QuarterHorses

One of the biggest problems I encounter is a horse being "herd bound". They don't want to leave their buddy. I have found that some horses don't really care if they walk away from their pasture mate. Many years ago I was involved with a horse that put hoof marks in you if you tried to lead her away. Does anybody else have problems with this?

Turbo Stallion

Since I only own one horse, I haven't had this problem. Even still, quite a few people I know DO have to deal with this kind of stuff. Wish I had some more advice to offer

crazyhorse

Horses are social animals and they have the tendency of missing their own herd. I think its a normal characteristic of a horse to be "herd bound".

Well to make an example, try to think that you are alone in an island with all the comforts in the world but no other human is with you. As an extinct characteristic of social creatures, we also have the urge to be with another human. This is the same with horses.

Jani89

Hello,
in German this behaviour is called "Kleben" - just like the two horses were glued together.
If a horse doesn't want to leave his herd when leaded away bis his owner, this is a problem of the rank order (I hope it's the right expression in English, I didnt find a better translation for "Rangordnung" in the dictionary): the horse doesn't want to follow this "two-legged being" because it doesn't feel safe in "its" companionship. And now it's time for you to react: You have to make clear to your horse that you are "alpha", which means that you are superior to your horse according to the rank order. If you become your horse's boss, there will be no problems like the one described above.

Willow

That's very much correct, Jani89!! Out of that thought arises a new one: how to gain respect? When I watch my students I could constantly teach them ; i.e. the horse rubbing his head on "his" owner's shoulder, the horse pushing with his head that owner stumbles forward aso. I should offer a course in horse behavior and how to interact on "a down to earth base" (without all that "guru-stuff" not to say smart marketing - first ya got to buy a halter and this special whip)

SpiritWind

There was an old horse named Noah on the ranch my grandpa worked on, he was SO skittish and only would go to one person. There was another horse who used to love me and come see me whenever he saw me (the one that I mentioned in another thread that had slid down a mountain, he wasn't being ridden at all). When they put the two of them together, Brownie (yes that was his name, lol) wouldn't come see me anymore. At first he'd try, but Noah would actually HERD him away from me. I was so sad. I was just a little girl, lol.

Bucker

I could understand if the horses grew up together. My two horses can not stand being away from eachother. They do everything together.

cherokeemyluv

LOl, Willow I don't think you can get the following without the specialized equipment to match your "new" methods. Its like a rule, all new training messiahs must have weird ways and weird uber expensive equipment you need to make your horse work right.

But yeah lots of horses are herd bound. There are probably dozens of ways to work on convincing your horse to come when its called and not kill you trying to get back. A treat to convince them to come with you is probably the easiest. If you only have two perhaps bringing them both in and riding the one who need could work for you. Just leave the other in its stall and turn back out when you're done. Establishing yourself as the leader of the herd and not letting that slip is pretty important though. If you're horse doesn't think you are in charge or trust you they aren't going to follow your lead.

Willow

*bg* then I will have to get me a new chip in my brain, hack into Monty's comp and learn hin marketing tricks.....and then I will pull up a big clinic and teach everything "old" wrapped up in rhetorically slip & slide sentences and become rich YEAAHHHH Thanks for the hint, cherokeemyluv, the soon it works I'll send a charter plane to the states to come and pick you up for the next clinic as my partner trainer, how about that??

alexis

I think that horses can be just like people. Sometimes they want to be around their own kind, sometimes they just want left alone. Maybe some horses are even emo (get it, like people can be), sorry to be so blunt, but I have seen the "emo" trait as I call it in other animals (esp. Bengal felines), I don't think it would be any different for a horse, IMHO.

Willow

Alexis, in order to understand your post, what does the abr. "emo" stands for?? Guess, that one must have developed AFTER I had left the US
*quicklysneakingaway*

GiddyUp

We had two horses that were herd bound. We separated them on different side of the farm. It took days for them to calm down and get used to the new situation. It was amazing to see.

SingleAgain

Emos-the best definition I read is that they are the people that slap themselves till they cry and then write a song about it. They are the 'Oh look at me my life is so hard' type people for whom everything is bleak and they wouldn't have it any other way.

When it comes to asserting yourself as the alpha, honestly I wouldn't know how. I am just lucky that to this time I haven't had to deal with this.

Jani89

My mother also teaches the correct handling of horses to some children (they are 5-10 years old), and I think the problems you describe are typical of children when working with horses: they think it's very nice and cute if the horse wants to rub its head on one's shoulder and don't know that it's a sign of a loss of respect. And, what I think to be a bit shocking: even many adults don't know this and let their horses be respectless.

Willow

Hi SingleAgain
thank you for the explaination.
The victim role behavior? Hmm, haven't observed that in any animal yet. That would be a typical Human Social Behavior for what I know.