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Re: [RC] Kicking filly - Lysane Cree

I'm no expert and you'll probably get a lot of answers
on this BUT :)
I got my filly when she was 8 months old and she
already had a dominant personality. When she did not
like something that I was doing she kicked. When I
first got her, she would kick for brushing her belly
or hind end. She has never been "mean", she just wants
her way and when I got her she had almost no handling
of any sort. The first thing was to do everything
slooowly and break it into baby steps because even now
at 18.5 months, if I go too quickly her reaction is to
"fight", i.e. resist and threaten to do me damage. 
Also, quick, strong, immediate punishment is very
important. I love my horse but there are certain
things such as kicking, that are totally unacceptable
(and would be unacceptable if she was in a herd
situation, after all she has to understand that I am
the boss horse, not her). I always tried to position
myself in such a way that *I* would avoid injury
should she connect with a kick. And if she does kick,
one quick hard smack with my open hand on her rump or
flanks is my solution. 
Lately she has decreased her "attitude" to from actual
kicking to threatening to kick by raising her head,
ears pinned and raising a hind leg. Or she swings her
hind end towards me and try to shove me away. This
also is unacceptable and results in punishment. No
exceptions. She has shown me that she can behave with
better manners and I demand those better manners. 
Recently she has been injured and I have been having
to changes bandages twice a day and spend lots of time
down by her hind legs :) She has only behaved badly
when she anticipates pain. I understand that it hurts
and it sucks for her that I have to be touching it
every day, so I work with her as gently and slowly as
possible and give her time to adjust to my touching
her injured leg, to give her a chance (to behave). I
stand close and I move down her leg slowly. If she
raises a leg, I say a loud "no" and I keep my hand
where it is until she puts it down. I find that even
in this situation a kick or threatening to kick is
unacceptable and deserves punishment, whether that is
a loud "no" or a slap with the hand. She has
alternatives responses available to her after
all...she could shift her hind end away from you to
try to "get away" from the hurt. There is no "need"
for her to kick and she needs to learn that. JMHO.

Lysane and
Mae West Holliday



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