Expert: Rick Gore Horsemanship - 11/6/2009

Question
QUESTION: Hi I have an approx 11yo Leopard appy dont really know who bred him etc and who is from the country and was used as a backing horse In cutting? I dont really know much about that disipline but he is a great pony to ride until I hop off and do basically anything which involves me being on the ground with a strange object. Washing, clipping, worming, teeth etc He tends to get very pushy and instead of what I thought all horses would normally do is go backwards or pull on the lead.. my pony barges into me! When I tie him up he still swings his haunches towards the post or fence where he is tied then pins you against the fence then walks forward until he cant anymore because he is tied up. Then he goes the other way. I dont know why he does it.. is he just being a pain because he thinks I'll give up?

He is okay with his feet being done, rugged and being brushed. But even when I try to lead him with my hand under the halter/headstall he bashes into your side or pulls me along!   I think a young girl had him before me and she was scared of him (and he is a chunky pony for 14.2 hh, he is nearly the same weight as our 16.3hh tb)

Do you know why he does this? And is there a relativly kind way I can teach him to lead  and get washed etc without being so pushy? It is pretty embarrasing when the dentist has to lead him to a fence and go on the other side of the fence to do his teeth.

Your advice would be appreciated. =]

ANSWER: This is not a pushy horse, this is a lack of leadership from you.  This horse does this since it knows you will not or can not stop him.  He would lean against me once and would get trouble real fast and would HE would decide that is a bad idea to lean on me.  Then he would over to you and lean on you since he knew he could.  This is you not teaching him he should not do this, he needs to learn that leaning and pushing you gets him work, trouble, movement, makes him uncomfortable, then he will choose NOT to lean on you.  Unlike now, he knows he gets you to move, he gets to move where and how he wants so I ask you "why should he stop doing what he is doing"?

You said you think the young girl that had him before was scared of him, I say you are scared of him and I say he is not scared (does not respect) you.  That is why he does what he does.  You allowing this makes this horse dangerous and this disrespect will later turn into biting, kicking, ignoring you more and more.  And all of this will be your fault for not correcting it and showing him what is acceptable and what is not acceptable.

Read my horsemanship page on my site so you understand horses better.

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QUESTION: Im sorry let me rephrase my question. I got him like this a few months ago, I am asking how I go about telling him to stop this beahviour and lead him correctly. I am not scared of my pony and when he puses me I yell at him and nudge/push him back. Yet he still does it. I have tried walking him and holding him whilst someone else washes him but this is also not working, as much as I yell and deter him he still does it.

I'm sorry but I asked you a question on how to deal with the situation, which you have failed to reply to and instead I get told off??

Answer
You see what you want to see.  I told what what I think the horses sees and thinks (from what you told me) and what you need to do.  You want to see my answer as telling you off and you want to see your horse as pushy.  So not to argue with you - you are right, your horse is pushy, I told you off, so keep doing what you are doing, blaming your horse and me and all your issues will get better since none of this can possibly be that you may be doing something wrong to cause this behavior.

Good day.