[touchofdandy]

I have a question, i'm going to work with my horse I just got, She's been badly abused. I want to show her that i'm no threat, what posture shows that?

sorry if i confused ya. lol

thanks in advance.

[cutandslide]

Originally Posted by touchofdandy

I have a question, i'm going to work with my horse I just got, She's been badly abused. I want to show her that i'm no threat, what posture shows that?

sorry if i confused ya. lol

thanks in advance.

Start very slow make sure to stay safe when you discipline her make sure you do it correctly. Give her a lot of approval to counter the discipline. Some horse that have been abused will try and hurt you if this is the case be very careful you will have to take the time to show her that YOU WILL NOT HURT HER BUT THAT YOU HAVE BOUNDRY THAT SHE MUST SAY IN. don't FALL IN THE HOLE OF OH MY HORSE HAS BEEN ABUSED SO I CAN DISCIPLINE HER. This is not true. A submissive pasture is knees bent body to the side and eyes to the ground. But you need to convince her that you are the alfa mare. It will take a lot of time. As long as she is not violent toward you, you have the time.

[stormyknight]

Abused horses need discipline just as any other horse, but the difference may be in the form of discipline. For example, I will give my four year old (non-abused) a smack for being stubborn and getting into trouble while tied. When I got my 12 year old gelding (abuse/neglect severely), a smack would have sent him off into another planet - it simply set him over the edge. Instead, I used alot of voice reprimand - all I had to do was raise my voice and he would stop doing whatever it was that was undesirable.

A great method that I used with my abused horse was the join-up method by Monty Roberts. I don't buy everything he says, nor do I think it will apply well to every horse, but it worked great on my abused horse. It really gave him a confidence boost and let him know that I was his "safe zone" from the scary outside world. He has come a long way in the past seven years, but be warned that depending on the amount/severity of abuse/neglect, the horse may not ever be a "normal" horse. Storm still has triggers that set him off, almost flashbacks, and he will never be as easy to deal with as other non-abused horses. But once you have their trust, it makes a world of difference.

[freedom32]

Well for starters good for you, rescuing an abused horse. When starting out spend lots of quiet time with your horse, turn him out in a round pen or small paddock (if possible) and crouch down and let him come to you. Spend lots of time grooming and rubbing him to desensitize him to you, let him know that you are not going to hurt him, and contact with you is good. Start with his body, then eventually work with head, ears, legs, and feet. When he is comfy with you it is a good idea to desensitize him to both ropes and whips, depending on his circumstances. Many abused horses are timid, but a few get agressive. Its important to make him respect your space and your person also, don't let him walk all over you while getting him used to you. Usually a firm word will work. If the horse is agressive get help if possible, a trainer or a knowlegeable person who can help you get past his issues without making them worse.

[Just_me]

Act and think like a horseIf horses are scared of something they run away andthey check wierd objects out with caution,they NEVER go straight towards it.
So if you approche your horse don`t move straight into her space.
If your horse has been abused that doesn`t mean you can`t disciplin her(i`ve had one too).You just have to disciplin her without yelling,smacking etc.and be patient.Show her that you wound`t hurt her but that you still have boundry andthat youwill diciplin her.
i would do alot of groundwork with her...that bounds owner and horse+she`ll gain respect and trust.

[cassidy]

my main bit of advice is dont rush her if shes out in the pasture let her come to you in her own time

[touchofdandy]

She's locked in a 16X16pen in the barn right now. She is very agressive. I went back there today to get a feel for her and to know what i was up against. I walked in there and she immediately when to the back, staring at me and starting to shake, I walked in the pen and approached her slowly, I didnt attempt to touch her. She let me get about 3 feet away from her before she showed aggression, pinning her ears was the start, headshaking, Once she saw that I wasnt going to immediately back off she used her teeth. Its quite obvious that she was extremely badly abused. I feel so sorry for her. I left the pen and stood on the outside talking to her, and she was still shaking so I left her be. I just wanted to get a feel for her, i'm definately in for a big task. lol. she's worth it though.

I went back there again today. My cousins unfortunately had to corner her with a gate to put a lead on. After she was cornered they quickly latched the lead on. We plan to since, she cant run in there and nothing will get caught up, is leaving the lead rope on her. She's very skittish, nervous on the lead, but she's really bad trying to get the lead on. So we just left the lead on her. She'll be little bit easier to catch until she gets use to me. I had my cousin hold the lead while I moved closer to her. She was shaking really badly. I did though get to touch her. I started doing T-touch on her withers and shoulders. She stood there for a few minutes eyeing me and my cousin the whole time.
We have to be cautious b/c of her aggression. I really do think though she'll be fine once she figures out that I wont hurt her. I'm going back there again tomorrow. Hopefully i'll be able to do more T-touch on her. My hand was getting tired, and there were more then just my cousin around. I wish she and I could work together with Destiny alone with out an audience. Thats her name, Destiny. I also got pictures of her today.

[SweetSavannah]

hmm these animals require a fair bit of experience to handle so dont be scared to ask people around you with experience for help. i'm worried this horse is agressive and may be a bit more than what you are able to handle.

abused horses need specific training. it isnt like saddleclub where an apple and some soft words transform a wild creature into a cuddly pony.

the shoulder is the best place to approach as most horses are comfortable with being touched on the shoulder. look at the ground and don't walk directly at her, make a slight zig zag from her shoulder to her flank, all the while looking at the ground. when/if you get to her shoulder give her a rub. if she stays put stop rubbing and say "good girl" in a low gentle voice. DON'T UNDERESTIMATE FOOD! a piece of carrot comes in handy for moments like this. but when you give it to her don't open your palm and shove the food in front of her. keep your fingers closed and pointing down to the ground, then slowly turn over your hand and open your fingers when you get to her mouth.

i would start with that and go from there. i had a headshy pony and that was how i had to move around him or else he would pull back and run away. i also got him to let me touch his face by gently rubbing him after i lunged him. the sweat made him itchy and i don't know of a horse that hasn't enjoyed a good scratch after a workout! eventually he realised i wasn't going to hurt him or twitch him so he let me scratch his ears, hose his face, trimhis ear hair... everything. but it takes time, patience, and a thorough understanding of what you are up against.

[touchofdandy]

My cousin is going to be helping me. I cant afford a trainer right now. I thought it was better to at least give her a chance. She more then likely would have be slaughtered, or go to a home to be more abused. I felt it was right to give her a chance and try my best with her.

I'm going back to the barn tonight to work with her. My cousin will be back there.

Thanks for the imput everyone, I'll keep you up dated.

[SweetSavannah]

i understand how you feel but you really need to "remove" your emotions from the situation and take a long hard look at what you are dealing with.

NO HORSE IS WORTH A PERSONS LIFE

if this horse is so damaged that it is going to seriously harm you just rehome her or give her to someone up to the challenge.

not everyone can afford a trainer. i had to retrain my mare and it has taken me ages and she still isn't 100% how i would like her. but i had help from an instructor every week/fortnight. whatever i could afford. these horses require time and skill, or time and money. you need to have either money or skill if you are going to make a difference.

all i am saying is don't endanger yourself needlessly. there are a million troubled horses out there in need of training and hardly any of them get it.

try to stay unemotional about this and work out whether it is safe for you to retrain this horse.