What does your horse like? Affection-wise I mean.

[jawa]

So I’ve owned my OTTB for 1 1/2 years. I thought we got off to a pretty smooth start and then everything fell apart. We have been through sore heels, sore hocks, sore back, not a perfect saddle fit, Lyme, sore fetlocks…

Each time we’d have a setback, I’d be left with a RAGING angry horse. One who kinda wanted to inflict bodily harm. Not that I blame him. Hurting is no fun.

Well, I feel like we have finally had a break through in our relationship/partnership. Dealing with each of these issues has him overall feeling better and much happier in his work. YEAH!

I was trailering him to a foxhunt on Tues when he stepped on his hind shoe. He twisted it just enough to then step on the clip. OH JOY!! More pain and more down time!

I was trying to distract him from the soaking boot that he was determined to kick off, when I started doing raspberries his neck. I would stop and he would move his neck towards me. I’d do it again, and then stop. We did this for 15 mins. At the end of the 20 min soak his eyes were half closed.

So my horse seems to enjoy getting raspberries. So even though we have ANOTHER setback, I feel that we have gained a bit more connection and trust has been developed. And yes, I’m always trying to find a silver lining!!

[beowulf]

[QUOTE=jawa;7950572]
So I’ve owned my OTTB for 1 1/2 years. I thought we got off to a pretty smooth start and then everything fell apart. We have been through sore heels, sore hocks, sore back, not a perfect saddle fit, Lyme, sore fetlocks…

Each time we’d have a setback, I’d be left with a RAGING angry horse. One who kinda wanted to inflict bodily harm. Not that I blame him. Hurting is no fun.

Well, I feel like we have finally had a break through in our relationship/partnership. Dealing with each of these issues has him overall feeling better and much happier in his work. YEAH!

I was trailering him to a foxhunt on Tues when he stepped on his hind shoe. He twisted it just enough to then step on the clip. OH JOY!! More pain and more down time!

I was trying to distract him from the soaking boot that he was determined to kick off, when I started doing raspberries his neck. I would stop and he would move his neck towards me. I’d do it again, and then stop. We did this for 15 mins. At the end of the 20 min soak his eyes were half closed.

So my horse seems to enjoy getting raspberries. So even though we have ANOTHER setback, I feel that we have gained a bit more connection and trust has been developed. And yes, I’m always trying to find a silver lining!![/QUOTE]

So sorry about the clip incident – this is why clips scare me - I hope nothing was punctured.

Mine only accepts attention in the form of donuts. He considers all humans supplicants. :lol:

[merrygoround]

Food! All food!

[GoForAGallop]

[QUOTE=beowulf;7950574]

Mine only accepts attention in the form of donuts. He considers all humans supplicants. :lol:[/QUOTE]

Yep, this is what my solid, ranch-broke gelding likes. Food. If he didn’t have a special nicker just for me (and I only got that after three years!), I’d be pretty convinced he hates me. :lol:

The mule now, oh my goodness. Anyone can win over his heart as long as they are up for a good snuggle. Even better if they’ll stroke his ears in the way he loves…so sad considering that when he arrived to me, he was so ear shy that it took me a year to lay a finger on them. But now I can put him to sleep for the farrier if I just stand at his head and pet his ears.

[jawa]

He penetrated the white line, which according to my vet is good, because it is a natural point of separation. Kinda bad because there was blood. He was better then worse. Had the farrier out and hoof tested, actually took quite a bit of pressure to make him flinch…so not abscessing…which is good…but talking to the vet it could mean he has wrenched some soft tissue in the hoof. Fingers crossed he is better sooner than later.

As a side note…trying to get a recalcitrant horse to KEEP HIS FOOT IN THE BUCKET when the highs for the day barely make it into the 20’s is no fun, hence the borrowed soaking boot.

[beowulf]

[QUOTE=jawa;7950584]
He penetrated the white line, which according to my vet is good, because it is a natural point of separation. Kinda bad because there was blood. He was better then worse. Had the farrier out and hoof tested, actually took quite a bit of pressure to make him flinch…so not abscessing…which is good…but talking to the vet it could mean he has wrenched some soft tissue in the hoof. Fingers crossed he is better sooner than later.

As a side note…trying to get a recalcitrant horse to KEEP HIS FOOT IN THE BUCKET when the highs for the day barely make it into the 20’s is no fun, hence the borrowed soaking boot.[/QUOTE]

oof! horses… they’re just great at whacking themselves up. hoping you both are warm and he feels better ASAP. did your vet prescribe anything??

[jawa]

We discussed using an antibiotic, but since the farrier felt he wasn’t abscessing we thought it best not to use one.

So for now, bute, continue soaking and using Animalintex and wrapping and stall rest. I’m hoping in a few more days I won’t have to bute, soak and wrap. And I’m really hoping he didn’t torque any soft tissue in the hoof. It’d be hard to image that short of an MRI and that is not in the budget.

Jingling like mad!!!

[JFJ]

My horse loves to have his back and withers scratched. He will actually stand sideways to his stall gate so you get him in his favorite spot. He loves to be groomed as well, which is a nice change from previous horses that hated grooming!

[TheBrownHorse]

My old mare (who lived until the age of 35) would just about fall to the ground if you rubbed her tummy. Lips twitching, eyes closed, legs buckled…

It was quite the sight!

[jawa]

The first horse I owned loved to have his tummy scritched! He would lift one of his hind legs to move it out of the way so that you could get just the right spot. If you got the right spot, he’d almost buckle from the pure joy of it.

[Superminion]

My WB doesn’t want a thing to do with me unless I have a treat. Peppermints or cool ranch Doritos are her thing.

My TB loves to have the insides of her ears, withers, belly button, and underside of her tailbone rubbed (NOT scratched)! She’s also a food hound, but is extremely picky. She won’t touch red apples, but loves green ones.

[Stacie]

Doing Raspberries on the neck probably does the same thing aa t-touch. The one where you rub little circles in the skin all over the horse with your fingertips.
When I work with youngsters and need them to TRY to stand still, usually because they are getting a shot or someone is wrapping a foot, I rub with my whole hand in a scrubbing motion all around on their shoulder and where the neck meets the shoulder. It’s distracting and for some reason keeps them calm. It works amazingly well. So not affection, but distraction or “gating” of stimulus

[Simkie]

I bribe my prickly horses into liking affection. For the most part, they’ve never been pets, so I think that the whole concept of really liking physical contact is a little foreign.

But for a long time, I wouldn’t let Dove eat her grain until she let me pet her head. Oh, the humanity! :lol: Poor abused mare, having to allow people to pet her face to get her grain.

[OpeningBell]

My tb loves scratches along his neck and shoulders and LOVE being groomed after a ride. He will yawn about 30 times (no joke) while I curry him. Only after a ride,
Not before.

[Texarkana]

OP, I’m sorry to hear about your pony. Soaking boots are wonderful things, though!

My one mare loves having her udders scratched. She will actually lift her hind leg so you can get better access, which probably would scare anyone who didn’t know her!

Along the same lines, I have donkey who loves her hindquarters scratched. She will wheel around and back her butt up to you so you can scratch above her tail and the points of her rump. Ironically, she never rubs her tail, but she manages to scare the dickens out of innocent folks because they just assume she’s threatening to kick. I probably should not encourage the habit, but it’s so hard when she looooooves it so much and makes all sorts of funny faces while you’re doing it!

[ako]

[QUOTE=Stacie;7950648]
I rub with my whole hand in a scrubbing motion all around on their shoulder and where the neck meets the shoulder. [/QUOTE]

My mare loves this. She will scratch my arm/shoulder/back with her muzzle in return.

[Superminion]

[QUOTE=Texarkana;7950731]
OP, I’m sorry to hear about your pony. Soaking boots are wonderful things, though!

My one mare loves having her udders scratched. She will actually lift her hind leg so you can get better access, which probably would scare anyone who didn’t know her!

Along the same lines, I have donkey who loves her hindquarters scratched. She will wheel around and back her butt up to you so you can scratch above her tail and the points of her rump. Ironically, she never rubs her tail, but she manages to scare the dickens out of innocent folks because they just assume she’s threatening to kick. I probably should not encourage the habit, but it’s so hard when she looooooves it so much and makes all sorts of funny faces while you’re doing it![/QUOTE]

We have a mare like your donkey. The other day I was supervising the guys working on the outside waterers, and was sitting on a half eaten round bale. Viv came over and just about sat in my lap so I could give her a good scratching! Its hysterical, and very very hard to say no to!

[HungarianHippo]

[QUOTE=jawa;7950584]
He penetrated the white line, which according to my vet is good, because it is a natural point of separation. Kinda bad because there was blood. He was better then worse. Had the farrier out and hoof tested, actually took quite a bit of pressure to make him flinch…so not abscessing…which is good…but talking to the vet it could mean he has wrenched some soft tissue in the hoof. Fingers crossed he is better sooner than later.

As a side note…trying to get a recalcitrant horse to KEEP HIS FOOT IN THE BUCKET when the highs for the day barely make it into the 20’s is no fun, hence the borrowed soaking boot.[/QUOTE]
Jawa, if you lose access to the soaking boot: a 2-gallon size heavy duty freezer bag, duct taped above and below the fetlock, works really well. Stand the horse on grass or in bedding-- ie not a surface that will cause the bag to shred if he scrapes/paws.

[burnedout]

Whenever anyone walks near my boys stall, he first sticks his nose out for a kiss and if that gesture is ignored, he will slowly back his butt up in hopes of a good butt scratch. He loves kisses and hugs me back by wrapping his neck around me. I am his girl for sure and he pins his ears if he sees me with another pony. Thus, my other gelding does not dare show affection

[supaflyskye]

my horse loves his forehead rubbed/brushed/pet, he will half close his eyes and lower his head. I appreciate this as much as he does, because he’s really not an affectionate type, so its nice to have some form of affection he does like.
and of course food.