well as people, will keep doing what seems to be working for them. In Burt's mind, when it came to feeding time, he kept doing what he thought was working for him. At least that's how I'm seeing it. Evidently, feed time was extremely important to Burt and he had learned somewhere in his early life that being aggressive was the way to ensure his belly got full which may have comforted him, at the least satisfied him.<br /><br />Definitely beneficial if you can catch the habit or vice early on before it becomes one of those character flaws.<br /><br />Sounds like Burt had a good long life, so, he got other things right along the way.<br />Leslie~Lesliehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00224646742863478548noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5037107797013641705.post-85514832864954836492009-05-11T10:21:00.000-07:002009-05-11T10:21:00.000-07:00mugwump and Heidi--I think I might have tried hard...mugwump and Heidi--I think I might have tried harder with the not feeding until the horse behaved routine now. I might have better timing--maybe. I know with Burt I partly failed because I didn't take it seriously. He annoyed and amused me more than he worried me. And I was young and always in a hurry to get something else done, as you say, Janet. I didn't have much patience in those days. I have a little more now, I think. But I don't have any horses with that exact issue, so don't know if I could do a better job with it.Laura Crumhttp://www.lauracrum.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5037107797013641705.post-8019042037663162322009-05-11T10:11:00.000-07:002009-05-11T10:11:00.000-07:00Champ wasn't mean about feeding but he was kind of...Champ wasn't mean about feeding but he was kind of obnoxious. <br /><br />My dad wasn't thinking any kind of horse whispering crap when he was in the barn. He was just thinking how much he hates rude horses. He'd stand there with his two flakes of hay, just out of reach. Champ would lean against the front of the stall, chewing and pinning his ears. Dad just stood there. Glaring back. I don't even think he bothered saying anything. As soon as that horse's ears came forward he dumped the hay in the trough. <br /><br />Farmer wisdom? I doubt that'd work on pigs. <br /><br />Now I ask them to step back before I give them the hay. They're not bad outside either; they hover but they don't get rude about it. I hope we're doing it right. <br /><br />You old boy sounds like a cool horse. Isn't it funny how we put up with some things, just because the rest of the horse is good?Heidi the Hickhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00639479864903922047noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5037107797013641705.post-24076224301910737192009-05-11T09:44:00.000-07:002009-05-11T09:44:00.000-07:00This is interesting, because, like you said, Bert ...This is interesting, because, like you said, Bert was more anxious than anything.<br />Another thing I have tried which has worked in the past is I would catch a troublesome horse, tie him, put his feed out and let him go once the horse was quiet. <br />Of course, there's also the fact you were young at the time. <br />I know I had problems as a young rider I wouldn't have now, because I read horses better and my timing with discipline is better than when I was a kid.<br />Annie was a good example. She was almost impossible to worm. She was the worst horse I had to vet in any way. <br />I know now how to train that stuff out of a horse. But it was a habit I had let become a vice, just because I didn't know how to handle it when I first got her, even though my technique was about the same, I just didn't have the timing I have now. <br />I guess there's really no way to tell though, since you're all grown up and Bert is gone.mugwumphttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00319060800328355056noreply@blogger.com