# How to Get a Horse Over Pigs (really!)



## oh vair oh (Mar 27, 2012)

I've heard many people say of all the animals a horse could come across, that pigs are the absolute worst and scariest for them... Has anyone else heard this before too? I don't remember why it is.

Sorry, I have no idea how to fix it, other than to have a big BBQ!


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## Darrin (Jul 11, 2011)

I don't recommend putting her in with the pigs. Pigs are oppurtunistic omnivores, ie given a chance they'll try eating your horse. Matter of fact we had a farmer on the coast killed and eaten by his pigs just last week.


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## BarrelracingArabian (Mar 31, 2010)

There is a pig breeder where my trainer and i ride around and her mare is absolutely petrified ...granted theu are the size of mastiffs or bigger and are insanely mean like charge the fence mean...but she almost went over sugar and myself trying to get away..sugar just stood there but definitely didnt like them.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## AlexS (Aug 9, 2010)

I'd get the horse perfect leading, absolutely perfect, facing things they don't want to other than the pigs. Then work on leading to the pigs, little steps at a time, huge reward.


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## Kayty (Sep 8, 2009)

I'll be watching this thread intently. My gelding is the same, but with cows and miniatures/shetlands. He just stands and fixates, he shakes like a leaf, sweats up and it is near impossible to snap him out of it. Turn his head right around and he'll roll his eye towards the cow/pony then launch himself backwards. 
It's quite infuriating! And his ground work is not a problem at all, he absolutely respects my boundaries, but when something gets his attention, there's no hope. 

I second NOT putting her in with the pigs, if her fear is as such as my geldings, she will rather run through a fence and kill herself, than be near the pigs.


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## boots (Jan 16, 2012)

Gosh, that is unusual. 

Do you ride enough that she gets tired? Like huffing and puffing tired? If so, her new rest spot would be near those pigs. Since you probably don't do that, how about giving a treat at the pig place? Some people's horses seem to really like treats. 

I have a friend who shows mules in open classes. A frequent competitor got tired of her horse freaking out about them and blowing her chances at placing. She put her horse in a round pen in the mule pasture. The mules were curious and after about 7 hours the horse stopped worrying about them.

Your idea about buying a pig isn't too bad. Pick up a weaner at auction, use it to desensitize your mare for a week or two and sell it through the ring again. Or, house break it and leash train it and rent it out to others whose horses are afraid of pigs. Like Kayty's horse!


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## Jore (Dec 4, 2010)

I'm interested in the answer as well.. my boarding barn could qualify as a petting zoo. We have a pair of alpacas, a llama, a donkey, a pig and a pygmy goat.. not to mention the cats and dogs. The only one that Indie even gives a second glance to is the pig (who has been at the barn since he/she was a piglet).. the dogs will run past her full speed and she barely flinches but she thinks the pig is going to eat her! She also seems to have a fixation on the pumpkin that's been sitting on one of the picnic tables.. every time I bring her out to hose her off, I have to drag her past it because she can't stop looking at it.


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## Sheepdog (Sep 25, 2011)

I couldn't help but laugh at your stories. Why does it always seem to be the pig. We owned and bred pigs for a couple of years. the pig pen was in the stable paddock and alongside the pigs pens we used to keep the lucern. And of course the pig feed. Let's just say it wasn't very long before all fears dissapeared in favour of the pigs' feed. We had a devil of a time keeping them out of the pig sty. The pigs sometimes complained a little, but the horses would just remove his nose out of reach and continue the second the pig backed of. 
Boots - ****** a weanling, if you've ever seen a day old piglet sitting on his bum suckling a bottle you'll go running to the nearest pig farmer for a little runt. One of our sows sadly died giving birth to thirteen piglets. We had to raise ten of the little ones by hand. I do believe it may oficially be the cutest thing on four legs.


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## Foxhunter (Feb 5, 2012)

It is absolutely instinctive that horses are afraid of pigs.

The reason is that a pig can and will attack a horse and if you ever see one that has been gored by a pig you will understand why that fear is hard to break.

One 14 hand pony I knew had run with pigs most of his life when one day a sow just gored him Her tush entered his leg just above the knee and he was torn open to nearly his withers.

Strongly instilled instinct is hard to break. It is there in their minds.

A haulier came to take some ponies to a show. We used him every time and nothing was difficult to lad. The first pony went up the ramp, spun around and knocked his child owner off her feet. Whilst he was being caught the next pony did exactly the same and the third went to the foot of the ramp and pulled away. All three were the sort that you led to the ramp, threw the rope over their necks and they loaded on their own.

I went into the lorry and had a musky smell. The haulier had carried a lion to the local zoo. Non of the ponies had ever been near a lion but instinct told them that it was danger.

So it is with many horses and pigs. You can have a pet pig and keep it free range about the horses and some will not care whilst others are genuinely terrified. They might well get use to that particular pig but still be frightened by strange ones. 

I would not try leading it past as they can get to strong to hold - all you can do is to ride to where the horse is comfortable, then a couple of more steps forward each day. 
Hate to be a pessimist but when they are really bad they are never really able to get over it.


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## Sheepdog (Sep 25, 2011)

I couldn't help but laugh at your stories. Why does it always seem to be the pig? We owned and bred pigs for a couple of years. the pig pen was in the stable paddock and alongside the pigs pens we used to keep the lucern. And of course the pig feed. Let's just say it wasn't very long before all the horses' fears dissapeared in favour of the pigs' feed. We had a devil of a time keeping them out of the pig sty. The pigs sometimes complained a little, but the horses would just remove his nose out of reach and continue the second the pig backed of.Though I have to say that didn't stop old Hans nearly having a heart attack because of one. We were coming back from a trail ride and his mind was on R&R when just as we passed the pig sty the big saw lets out an almighty snort! He almost jumped out of his skin! :lol: 
Boots - ****** a weanling, if you've ever seen a day old piglet sitting on his bum suckling a bottle you'll go running to the nearest pig farmer for a little runt. One of our sows sadly died giving birth to thirteen piglets. We had to raise ten of the little ones by hand. I do believe it may oficially be the cutest thing on four legs.


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## Poco1220 (Apr 6, 2010)

Honestly any animal (or human) with any sense has a reason to be leery of pigs. A domestic pig if turned loose only takes a matter of days to revert to completely feral nature. They will eat anything they can and other animals know this. That same hog you raised from a cute little piglet will happily begin chomping on you of given the opportunity and in the feral state that are known for extreme aggression and attack. These animals are larg wand tough, their skin is hard to break through and their teeth are made for breaking and chewing not only flesh but bones as well. It's instinctual that horses fear them as hogs can even take down cattle without much of an issue.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## PattyAnn (Oct 9, 2012)

*To All The Pig Posts = Thank You*

Thanks all for attempting a solution for my horse vs. pigs. I was told that by nature horses don't like pigs. I said 'what?' my horses don't shy at anything. Whoa, was I wrong.

JD my wise gelding does not bat an eye at them and he will lead Lily to the pig pot with no problem. She goes with, hesitantly. To clarify on some replies, Lily is the most broke and well mannered horse I've ever owned, so the pig problem is more that a psychiatric issue. She literally flips a switch.

I'm convinced I should borrow a pig for a time and put it in a pen in closer proximity to their pastures. Either that or buy one....it would probably end up a pet. :shock:

Other ideas are most welcome but so far the best one is from OhVairOh > have a pig BBQ . . .


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## NMdressage (Sep 13, 2012)

Oh my gosh!! I'm so glad you posted this. I have almost the same problem with the horse I lease. Every time I take him down this one ditch bank he freaks out, snorting, shaking, and you can tell he really wants to bolt (but he refrains from bolting and I am proud of him for that). I was recently talking to someone who has ridden this same area for years and she told me there used to be a pig there. And poor Beau makes it very obvious that he remembers the pig. I was wondering why he is so terrified of something that isn't even there anymore, but had no idea about the nature of pigs. So I now know why he is terrified and can sympathize with him a little more. I'm glad he's not alone in his fear of pigs lol.


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## Delfina (Feb 12, 2010)

You'd have to buy TWO pigs. Pigs are herd animals and don't do well alone. 

I raise pigs, their pen backs up to the horse pasture. No fear of pigs from the horses here. 

Oddly enough, I have my gelding boarded out and guess what backs up to the arena? The neighbor's pigpen..... All new horses to the barn spend a week in "arena turnout" and no fears of pigs there either.


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## Cherie (Dec 16, 2010)

Don't laugh at my story because there is nothing funny about it.

I started running into feral pigs on my trail rides in the mountains and canyons south of the ranch about 5 years ago. They were terrified of them. One caused a serious wreck with a good really trail gelding that I was riding. It ended up with me getting a $9000.00 helicopter ride, a 3 week hospital stay and nearly a year in re-hab and PT. This was the ONLY serious wreck I had riding in more than 50 years of training horses, So --- I take pigs really seriously.

I bought a pot bellied pig and have had her in a pen near the barn for over 4 years. She has been perfectly happy by herself for the last 4 years. There is a big tree next to her pen and there is a horse tied to it right now. I have several horses that still do not like her, but now they all tolerate her. I ride them back and forth and back and forth until they walk by without trying to bolt away from her. 

If I have a horse that has been ridden very hard and is tired, that is where I will unsaddle him and tie him up until he is cooled out and ready to be put up. It is one of these horses that is standing next to her pen right now. I know of no other way to get a horse to tolerate a pig. They just do not like them or trust them unless they have been raised around them. Then, they are fine with them.


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## Muppetgirl (Sep 16, 2012)

Kayty said:


> I'll be watching this thread intently. My gelding is the same, but with cows and miniatures/shetlands. He just stands and fixates, he shakes like a leaf, sweats up and it is near impossible to snap him out of it. Turn his head right around and he'll roll his eye towards the cow/pony then launch himself backwards.
> It's quite infuriating! And his ground work is not a problem at all, he absolutely respects my boundaries, but when something gets his attention, there's no hope.
> 
> I second NOT putting her in with the pigs, if her fear is as such as my geldings, she will rather run through a fence and kill herself, than be near the pigs.


The minis were my nightmare at the jumping shows when I was a groom!!! I would tie the horses on the other side of the truck sometimes! I wonder why minis would set a horse off, but not a dog of the same size???? The horses would seriously shut down if a mini came near.....

Have never ever encountered a pig though......now I'm forewarned!!


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## Kayty (Sep 8, 2009)

I've tried all suggestions here so far on my gelding, but might be of some help to the OP?
I have worked my boy extremely hard, and bought him back puffing and sweating to see if he would stand near the cows. As soon as he saw them, tiredness was forgotten and off he went again. 

Like muppet, I have yet to encounter pigs though and hope not to!


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## Janna (Apr 19, 2012)

Mine were scared of them at first but got over it since they share a fence line.. Lol now they reach over and nip the pigs


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## G8tdh0rse (Aug 14, 2012)

I agree that it seems to be an instinctive fear common in many horses. It may be an uphill battle getting her over it.


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## PattyAnn (Oct 9, 2012)

*Lily vs. Pigs Again....*

Hey all I might be onto something since I first posted Lily's pig problem. 

I am not one to be daunted. Since Lily is smart (aren't they all?) I also know once she gets something she has got it.

Two things I did. I got a rag soaked in pigs urine and put it in her stall. No threat as she comes and goes at will. She went right up to the rag, smelled it, then when out and gazed to the pig field. This is good she is making an association and the smell did not bother her.

Next I found pig squeals on the internet - different kinds and played it to her. Oh yeah, now she has it. Especially when I found the right vocal. She went to her pig spot in the field looking for them more intently. And the sound bothered her. This is a good thing as I can desensitize her to sounds of squeals while she dines.

A little desensitizing at a time might be the answer with her. Then the only thing left is a relatively close encounter....I'll keep ya'll posted!


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## boots (Jan 16, 2012)

PattyAnn said:


> Hey all I might be onto something since I first posted Lily's pig problem.
> 
> I am not one to be daunted. Since Lily is smart (aren't they all?) I also know once she gets something she has got it.
> 
> ...


lol. Sounds even better than buying one. Those little ******s can be tough to keep contained.


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## Saddlebag (Jan 17, 2011)

Pigs have eyes in the front of the head - predator. That's how the horse sees it and he's right.


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## QOS (Dec 8, 2008)

I do not have suggestions on how to sensitize your horse. The park where I ride is full of hogs. OMG they used to be in the back and now they are right up in the front and this is a city park! We see them running and they are generally trying to move away from us. The horses will stop, head goes up giraffe style. Biscuit has literally had them explode from under his feet and he just jumped sideways about 1 foot. He is better when they are to the side of him...he doesn't like it when they are in front of him. We have heard them squealing, oinking and growling...the growling really got our attention. 

We keep talking to the horses calmly and reassuringly and keep going. I haven't rode in the park in the last few months that didn't include an encounter with the hogs.


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## KatRocks (Jul 25, 2012)

How about a stuffed animal pig? Or a realistic one that makes noises when you squeeze it.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Army wife (Apr 29, 2012)

I think you guys are right about it being instinct. For some reason (no clue how this came up) I was told that pigs smell similar to bears, to horses that is. Makes no sense to me, but the predator/instinct thing makes WAY more sense lol I've seen this SO many times!


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## kait18 (Oct 11, 2011)

i just saw this and i hope you are making progress. if you have access to piglets it might help as well. we just bought a piglet for meat a few months ago and he was small enough to carry. i had the piglet and my puppy on a harness and leash and had my horse on a lead. and my horse is courageous and walked right up to them with the grunting and squeals and barking. i think my dog being there helped associate that there was nothing to be scared of.

now the piglet is towering over my dog, and my horses are fine when near the pig. the pig stays out of there way and they dont get nervous with him around. (we tend to let our pig free range a bit during the day). i hope you can get yoru girl over it. its quick fine seeing them interact


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