Kick Chains

RansomRokz · 10-18-2009, 07:41 AM

The horse I work with lives in a large field with a herd of maybe 8 or 9 other horses, and he's pretty near the top of the herd; maybe 3rd or 4th last I checked. The problem is, he's a vicious little kicker out there. He never ever kicks at people or makes any attempt to, but in the field it's a different story. I know kicking is natural to horses and part of their way of communicating with one another but its preventing me from being able to move him to a closer winter home since no one wants their horses beat up. It's gotten to a point that his kicking at other horses needs a solution; he'll kick at horses on the trails or in the rings, or at the dogs, and I don't want him to hurt anyone else's horse or accidentally get anyone.

I heard about kick chains and wondered if those might be of any help? It sounds like it would but I'm just not sure if this is the right situation for it, because what I've heard about them seem only to be about stall kickers. If I were to attach it to just above the hock, so the chain doesn't drag on the ground and get stuck on anything, would it be okay? If anyone has any experience with a kick chain in an open area please let me know. Thank you!

GotaDunQH · 10-18-2009, 09:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RansomRokz

The horse I work with lives in a large field with a herd of maybe 8 or 9 other horses, and he's pretty near the top of the herd; maybe 3rd or 4th last I checked. The problem is, he's a vicious little kicker out there. He never ever kicks at people or makes any attempt to, but in the field it's a different story. I know kicking is natural to horses and part of their way of communicating with one another but its preventing me from being able to move him to a closer winter home since no one wants their horses beat up. It's gotten to a point that his kicking at other horses needs a solution; he'll kick at horses on the trails or in the rings, or at the dogs, and I don't want him to hurt anyone else's horse or accidentally get anyone.

I heard about kick chains and wondered if those might be of any help? It sounds like it would but I'm just not sure if this is the right situation for it, because what I've heard about them seem only to be about stall kickers. If I were to attach it to just above the hock, so the chain doesn't drag on the ground and get stuck on anything, would it be okay? If anyone has any experience with a kick chain in an open area please let me know. Thank you!

I use kick chains on my horse, but ONLY in his stall. I buckle his chains around the top of his fetlocks...I don't use them higher up the leg. They really aren't for turnout use. If you horse is that bad of a kicker, he should be turned out alone for the safety sake of the other horses.

Jennifer

RansomRokz · 10-18-2009, 10:16 AM

Right that's what I've read, stall use. I just didn't know if it was ONLY stall use.

And it's not so bad right now that I'm going to punish him by turning him out alone, I'm just worried about when I move him to his winter home since getting established into a new herd is a situation in which he will use his lovely kicking skills to earn his place. Probably could have explained that better in my first post.

Would it be dangerous in turnout use? I'd be most worried about it getting caught somewhere but if I were to use one of those safety collars that would unsnap if he got it caught and pulled on it would that make a difference?

Also, does anyone know the difference in effect of snapping it around the top of the fetlocks versus the top of the hock? I've heard both...

meljean · 10-18-2009, 11:03 AM

Don't use kicking chains in open if there is place to snag, and need to be supervised.
But you can make something using dog collar and attaching hammer handles to it.

Take the hammer handle, the small end and drill a hole through it, take a thin rope, or hay twine if want something flimsier, and then take O ring, and attach to where you would hook leash. This goes above hock. Have used this and it will work.

And if new home does not have that many horses, this problem may take care of itself too. It may be that he has to be that much of a kicker as his position is dicey in the herd. And if not as many to try to hold own with, may stop on own once herd dynamics settled.

RansomRokz · 10-18-2009, 12:01 PM

Thanks for the instructions meljean, and you have a point, it may just be because of the large herd. Where he's going for the winter has a few less horses and I think 1 or 2 may be going elsewhere for the winter so hopefully that will make things easier on him.

I might try attaching a chain to a collar with some twine like you suggested in a safety knot, so if it did snag it would just undo itself. I'd be a little more hesitant with the hammer handle because it would bang into him when he moved or ran, whereas the chain wouldn't be so much of a bother and will only "kick back" when he kicks...or so i hope.

GotaDunQH · 10-18-2009, 12:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RansomRokz

Right that's what I've read, stall use. I just didn't know if it was ONLY stall use.

And it's not so bad right now that I'm going to punish him by turning him out alone, I'm just worried about when I move him to his winter home since getting established into a new herd is a situation in which he will use his lovely kicking skills to earn his place. Probably could have explained that better in my first post.

Would it be dangerous in turnout use? I'd be most worried about it getting caught somewhere but if I were to use one of those safety collars that would unsnap if he got it caught and pulled on it would that make a difference?

Also, does anyone know the difference in effect of snapping it around the top of the fetlocks versus the top of the hock? I've heard both...

I've placed mine around the pastern and the fetlock; both places have worked for me. The reason I don't do on top of the hock is....that's a pretty sensitive area (IMO) just due to the fact that I would not want some type of injury there. My horse gets his hocks injected before show season....so I'm really leary about what happens in that area of his body...LOL.

Just a quick comment on the "punishment" of being turned out alone. My horse is turned out alone because he WILL kick and mess with other horses. I simply don't want him or any other horse to get hurt, especially a horse I don't own as I board mine. He prefers to be alone and is fine with it and does not view it as punishment. We had a couple BAD kicking incidents at our barn the last month....one horse had the major artery severed in his back leg. It was not pretty as I was there for the whole thing and when the vet came. The horse that kicked also chased another horse through a board fence and he got busted up pretty good. The instigator is now turned out alone....she does like it, but safety comes first.

Jennifer

RansomRokz · 10-18-2009, 01:31 PM

Oh okay, thanks for clearing up that part about fetlock vs hocks. I would think that it if were tied around the hock and the chain were to hang down to mid canon bone or fetlock it wouldn't snap him in the hocks so much, I always thought it was supposed to snap him in the belly.

We're working on confidence issues right now, and being by himself is one of them, and he would consider being by himself a punishment and I'd be more worried about him doing something foolish to get back to his friends. And while that may work I'd like to be able to fix the problem if I can. I'm thinking I might try the chain on him when we go to his new winter home and if things don't settle down after a while I will isolate him if I have to.

10-18-2009, 07:41 AM	#1
RansomRokz Full Member Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: On the back of a horse Posts: 83	Kick Chains The horse I work with lives in a large field with a herd of maybe 8 or 9 other horses, and he's pretty near the top of the herd; maybe 3rd or 4th last I checked. The problem is, he's a vicious little kicker out there. He never ever kicks at people or makes any attempt to, but in the field it's a different story. I know kicking is natural to horses and part of their way of communicating with one another but its preventing me from being able to move him to a closer winter home since no one wants their horses beat up. It's gotten to a point that his kicking at other horses needs a solution; he'll kick at horses on the trails or in the rings, or at the dogs, and I don't want him to hurt anyone else's horse or accidentally get anyone. I heard about kick chains and wondered if those might be of any help? It sounds like it would but I'm just not sure if this is the right situation for it, because what I've heard about them seem only to be about stall kickers. If I were to attach it to just above the hock, so the chain doesn't drag on the ground and get stuck on anything, would it be okay? If anyone has any experience with a kick chain in an open area please let me know. Thank you!

10-18-2009, 11:03 AM	#4
meljean Senior Member+ Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: NW MO Posts: 1,017	Don't use kicking chains in open if there is place to snag, and need to be supervised. But you can make something using dog collar and attaching hammer handles to it. Take the hammer handle, the small end and drill a hole through it, take a thin rope, or hay twine if want something flimsier, and then take O ring, and attach to where you would hook leash. This goes above hock. Have used this and it will work. And if new home does not have that many horses, this problem may take care of itself too. It may be that he has to be that much of a kicker as his position is dicey in the herd. And if not as many to try to hold own with, may stop on own once herd dynamics settled. __________________ "If you listen to the horse, the horse will tell you what it wants to be." Dale Pugh "You can undo in five seconds, the training it took you five years to accomplish." Wyman E. Bennett

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10-18-2009, 10:16 AM	#3
RansomRokz Full Member Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: On the back of a horse Posts: 83	Right that's what I've read, stall use. I just didn't know if it was ONLY stall use. And it's not so bad right now that I'm going to punish him by turning him out alone, I'm just worried about when I move him to his winter home since getting established into a new herd is a situation in which he will use his lovely kicking skills to earn his place. Probably could have explained that better in my first post. Would it be dangerous in turnout use? I'd be most worried about it getting caught somewhere but if I were to use one of those safety collars that would unsnap if he got it caught and pulled on it would that make a difference? Also, does anyone know the difference in effect of snapping it around the top of the fetlocks versus the top of the hock? I've heard both...

10-18-2009, 12:01 PM	#5
RansomRokz Full Member Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: On the back of a horse Posts: 83	Thanks for the instructions meljean, and you have a point, it may just be because of the large herd. Where he's going for the winter has a few less horses and I think 1 or 2 may be going elsewhere for the winter so hopefully that will make things easier on him. I might try attaching a chain to a collar with some twine like you suggested in a safety knot, so if it did snag it would just undo itself. I'd be a little more hesitant with the hammer handle because it would bang into him when he moved or ran, whereas the chain wouldn't be so much of a bother and will only "kick back" when he kicks...or so i hope.

10-18-2009, 01:31 PM	#7
RansomRokz Full Member Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: On the back of a horse Posts: 83	Oh okay, thanks for clearing up that part about fetlock vs hocks. I would think that it if were tied around the hock and the chain were to hang down to mid canon bone or fetlock it wouldn't snap him in the hocks so much, I always thought it was supposed to snap him in the belly. We're working on confidence issues right now, and being by himself is one of them, and he would consider being by himself a punishment and I'd be more worried about him doing something foolish to get back to his friends. And while that may work I'd like to be able to fix the problem if I can. I'm thinking I might try the chain on him when we go to his new winter home and if things don't settle down after a while I will isolate him if I have to.