Meet Pearl, New Horse

[promiseacres]

Don't take @Baymule's hay.... she might kick...
it's good to hear she's feeling better. Am sure you'll nip any naughtiness in the bud
Feeding a 1000# food aggressive animal is no joke.

 

[Baymule]

Wouldn't you know it? Here we are discussing food aggressive and Pearl got a little too anxious as I poured her feed in the tub. All I did, I swear, was to put out my arm, palm up in a "stop" signal and she tossed her head...… WHAM! It IS a Pig Palace with low ceilings (pigs are short) and Pearl whalloped her head on the ceiling. Talk about a DO NOT CROWD ME lesson!!! She shied away with me telling her, "I didn't do that to you, you did that to yourself." I put my arm up again, palm up, and held her off for several minutes. And that's all I did. She came towards me several times, but "tell it to the hand" stopped her in her tracks. That mean ol' hand knocked her in the head and she didn't want any more of it. I went soft on my posture and she came in to eat. I rubbed her neck and talked to her. It should be interesting to see how she behaves tomorrow.

After our discussion, I got to remembering a mare I once had. She was 16.2 hands and weighed over 1200 pounds. She challenged Sparkles, my TWH mare who was and at 31 years old, still is the lead mare. Sparkles chased her away from the herd, not letting her eat, so I took her tub further away to feed her. Sparkles went out of her way to chase that mare away. I upturned a bucket to sit on, just to watch the herd dynamics. This went on for days. Sparkles would not let her near. That poor mare stood on the outer fringes, badly wanting "in" but Sparkles wasn't having it. Finally, after a week, Sparkles let her join the herd. Thoroughly chastised, the mare took her place in the herd, #2, right behind Sparkles.

This big mare got food aggressive. At over 1200 pounds, it could get to be a problem real fast. I got a plastic grocery bag and shook it at her, chased her away from her feed and to add insult to injury, picked up handfulls of feed and pretended to eat it. I just did to her what I observed Sparkles doing to her. I did this for several weeks and every so often, gave her a 'tuneup" lest she forget.

 

[B&B Happy goats]

Wouldn't you know it? Here we are discussing food aggressive and Pearl got a little too anxious as I poured her feed in the tub. All I did, I swear, was to put out my arm, palm up in a "stop" signal and she tossed her head...… WHAM! It IS a Pig Palace with low ceilings (pigs are short) and Pearl whalloped her head on the ceiling. Talk about a DO NOT CROWD ME lesson!!! She shied away with me telling her, "I didn't do that to you, you did that to yourself." I put my arm up again, palm up, and held her off for several minutes. And that's all I did. She came towards me several times, but "tell it to the hand" stopped her in her tracks. That mean ol' hand knocked her in the head and she didn't want any more of it. I went soft on my posture and she came in to eat. I rubbed her neck and talked to her. It should be interesting to see how she behaves tomorrow.

After our discussion, I got to remembering a mare I once had. She was 16.2 hands and weighed over 1200 pounds. She challenged Sparkles, my TWH mare who was and at 31 years old, still is the lead mare. Sparkles chased her away from the herd, not letting her eat, so I took her tub further away to feed her. Sparkles went out of her way to chase that mare away. I upturned a bucket to sit on, just to watch the herd dynamics. This went on for days. Sparkles would not let her near. That poor mare stood on the outer fringes, badly wanting "in" but Sparkles wasn't having it. Finally, after a week, Sparkles let her join the herd. Thoroughly chastised, the mare took her place in the herd, #2, right behind Sparkles.

This big mare got food aggressive. At over 1200 pounds, it could get to be a problem real fast. I got a plastic grocery bag and shook it at her, chased her away from her feed and to add insult to injury, picked up handfulls of feed and pretended to eat it. I just did to her what I observed Sparkles doing to her. I did this for several weeks and every so often, gave her a 'tuneup" lest she forget.

Cool story Bay, if anyone can recondition Pearl, it's you. She will learn things...your way

 

[Baymule]

It's not so hard, just speak their language. People always want to pat a horse. In response, I pat them. Right on their forehead, pat, pat, pat, pat,pat, pat.....while they look at me like I am nuts. "Is this annoying?" YES! "Well when you do that to a horse, it is annoying." In the horse world, there is NO PATTING. They do not pat each other. Ever. Patting is not in their language.

A mare licks her foal, long, loving licks and it is soothing, calming. So give your horse long, loving strokes with your hand. Horses will scratch each other with their teeth, so scratch your horse's favorite spots.

In the same way, horses never pick up a 2x4 and club each other over the head. So why do people do it? I am no trainer in the sense that I can teach a show horse, but I can listen to them when they speak through their actions. There are people here on this forum much, much better than I, but I think Pearl and I will works things out, that will make both of us happy.

 

[Amelie the Bee Keeper]

@B&B Happy goats Yes, I know you were joking, but there are horse greenhorns reading this thread who may not realize how serious a matter this is. I worked as a feeder at a barn for a few years, and I know first hand that, when you just come in, put down the feed, and leave, an awful lot of horses will assume that they can push you around. I lost count of the number that I had to remind that it ain't their feed until I says it's their feed . . . and believe me, there's nothing like snarling at a skinny horse for trying to grab a mouthful of hay to make you feel like a bully. But having had to carry a weapon (usually a lead rope) into a stall for weeks because the horse inside would attack anyone carrying feed or hay really drove home to me how bad food aggression can be.

I had to put away this 17h giant (Great for someone who is 5'2") and he had some hay in his stall. Welp! He was a good boy that time but all I need to do is a wide turn and push him. I hate how pushy some can be but I have learned! You should not mess with the short lady at the barn or else there will some payment! JK, I wouldn't do anything bad to a horse as I am very sensitive but I will give them a good little smack on their shoulder. I am not like that lady at my old barn who hit a horse very hard on his face!

 

[Amelie the Bee Keeper]

Wouldn't you know it? Here we are discussing food aggressive and Pearl got a little too anxious as I poured her feed in the tub. All I did, I swear, was to put out my arm, palm up in a "stop" signal and she tossed her head...… WHAM! It IS a Pig Palace with low ceilings (pigs are short) and Pearl whalloped her head on the ceiling. Talk about a DO NOT CROWD ME lesson!!! She shied away with me telling her, "I didn't do that to you, you did that to yourself." I put my arm up again, palm up, and held her off for several minutes. And that's all I did. She came towards me several times, but "tell it to the hand" stopped her in her tracks. That mean ol' hand knocked her in the head and she didn't want any more of it. I went soft on my posture and she came in to eat. I rubbed her neck and talked to her. It should be interesting to see how she behaves tomorrow.

After our discussion, I got to remembering a mare I once had. She was 16.2 hands and weighed over 1200 pounds. She challenged Sparkles, my TWH mare who was and at 31 years old, still is the lead mare. Sparkles chased her away from the herd, not letting her eat, so I took her tub further away to feed her. Sparkles went out of her way to chase that mare away. I upturned a bucket to sit on, just to watch the herd dynamics. This went on for days. Sparkles would not let her near. That poor mare stood on the outer fringes, badly wanting "in" but Sparkles wasn't having it. Finally, after a week, Sparkles let her join the herd. Thoroughly chastised, the mare took her place in the herd, #2, right behind Sparkles.

This big mare got food aggressive. At over 1200 pounds, it could get to be a problem real fast. I got a plastic grocery bag and shook it at her, chased her away from her feed and to add insult to injury, picked up handfulls of feed and pretended to eat it. I just did to her what I observed Sparkles doing to her. I did this for several weeks and every so often, gave her a 'tuneup" lest she forget.

That is smart and funny too but horses who are [food] aggressive are no joke! Best way to teach them is like what other horses would do to them

 

[frustratedearthmother]

ight on their forehead, pat, pat, pat, pat,pat, pat.....

I used to work with a vet who would do that to distract a horse... pat, pat, pat...(or more correctly - tap, tap, tap, tap, tap) right between their eyes. Works like a charm! But, it works because it is annoying enough to the horse that it diverts their attention.

 

[High Desert Cowboy]

Wouldn't you know it? Here we are discussing food aggressive and Pearl got a little too anxious as I poured her feed in the tub. All I did, I swear, was to put out my arm, palm up in a "stop" signal and she tossed her head...… WHAM! It IS a Pig Palace with low ceilings (pigs are short) and Pearl whalloped her head on the ceiling. Talk about a DO NOT CROWD ME lesson!!! She shied away with me telling her, "I didn't do that to you, you did that to yourself." I put my arm up again, palm up, and held her off for several minutes. And that's all I did. She came towards me several times, but "tell it to the hand" stopped her in her tracks. That mean ol' hand knocked her in the head and she didn't want any more of it. I went soft on my posture and she came in to eat. I rubbed her neck and talked to her. It should be interesting to see how she behaves tomorrow.

After our discussion, I got to remembering a mare I once had. She was 16.2 hands and weighed over 1200 pounds. She challenged Sparkles, my TWH mare who was and at 31 years old, still is the lead mare. Sparkles chased her away from the herd, not letting her eat, so I took her tub further away to feed her. Sparkles went out of her way to chase that mare away. I upturned a bucket to sit on, just to watch the herd dynamics. This went on for days. Sparkles would not let her near. That poor mare stood on the outer fringes, badly wanting "in" but Sparkles wasn't having it. Finally, after a week, Sparkles let her join the herd. Thoroughly chastised, the mare took her place in the herd, #2, right behind Sparkles.

This big mare got food aggressive. At over 1200 pounds, it could get to be a problem real fast. I got a plastic grocery bag and shook it at her, chased her away from her feed and to add insult to injury, picked up handfulls of feed and pretended to eat it. I just did to her what I observed Sparkles doing to her. I did this for several weeks and every so often, gave her a 'tuneup" lest she forget.

Mares! They love to hate each other. When I was cowboying, we ran over 75 horses that we divided into 3 smaller corrals, one large corral, and the idiot pasture. We’d put everyone into the large gen pop corral and over a week separate some into the other corrals. We had the gator pit (mostly half drafts), the colt pen, and the b**** pen for the mares. Idiot pasture was reserved for the owners Percheron mares, the name is self explanatory. Jack did great in gen pop with his dad and brothers. But bro is a fighting beggar and went to the colt pen where they wouldn’t try to fight back. When we got home, Bro would push Jack around the same way, so I put him in the round corral and we had a talk. Then we’d go back and if he acted up I’d chase him out until he’d lower his head and ask to be let in. We love em, but they got to understand who’s the Alpha. With two or three, that’s easy to establish at feeding time. Sounds like Pearl is coming along fine. I do like a Tennessee walker, they’re definitely a smooth ride. You could put a beverage on your saddle horn and there wouldn’t be a ripple.

 

[Bruce]

Would you consider adopting this old nag ?

Only if you are willing to eat hay and grain.

 

[robhuncor]

Can you take a close look of the bump on Pearl's back, about where the back of the saddle would be? I tried looking it up and found something called "hunter's back" and that a bump like that can be caused by an ill fitting saddle, which would be the more likely conclusion. Do you have any knowledge or experience about that? Most of what I was reading said that their horse had no pain from it. I have pressed down with my hands and she doesn't react.

Sorry,for some reason I have not been receiving the new posts. I agree with Amelie - that bump looks like a part of her spine that isn't normally sticking out there but should recede when she gains weight.
My experience has been almost exclusively with Thoroughbreds, mostly mares and foals, some stallions and horses off the racetrack. In my job, I often made rounds with the vet and wrote down all his comments and the results of his reproductive exams, and all other conditions he treated. It was a great learning experience. I have seen the conformation of a lot of different horses in all sorts of condition. That bump looks normal.