# Mare threatening to kick when being caught



## JustaSkippenJess (Jan 25, 2012)

My mare developed this same habit when she was about 4, she is 9 now. she does it every now and then when i go out to get her. One thing that helped with her doing this was she was trained when lunging or round penning her that when i duck down and say whoa by stepping towards her hip she is to front face me and stop until i approach her. So out in the pen when she decides to swing her butt towards me and take off or kick i position myself so she can see and hear me and duck down and say whoa... her training kicks in and she front faces and doesn't move. 

when i do catch her out in her pen, i do a couple exercises before i take her out. I always ask with the lead rope and my body position for her to move her hind end away from me when i step towards it. it has helped a lot because now she knows that she better keep her hips moving when i am coming near them. We have gotten into a couple scuffs that ended with her getting her butt popped with the lead rope a few times, but overall it has really helped with getting her caught with no problems.


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## natisha (Jan 11, 2011)

Teeth need cleaning?:?


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## kait18 (Oct 11, 2011)

sounds like she got away with it the first time and is now seeing how far she can go.

in all honesty i would start with keeping her in a small pen and going out to catch her. the first sign of her putting her ears back or threatening to kick i would run her off and keep her running. until she gives into you. eventually she will settle and realize the more fuss she puts up the more she has to work. 

when you master this is a small field or roundpen then i would turn her out with the others and see if she continues. if she does i would run her off. and continue to give the other horses loving. eventually her being chased away from the herd will show her your in the boss.

either way she is getting away with bad behavior now and it doesn't seem from your post you are doing any punishing. your just trying to slide it under the rug so to speak..


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## Cherie (Dec 16, 2010)

She needed her butt kicked the very first time. Throw the halter at her; throw a stick at her; heck, I've thrown a bucket of feed at one. Make them pay on the spot for the disrespect. Chase her all over the field with a handfull of rocks. You do what it takes the very first time it happens.

Horses do not think like:


> She has no reason to have negative association with being caught, she is not a regular work horse, so being caught doesn't neccesarily mean work.


They think like "Gee, I got by with that. I better try that again!"


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## peppersgirl (Aug 24, 2012)

I'd put her by herself, because trying to work with a horse like this with a bunch of other horses is a pain in the butt. I do like cherie does, if a horse turns their butt to me, Ill take the lead and wack em with it (or throw whatever is in my hand at them if they are threatening a kick)- make her move her feet, and dont let her stop until she gives the apropriate response of turning to look at you. she just has no respect, and you need to make your boss status known.


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## JustDressageIt (Oct 4, 2007)

natisha said:


> Teeth need cleaning?:?


Are you asking?
If so - they need to be floated (evened out and sharp edges filed down) on a regular basis, absolutely.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## peppersgirl (Aug 24, 2012)

I know about floating (as im sure most of the ladies on this thread do aswell), but have never heard of a horse getting its teeth *cleaned*..... is this something they do in other countries because i have never heard of it being done in horses.


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## Sheepdog (Sep 25, 2011)

Teeth cleaning - the lady dentist used a thing that almost resembles one of those old fashioned glitter ball necklaces that used to be fashion about 10-14 years ago. The ooutside of the teeth, especially the front ones were cleaned. For some reason she can't explain to me Kentucky's teeth get very dirty. Physically dirty. Almost like when you eat one of those black ball sweets and your teeth go black, except hers is greenish colour from the grass she eats. Yes they do need cleaning again, They were floated a tthat time too, of course. But I rather doubt if that's the reason for her bad attitude. 
Kentucky was orphaned at the age of a few days and hand-raised so I suppose little respect for humans should have been expected. 
Thanks for all the answers ladies, I guess I knew the answer, but sometimes you need it spelled out to realise htat's what you need to do. Just one more quick question, She was extensively trained at the lunge for a showing career as a yearling, how might that affect her when I put her in a round pen to teach her her lessons? Might she think we're doing lunging and just run in a circle vs "joining up" giving in and submitting?


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## BarrelracingArabian (Mar 31, 2010)

I have never heard of cleaning a horses teeth haha but alright. I agree put her in her place.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Roperchick (Feb 1, 2010)

lunging will acomplish what you need. its what will build up ground manners and respect. youre doing the same thing. driving her forward, making her move. making her yield hind quarters and face you...
if she was taught to lunge properly then once you start lunging her it should kick in and she should remember "oh when she says woah, or when she turns her body, im supposed to turn IN to face her. not give her my butt."

i would also work on her yielding her hindquarters while shes haltered. make her realize that she never gets away with it. whether shes loose in the field, runnig in the roundpen or is standing in a halter. she WILL have to move her bum away from you.


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## natisha (Jan 11, 2011)

Cherie said:


> Horses do not think like:
> They think like "Gee, I got by with that. I better try that again!"


Apparently some dentists do too.


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