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mazey
Gold Member
England
501 Posts |
 Posted - 14 Jan 2006 : 1:07:06 PM
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I was wondering if Keren meant Marthe Kiley WOrthington too. I went to an open day at her place a few years ago and she worked her arab stallion in harness rotovating the field and then put tack on him and did clasical dressage. Her animals all lived together arab norses, lamas in a very natural environment. She and her partner came lst and 2nd in the arab marathon a couple of years ago on their home bred horses- that is some feat I think. Her book is The Behaviour of Horses in relation to their management and training - a scholarly textbook rather than an ABC of training methods but very informative.
Keren I'm glad you put that thread about ears back being non aggressive. My 7month old foal had been doing that to me when I go into the stable - I was getting quite upset about how to deal with him, thinking he was intending to bite/attack. Then it struck me that he did that to his mum before getting his head under her belly so now I put my palm out for him and he licks frantically and tries to suckle. It is so easy to misread horse language - I.ve only had one other foal so am a novice around youngsters and totally paranoid about getting it wrong. |
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Deboniks
Platinum Member
England
3776 Posts |
Posted - 14 Jan 2006 : 4:33:09 PM
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I agree. It is possible to read the body language wrong if you do so from a 'human'point of veiw. That is why I'm interested to get it right. The more I understand the better my relationship with my horse and other horses. I'm pleased Keren pointed out other examples of ears back.I've never had a foal so I didn't know about that.Horses do things for a reason instinct being the main one. It's best to remember anyone can publish any sort of article on the net voicing their own oppinions.Some are brilliant and others....?? require more research.
It's good it explained some things and caused thoughts on others. No matter how long you study,behaviour,nutrition,riding etc you are always learning. Don't be annoyed at learning something you've always done is not quite the right way........
When you\re green,you're growing
When you're ripe,you'r rotten!
I have learnt HEAPS from this forum  |
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Edited by - Deboniks on 14 Jan 2006 6:36:12 PM |
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max
Silver Member
England
376 Posts |
Posted - 14 Jan 2006 : 7:02:17 PM
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Very intereasting read,i wonder what a hand reared arab is thinking!
max is hand reared and i don't under estermate him at all!!(not at 15.2hh and still entire)i am mum to him and there is a very fine line who is boss,but all the time he respects me they can stay on!!!he has a very normal life,lives with our mare and gelding,and goes out every day,but there are times when he does strange things and i wonder what hes thinking!! |
Sam Clyma
WKD Arabians
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Basilisk
Gold Member
United Kingdom
521 Posts |
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Basilisk
Gold Member
United Kingdom
521 Posts |
Posted - 14 Jan 2006 : 9:44:55 PM
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Deboniks, I was concerned that people with relatively little experience might read the piece you'd posted and since it was written by a vet, consider it 'gospel', and not realise that it just put one point of view.
I know that as a new horse owner I made the mistake of believeing everything the 'experts' told me, and it DID cause problems with my purebred mare. A vet isn't necessarily a behaviourist, nor does anyone except yourself have the same level of interaction with your horse that you do. I think that people who are attracted to Arabs are the sort of people who want to interact with their horses, whatever breed: in my experience, they are seldom the sort of people who buy and sell horses as if they had no more emotions than a car.
Yes, horses are big animals, but most of the time, when they hurt us it is not deliberate. They are size and weight-wise to us similar to how we are to our cats and dogs - and though I'm sure none of us would ever hurt *them* deliberately, there are always accidents when they rush under our feet and get trodden on, etc.
Licking and nibbling by male horses *is* a sight of affection (it's what they do to their mares), but some simply don't realise that we pathetic humans can't take a 'love bite' without major damage, so you may want to discourage them from doing this. "My" boy adores holding on to clothes (so I wear a truly disgusting old Puffa jacket around him for just this reason) - he gets hold and sucks, his eyelids drooping just like a foal on the teat! However, as someone else mentioned, he also wants to do this when I'm poo-picking, which can be a PITA - a few weeks back, he was SO pleased I was sharing his field with him, he got hold of my jacket back, and every time I tried to reach forward to rake up some poo, he pulled me back again! I was laughing so much he eventually managed to pick up clean up off my feet - if there'd been someone with a video camera there, it would have been money in the bank! Fortunately, he is a very gentle horse, so when he realised what he'd done, he put me back down carefully!
Keren |
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barbara.gregory
Platinum Member
United Kingdom
4531 Posts |
Posted - 15 Jan 2006 : 09:02:04 AM
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My stallion is very protective over his feed. If allowed he would push you over to get it when you take it in the stable. He has now learnt to step back and goes to wait in the corner where I put it. When he comes in at night he has to wait for his headcollar to come off, he is not allowed to rush to the food. If allowed he would kick at anyone who went near when he is eating so I don't let anyone else in his stable when there is food (hay is fine) but he has learnt to accept that I WIIL be around him when he is eating if I want to and he will move over if asked. I keep him used to my presence when he is eating but respect his right to eat in peace just as he has to respect my right to be there or move him when I have to.
Mares are much easier usually as they take life in a much more laid back manner but my stallion will always try being cheeky to see what he can get away with, it is part of his character and so long as we have a mutual respect everything is fine. He loves his kisses and cuddles and is very tactile. His field gate is on the road and lots of people stop and fuss him and I am told that when they go to leave he will gently hold their jacket to stop them going and as most people wouldn't know how to get a horse to let go he gets much longer "fuss sessions" than were initially intended!
While horses need to be treated with respect and as horses, they also need to be treated as individuals. I have a mare who always nudges for a treat but knows when I say "all gone" that there is nothing else coming. Here nudges are rarely rewarded but it doesn't stop her trying and as she is such a kind gentle mare I have never slapped or shouted at her for it, it is just her little way. I rarely give treats in the stable (and never in the field) as I do the "carrot round" last thing at night where they all get a few carrots over their stable doors. It is my way of seeing that they are all alert and responsive and well after their dinner and they love it.
barbara |
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suneanarab
Platinum Member
United Kingdom
1818 Posts |
Posted - 16 Jan 2006 : 11:10:48 AM
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horses should not be allowed to push you round at feed times. ours arn't and can not come to the feed untill told. we do this by pointing a finger at them and then at the feed. odin being dominant stallion will test you from time to time as is the nature of the lower horse and did so with me this morning.
as i hung his net he took a snatch of haylage (they are allowed to stand near but not to touch) and took off. he was dully punished by being made to wait longer for his feed. we do this by putting up another finger for each time they try before being allowed. each finger has a count of 3 before being put down. now you may wonder how this works, well each dominant horse will keep any naughty horse from the herd for a certain amount of time before that horse is deemed punished. being a herd animal this is the worst punishment of all and they do not eat while being sent to coventry. by using my fingers i am keeping odin at the edge of the herd (me being part of his herd and dominant horse) even though it's in his stable. this morning i had the 2 fingers up, by the time the first finger went down he was saying sorry by trying to touch me with his nose and blow gently on me. even when the second finger has been put down and he's allowed to go for the net. however he won't go for it and comes to me for a blow |
suzanne walsh
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suneanarab
Platinum Member
United Kingdom
1818 Posts |
Posted - 16 Jan 2006 : 11:20:36 AM
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sorry had to go there for a mo.....anyway as saying, odin will come to me for a cuddle and a blow before going to his net.
i also agree with keren that the so called 'authorities' don't always get it right. try telling odin that horses are not territy orientated. he is very agressive toward traffic, the bigger it is the worse he is (not uncontolable but could be if allowed) we first thought that he was scared of it untill i watched someone else ride him out as a youngster and saw it from a different point of view. now how do i know it's agression and territory? because he doesn't do it when we are 2 miles away from home in any dirrection! we have done ldr and he has had jugernaughts come past with no probs at all! it is said that a stallion can smell any horse within 2 miles so we did some tests and asked questions and found that he was the only stallion (other than our own) within the area thus the top stallion for 2 miles so to him every mare in the area is his. simple really!
our lot are all allowed their own personalities as they are boring without it. anyone who has met odin will know this for sure lol he knows when he has gone to far but loves to play and all his babes are the same. |
suzanne walsh
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