I am a novice rider and have been helping with feeding and turnout for a break in board. There is one 4y/o OTTB at the farm who is head shy and hard to catch. She has gotten away from people before, so I am always cautious with her and lead her in alone.
Anyway, I decided enough was enough and started to make a real effort to overcome her head shyness. I made it part of my everyday routine to go into her stall with treats and practice taking the halter on and off, sometimes several times. It only took maybe 5 days? She’s become the easiest horse to catch, will stick her nose right into the halter if you held it up, has no problem with hands all over her face, on her ears, etc. I was really pleased.
Then the other shoe dropped. She has become nosy. It isn’t only for treats, it’s for anything. She wants to nose the curry comb in my hands, the hoof pick, every button on my jacket. I put a jolly ball out for her and distracted her today, but I feel like I may have given her a new vice.
I’m ashamed to tell the trainer because I know it’s frowned upon to treat train horses. I’m a dog person, and I treat train my own horse, so that’s my hubris. When she noses me, I try to apply advice from Warwick Schiller’s videos on the subject and handle her face until she gets over it, but she seems to find face handling reinforcing now. Toys and interesting objects distract her at least, which makes me wonder if it is just babyish curiosity she will outgrow.
Is this something she will eventually get over? Is there anything minimally punitive I can do to stop it? I would hate to smack her as I wonder if this is how she got to be head shy in the first place. This has only gone on for about two weeks so hopefully no permanent damage has been done.
