Oh ya, my horse kicks but whatevs. Haha

[crayonsmom]

I was bored today and browsing through MANY mutual friends on facebook. I'm not even friends with the person I'm posting about, which is good. lol. I still don't think I should post the picture (it's not very exciting anyway) but thought I'd share this piece of a quote:

"well he bucks going into the canter sometimes but he did actuall kick another

Comments

[lyonesse]

isn't it the custom to tie a red ribbon in such a horse's tail? or am i way out of fashion again? :)

[perididdle]

That's what I always read. Even if it's "old fashioned" or "silly," I would MUCH rather tie the ribbon than have to deal with feeling bad over my horse kicking another, when it was avoidable.

Plus, red ribbon can be bought for $2. The vet/med bills for a laceration across the horse behind you's chin or face? Not so much.

[what_the_eq]

Some people don't want to get their horse "looked down on" for having the ribbon. I know it's a real stigma in the hunter world. My old mare used to think about trying kick out at other ponies in the pony hunter classes soooo.... she got turned out in the herd for a while. Problem solved, no stigma or ribbon needed.

[truckersgirl]

lol I don't think your out of fashion. Most shows i've done people tie a red ribbon in the tail still. It's nice to know if the horse your coming up on is a kicker, nothing worse then your horse getting hurt cuz of someone else ignorance.

[candysgirl]

I've put my green as grass boy into canter classes when he still did a crowhop into the canter. Point wasn't to win the class. Point was to get him experience in the show ring. I entered everything we could even remotely do to get him experience at a show in an "I don't care about winning" setting.

However, the kicking out? Forget it. I wouldn't take a horse ANYWHERE near other people's horses if I knew my horse kicked. I'd resolve that problem long before he was going anywhere that put other people's horses at risk. Now, I realize that any horse has the potential to kick, but if I KNOW my horse kicks anytime another horse gets near him - I'm not taking him around other horses until I get that resolved.

[reffyca]

What makes me want to slap her face is that she thinks that this was funny.

[crayonsmom]

This this this! This is what I was thinking. I don't know how somebody can laugh that off. I'd be feeling terrible if my horse kicked somebody else's in the pasture, nevermind in the show ring.

[sweetie_pie0900]

I've been a victim twice of unmarked horses kicking at mine in classes.

First time, when I did have enough room to pass, the horse swung out and kicked at us, hit me in the shin (horse was fine thank goodness) and I blacked out in the class. On the lenient side, it was a green horse and it's first class, and she pulled him after that.

Second time I was on my green horse, and the horse in front of me exploded at the lope. I slammed on the brakes before we got close enough, but rattled the green horse a bit.

It's not fun seeing those horses in the ring, but I understand exposure is needed. I do not understand treating it like it's no big deal.

[merbear23]

Oh my gosh! =( Poor you and poor pony!

[lostrealist_05]

When a horse bucks, doesn't it mean that he's uncomfortable or rider error? That's not something really to brag about. That's like the "Check Engine" light coming on in a vehicle... Something needs fixed.

But that's my opinion...

[perididdle]

I've ridden a horse who crow-hopped/bucked because he was just a big effing load of TROUBLE. He's a gorgeous kid, big lovely-moving warmblood, with a scathing dislike for the comfort of human-shaped creatures. What needs to be fixed is his whole brain, but that's pretty expensive, so his cocky ego and lack of respect comes next. I've never met a horse I so readily agreed with using a crop on. He's a bully, pure and simple, not uncomfortable. (To be fair to the poor lad, his attitude is such that he must've had some experience when he was younger...we're pretty sure he was taught to jump by being smacked with a stick on his legs as he went over. =/ But he's pampered and fine now, and has no fear of humans, just a tendency to want them on the ground

[lostrealist_05]

Yea. That's what I was thinking. There's a difference between the "I'm feeling good!" bucks compared to one that kinda confused. I used to have a mare I learned to ride on that bucked every time I asked her to canter. But then again, I clamped my legs and held on like a tiger on a gazelle. Once I relaxed and was more comfortable with riding, she never did that again.

I used to work at a show barn and we had a warmblood too that was a complete jerk. He pretty much learned early on that he was bigger than people and was pretty dangerous. The one time I was in his stall booting him up for turnouts and he pushed me in the corner and raised one hoof up high like he was going to stomp me. I honestly don't remember how I got out of that because the adrenaline kicked in and I barely escaped. After that point I made sure I cross-tied him out of his stall before I booted him up. No more corners...

[perididdle]

That second story sounds like the guy I know! He used to be a William Woods horse, where his keepers (students) were supposed to NEVER blanket or tack him in his stall. One girl forgot that, and while she was in his stall, Boo grabbed her by the hip with his teeth and threw her into the wall. My instructor got a call that night and the next day he was starting a new life on the farm. xD