Re: [RC] Sticking em with a horseshoe nail - Tracy Cann
Disclaimer: I do not advocate sticking a
horse with a nail period!
One has to figure out why the undesirable behavior
happens. If a horse doesn't know any better, or is scared (the most common
state of a horses mind), punishment doesn't work. The natural horsemanship
stuff works great. If, however, a horse is being deliberately defiant,
punishment works great.
I'm with you. There is a huge and critical difference between how you
deal with "fear" as opposed to "being a dork". This horse I am retraining
has been truly abused so I am very reluctant to smack him. However, he
kept running into me and nearly over me in a vet line until I lost it and bopped
him. Of course I said things I am ashamed to repeat. The horse
looked at me, rolled his eyes, and realized the gig was up. After a
pitiful sigh he behaved himself. Now my tone of voice is almost always
enough when he's "being a dork". Who knew, "Dammit Gryffin stop being an
idiot!" was a command. If I treat him like a precious, but slightly
dysfunctional, child things seem to progress well.
