# How to show horse who is boss



## Sjb1 (15 July 2013)

Hiya!
I just have my first horse about 4weeks now. She has been lovely but all of a sudden started to get a bit bolshy. Does anyone have any tips in how to show her that I am boss? 
Also when she is naughty- what's best way to dicipline?


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## _GG_ (15 July 2013)

Sjb1 said:



			Hiya!
I just have my first horse about 4weeks now. She has been lovely but all of a sudden started to get a bit bolshy. Does anyone have any tips in how to show her that I am boss? 
Also when she is naughty- what's best way to dicipline?
		
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How long is a piece of string. Videos may give an insight, but when you are starting a young horse, it is all learning on their part and imo should be 90% listening on your part. There are so many reasons a young horse may become bargy when they haven't already. It could be finding it all too much, it could be being a sod. Can't really give any constructive advice as without knowing why it is happening or how you are doing things, what is given in advice may be wildly wrong and ruin a very important stage of your horses development.

Do you have anyone local to you experienced in starting youngsters that could come and witness then offer advice based on first hand knowledge?


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## Nicnac (16 July 2013)

GG - don't think horse is young.

OP - is this the cob you have just bought as your first horse?  Think she's trying it on with you now she's settled down into new home.  She may also be a bit irritated with this hot weather and flies.

You need to be firm with her and very very consistent in what  you ask.  Always handle her in the same way and let her know when she is out of order by saying 'no' firmly.  Do you have an instructor who can help you?

Any photos?


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## Sjb1 (16 July 2013)

Thanks for your reply. She's an older horse at 17. I think she is bolshy as she is trying it on with me and can maybe sense I'm novice and a bit nervous. Was just wondering how I could stand my ground and show her I'm not going to let her get away with it and show her bad manors are unacceptable. 
Is raising your voice the best option or something like that? 
Xx


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## PolarSkye (16 July 2013)

Sjb1 said:



			Thanks for your reply. She's an older horse at 17. I think she is bolshy as she is trying it on with me and can maybe sense I'm novice and a bit nervous. Was just wondering how I could stand my ground and show her I'm not going to let her get away with it and show her bad manors are unacceptable. 
Is raising your voice the best option or something like that? 
Xx
		
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Hi - it would be helpful to know exactly what she is doing so that we can give you some constructive suggestions . . . terms like bolshy and bargey are quite generic.  Is she running over you, a pain to lead, barging past you out of her stable, not respecting your space when tied up?  

P


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## Dry Rot (16 July 2013)

I know what you mean but I don't think animals can be "naughty", can they? Wouldn't that mean they have human morals and know right from wrong?

I know that I had an age of enlightenment when I realised that animals respond to triggers (what some trainers like to call "commands") which initiate patterns of behaviour and when I had come to realise that I'd made a major breakthrough in training.

So, try not to think about "naughtiness" and behaviour in our moralistic human terms but, "What happened or what did I do to make the horse behave the way it did? And what can I do to change that so it does what I want?"  

Maybe you are just doing some routine thing differently from previous owners and the horse is responding with behaviour you don't find acceptable? Nothing in Nature happens by accident. There is always a reason, even if we don't know what it is!

As for exerting control and leadership, more ground work? Back to basics?


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## ZoeF (16 July 2013)

Hi I've had my first horse for 3 1/2 months now and went through a similar thing. First few weeks were lovely, he was an angel and then he started trying his luck, pulling back when tied up, head up when trying to put his bridle on, trying to walk over me, stepping off when I was mounting, napping out the gate etc etc all just trying to be the Boss of me. 
After taking advise (and having his teeth and tack checked re: the bridle issue) I have become firmer with him, for example with the walking over me, if he steps into my space I tell him to go back a step and make him do it, with breaking the string when tied up it didnt happen often but he would litterally do it and sigh as if to say 'well thats that job done' so for a couple of weeks I loose tied him and when he looked to start to take that step back I raised my voice saying 'no' and told him to 'stand up' as I wanted him to. 
Just raising my voice and being firmer on the ground seems to have helped and has improved our ridden issues too as he now sees me as Boss and does as he's asked


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## oldie48 (18 July 2013)

I think she just is trying to establish where she is in the pcking order, above or below you. I've had a number of older horses (and younger) who have done jsut the same once they have settled in. Don't worry, she has obviously been taught manners, but try to make your body language more dominent ie she should move out of your space not the other way round, at 17 she'll understand "no"  but don't shout or scream at her but be quietly firm. Get help and take advice from more experienced people, You don't need to reinvent the wheel, people who have been around horses all their life make it look so easy but it's a skill we all have to learn. Good luck, I'm sure you'll be fine.


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## _GG_ (18 July 2013)

Nicnac said:



			GG - don't think horse is young.


Any photos?
		
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My apologies....stupid inability to read in a hurry.

Agree with other posters, lots of horses will go through a stage of testing the boundaries.

Be firm but fair and it'll pass xx


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## JillA (19 July 2013)

There is a quick and easy way using body language involving teaching her to respect your space and follow behind you when you are leading. It is really difficult to describe rather than show, but see if you can find someone in your area who will spend 20 minutes teaching you how to do it. It is non violent, and low key but says a huge amount to a horse in terms of how they would be expected to behave in a herd. Whereabouts in the country are you - if you are anywhere near NE Shropshire I could come and show you how to do it.
The other thing is set clear boundaries about what she is and isn't expected to do and stick to them - horses respect clear and consistent leadership. If she is asked to stand, keep placing her where she was if she moves, for example, and don't let her mug you for her feed - ask for a step back before you put her feed down for her.


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## Brightbay (19 July 2013)

You don't need to show your horse who's boss, you just need a horse who understands what you want when you ask, and does it.  It's not helpful to think of "being boss", because then you get a false idea that (a) the horse knows what you want and is choosing not to do it all the time and (b) being "boss" magically means they will suddenly just get on and do it. It's not nearly this simple! In fact, what normally happens is that horses are taught (often inadvertently) by their owners how to do a whole range of things - be led, stand and wait, stand tied up, move back in stable, stand at mounting block.  Then they move, and all the familiar things that "cue" these behaviours have changed.  For the first few weeks, the horse is confused and is trying to find the familiar cues so everybody muddles through - but at the same time, the new owner may not be giving the clear signals the horse is used to, so on say 1 out of 4 times, the horse misinterprets the signal and does something else and the owner responds - so the horse's previous knowledge about what to do when becomes all muddied up.  Then behaviour gradually breaks down and the new owner blames the horse for being "bolshy", where in fact it is simply a translation and training issue.

What you need to do - instead of getting all worried that the horse is lurking in their stable every night plotting a take over bid - is work out exactly what you want the horse to do, when, and how you're going to ask them.  Then train them to do that, quietly and calmly.  Every time they get it right, praise and reward them, and they'll start doing it more often.  No point getting worried and telling them off if they get it wrong, since all you're doing is saying "don't do it THAT way" and leaving it entirely open to them what to do instead.

So in short - work out what you want.  Teach the horse how you are going to ask for this. Make sure - by their responses - that they understand you. Reward them when they get it right.

And at the end, you will have a pleasant and trusting relationship with your horse without having to worry that if you slack up for 30 seconds, the horse will be trying to take over


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## philamena (19 July 2013)

Brightbay said:



			You don't need to show your horse who's boss, you just need a horse who understands what you want when you ask, and does it.  It's not helpful to think of "being boss", because then you get a false idea that (a) the horse knows what you want and is choosing not to do it all the time and (b) being "boss" magically means they will suddenly just get on and do it. It's not nearly this simple! In fact, what normally happens is that horses are taught (often inadvertently) by their owners how to do a whole range of things - be led, stand and wait, stand tied up, move back in stable, stand at mounting block.  Then they move, and all the familiar things that "cue" these behaviours have changed.  For the first few weeks, the horse is confused and is trying to find the familiar cues so everybody muddles through - but at the same time, the new owner may not be giving the clear signals the horse is used to, so on say 1 out of 4 times, the horse misinterprets the signal and does something else and the owner responds - so the horse's previous knowledge about what to do when becomes all muddied up.  Then behaviour gradually breaks down and the new owner blames the horse for being "bolshy", where in fact it is simply a translation and training issue.

What you need to do - instead of getting all worried that the horse is lurking in their stable every night plotting a take over bid - is work out exactly what you want the horse to do, when, and how you're going to ask them.  Then train them to do that, quietly and calmly.  Every time they get it right, praise and reward them, and they'll start doing it more often.  No point getting worried and telling them off if they get it wrong, since all you're doing is saying "don't do it THAT way" and leaving it entirely open to them what to do instead.

So in short - work out what you want.  Teach the horse how you are going to ask for this. Make sure - by their responses - that they understand you. Reward them when they get it right.

And at the end, you will have a pleasant and trusting relationship with your horse without having to worry that if you slack up for 30 seconds, the horse will be trying to take over 

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Great reply. Whenever they move home they have to relearn quite a few things based on the "new" signals from their new owners, at the same time as everything else being different. Especially if they're young or have had only one owner before, they can build up quite a few little frustrations and sometimes boil over. This is my theory for why the 'testing' tends to kick in after a few weeks rather than immediately. Remembering this can be really useful when you're beginning to feel overwhelmed / useless / like they hate you. It's about just calmly and firmly asserting your new signals and behaviours - and sometimes changing them if a different way works better. Getting them into a routine asap after they move is really key.


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## chestnut cob (19 July 2013)

Brightbay said:



			instead of getting all worried that the horse is lurking in their stable every night plotting a take over bid
		
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This is my favourite ever quote on this forum!  

Great post from BB and all very true.

It's all about consistency.  What do I want my horse to do?  Does he already know/ been taught how to do it?  If not, how am I going to teach him?  Then reward the little try.  If you're teaching something for the first time, don't expect perfection.  Reward him for trying, then he will want to do it again and will offer you a bit more each time.


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## On the Hoof (19 July 2013)

Just to say that this thread is really helpful, am going through similar issues with my cob who I have had about 10 weeks and seems to be going thru a personality change..we have got a routine down but am really going to think about how I ask her to do things now.


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## florayG (25 July 2013)

Brightbay said:



			- instead of getting all worried that the horse is lurking in their stable every night plotting a take over bid -
		
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yes I found this funny and very apt too until I thought about how many people I know who truly believe their horse does this...that's not so funny...poor horses


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## Littlemissmerlin (25 July 2013)

Just wanted to say, what a great post with really helpful advice


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## jackson555 (25 July 2013)

Hello, tbh with you I have never been in this situation myself however my friend brought a hirse once and he was being very bargy taking the mic a bit. So what my friend did was lunge him with side reins and everything kept making him do as she said so he knew she was the boss. I don't know if you or others will agree with this but it certainly worked for her he didn't try and take the mic no more!  also she did thing like when she gave him his dinner she would put it on the floor stand imbertween the feed an the horse so the horse couldn't get to it and she would stand there until the horse would stand and wait then say ok and let him eat. Also when she took him out of his stable she would open the door get a riding crop say wait in a firm voice if he tried to run out she woul threaten to hit him with the crop (she never actully hit him!) she would make him wait there for a bit then get the head collar out put it on him making him stand there for a bit more then take him out. It shows them that your in charge. I must say her methods works extremely well her horse has no bad stable manners when she goes into the stable he walks back out of the way of the door she can open his stable door wide open walk all aroun the yard come back he will still be standing there. 
Hope this helps x if you want I will ask her what other things shej did with him


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## Pearlsasinger (28 July 2013)

OP, if I were you, I'd follow BB's advice.  JillA is also right when she says its about body language.
Consistency is key.


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## Tarbs (30 July 2013)

I was the same when I got my boy. I was a bit nervous, especially when he used to rear when I caught him & try to tank off through the gate! I invested in a Be-nice headcollar, took advice from my YO and other, more experienced liveries on how to handle him and then had a few ground work lessons with a Monty Roberts instructor. 

All of this made a huge difference and now a year down the line we have a great relationship and I love him so much (didn't when I first got him!). It does take time but you'll get there. Good luck.


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## Suzie G (31 July 2013)

When I bought our latest pony he was exactly the same. He tried it on with everyone new he came in contact with, me my husband and my daughter.

He quickly decided me and my husband were no pushover, but he carried on for a while with my daughter.

We spent ages just walking around in hand, every time he overtook, stop and make him walk backwards for a few steps. 

In his stable when she went to put his bridle on he would turn his back on her so now she is going with a couple of pony nuts, he gets 1 at the start and the other 1 when he's got his bridle on.

Never any shouting or hitting, just firm commands.

It's taking a long time but he is so much better and it's a big learning curve for him. My daughter finds it hard as her other pony is so well mannered he wouldn't even think of doing anything that s not right or proper!


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