Which I can do when I’ve forgotten my whip, and whoosh they scatter. Works great with my Old Man horse when I’m lunging without a whip and he wants to try his luck. Hes been beaned maybe 4 times in his life but when you bend over he suddenly remembers how to move forward off the voice. He’s a very smart old curmudgeon.
1 Like
This.
Sheilah
they do have their place, great for introducing youngsters to horses
and if creative dressed up as unicorn is a money earner at $400 to $500 per appearance
10 Likes
To me, they’re just Satan wearing a pony suit!!! 
6 Likes
Leeetle ponies have been bopped a few times in the face (muzzle) now with the handle of a lunge whip, so the message is starting to penetrate their stubborn brains. (They didn’t “get” what I meant when I waved around the business end of the whip in the air at them, so handle it is I guess 
) My driving whip generally lives with my cart so it’s not often available to just take into the field.
Thanks, everyone, for helping allay this fear that I’m somehow brutalizing such preciousness by demanding my personal space!
6 Likes
So, I recently acquired a mini for my farm. I was told that he sometimes turns his rump to threaten a kick, but rarely does. That’s unacceptable to me, so I had a dressage whip ready. When he swung his rear to me, I popped him with the lead rope and got no response. I got after him with the dressage whip and made my point. He has never offered to kick again.
I agree that people often allow bad behavior in minis that they would never tolerate in a horse. Same with dogs, really. Bad manners are not cute no matter how big or small an animal may be.
6 Likes
I’m a little confused - why not just hit the little devils - HARD - with the business end of a whip? Surely they are smart enough to learn to stay out of your space if you tell them you’re serious? Why tip-toe around the issue - if they are encroaching on your space, HIT THEM, harder and harder until they BACK OFF. I suspect if you go over the top with the whip, they will literally only have to be told once.
All the theatrics of waving arms, flicking their noses, bopping them with the blunt end of the whip, etc., only serve to increase their tolerance of your shenanigans (to say nothing of the fact that they clearly think your theatrics are fun, otherwise they wouldn’t keep coming up to you). Positive punishment works best when it is immediate, over the top, and clearly connected to the event you wish to decrease in frequency. Incremental positive punishment makes creatures more resilient to future punishment. You need to walk in there, tell them nicely once to leave your space, them go balls-to-the-wall crazy on them with a whip and hit them until they back the **** up.
6 Likes
Though I agree with what you are saying, I think it is generally frowned up to go around beating horses not owned by you (general).
I got the impression that these two naughty ponies are not owned by the OP, that the OP is in a boarding situation and is simply attempting to find the most polite way to get the ponies away.
2 Likes
all we need to do is show them a piece of electric fence tape…same for the real horses
2 Likes
Agree 100%. Living in the land of clumpy sand/dirt I cannot count the number of times I’ve backed off full size horses crowding a gate by toeing a clump of dirt in their general direction.
2 Likes
I make an audible sound like aerosol fly spray and mime the hand motion and they scatter like flies… LOL.
2 Likes
whenever i find a hidden cache of our free-range hens/guineas eggs i target practice at a tree. (not knowing/not interested in knowing how old the eggs are) I can hit a tree trunk at 50ft left handed. I can drop a rock (small rock, like 2" size) right atop a horses butt no problem. Either right or left handed.
2 Likes
i resort to rock tossing when some big butted horse is rubbing his tail on a fence. 18h Percheron is the worlds worst offender. He is realllllly rough on the ‘furniture’. Why he doesn’t rub on a tree is beyond me. Pisses me off…
1 Like
I kick the dirt before I do the whip because usually I’m handling my sweet sensitive horse who doesn’t love seeing me with a longe whip. That sets HIM back. But a properly kicked clod of dirt is no big deal and backs them off. And I growl too. Rawr 
Win. Win.
2 Likes
This was my thought exactly. If owners can’t teach their equines proper respect and they put someone attempting to enter or exit the pasture with their horse at risk then they can’t be upset when just punishment is given.
Ponies are smart and I agree a few good cracks of the whip across the chest or legs driving them back is all it will take and it won’t hurt them at all.
You just prolong the issue by pecking and picking at them by waving your arms, tossing a lead rope or yelling etc…
2 Likes
Totally agree, and this is a very fair point. I empathise with not wanting to beat up on others’ horses. Similarly, I don’t want people beating up on mine!
Personally, I tell others with whom I am sharing a pasture to do what they need to do if my horse is crowding their space as I recognize that she needs to learn to leave other folks alone when they come to get their horses (all while hopefully still coming to the gate when being brought in by staff). I hope the owner(s) of the minis has the same perspective, but recognize some people can get very worked up over disciplining Dobbin. That being said, if this is just the OP anticipating them being upset, or not wanting to beat up on a horse (understandably), I’d say it’s time to give real consequences a try and see if the owners get upset 
(And if they do get upset, explain to them that you can’t safely get your horse and lead your horse out of the pasture without being accosted by the minis and risking their getting out of the gate.)
1 Like
I should clarify - you don’t have to be cruel: I’m not advocating wailing on them with a whip for 5 minutes beating the snot out of them. But clearly, they think you and your interactions with them (that you think are punishment) are a lot of fun, otherwise they wouldn’t be so interested in you every time you come into the pasture. Your attention, your bopping them… it sounds a lot like how young horses play - a little nip here and there, a lot of posturing, but no real consequences.
You don’t need to scar them for life, but you do need to hit them hard enough to get a reaction that shows they know you mean business and are not playing, e.g., they turn and run, then stop and keep their distance. You have asked and explained “nicely” enough and they still don’t understand. They don’t speak English so you need to be more clear in a language they can understand. You don’t have to play softball anymore And for everyone’s welfare, can’t afford to:
This is a safety issue for both you and them - you if you get hurt because they won’t leave you alone, them if they get through the gate because they crowded you and your horse as you are trying to leave. It’s truly for their own good as much as your own.
Also, this point: “Incremental positive punishment makes creatures more resilient to future punishment” - this isn’t just from my own experience, it’s backed up by science. Sooooo many folks are worried about being mean and want to nice to their horses, their pets, their children, etc., but incremental punishment just builds resilience to later punishments, so everyone should keep that in mind when considering how to train and teach. While this can be advantageous in many ways (resilience can be a virtue, for sure!) it’s worth keeping in mind in these situations.
1 Like
I am glad you are taking action but I never agree with directing discipline at the head or face on any horse, no matter what the issue is .
The same whip used with some force (with the appropriate end) directed at the chest or even upper front legs will leave a lasting impression with no chance of them getting head shy.
1 Like
Rock tossing, clumps of dirt tossing, banging things, throwing things, yelling, all mean come here to my horses, as I have taught them to come when I call, and I do those things when they don’t start moving. As above just bending down is enough for them to start coming to me.
