But from Post 10:
That’s a very old school way of looking at horse behavior. Horses can associate certain behaviors with certain people. My QH knows that my husband shares beer with him so brings his feed pan over, he doesn’t do that with me.
So no child was injured because I gave my horses next door neighbor a peppermint.
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Yeah but I responded before that extra information came down the pike. I think I was the first responder.
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No worries everyone. As I said, I kind of knew going in that I was going to catch hell. I have been around here long enough and given some of that hell to others, so I knew what I was getting into.
I was honestly having a moment. Maybe it’s the “change of life” I’m enjoying right now (ugh). Emotions going bonkers…etc. Who knows?
It kind of brings up an interesting thing though. Regardless of this horse and whether I’d duck into his pasture to help him out if he needed it…I’d sure as heck want someone to do that for my horse. That, if nothing else, would be a good reason for SOMEONE to try to work with this horse to get him a little less unpredictable and defensive/aggressive. And honestly, he’s not bad. He has charged the BM once (that he told me about) and he just took his hat off and flapped it at him and the horse quit. I think he may have tested his owner early on as I noticed him firming up with the horse and driving him away. Like I said, the horse was so docile at first because he was truly malnourished and in rough shape. He only had energy to stay alive at that point. But he’s the picture of health now and his true colors started shining through once he was feeling better. But despite these few issues that have cropped up, his owner and the other guy that feeds for the owner sometimes go in with this horse all the time with no issue. So, it’s not like the horse will attack anyone who goes i his pasture. Someone goes in his pasture twice a day every day to feed him, blanket him, etc. He’s been given baths. He’s had his feet trimmed. He’s not a total lunatic. But it would be good for him to be a bit more mannerly and less unpredictable so that people who work at the barn and fellow boarders could feel safe should they need to step in to help the horse out. His owner lives over 30 minutes away and goes out of state on occasion for work, so it’s not like he can just run down there and handle something if it pops up.
Anyway. Thanks for everyone’s advice, experiences, and posts. I do appreciate it.
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One peppermint no.
Of course it depends on the horse. Pepoer and Twiggy would never bite. No matter how many treats were given by hand.
Dodge at the riding school grabbed treats still in a jacket pocket and wouldn’t let go. Sim bit people at the wash bay that he was in the yard next to. This happened because of being given treats. Both horses have not bitten here.
There are 2 rules of the country.
Do not feed other people animals. Whether it is a dog or a horse or a cow or whatever. You have no right to feed other peoples animals. Think of someone walking up to your child and offering them a peanut treat. They have no right.
Leave a gate the way you found it. Open a closed gate and you can let livestock out. Close an open gate and you could cut livestock off from water.
Yes I am old school.
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