My horse is a bit flanky,ie doesn,t like me grooming around his flank.?

Question

He is also touchy when you do up the leg straps on his rug,yesterday he went to kick me. Does anyone have a remedy for this and if so how?

Answer 1

what you need to do is keep touching him in that area with different things, like brushes, blankets and anything else you can think of. He is either doing this 1) because no one really spent alot of time brushing him out around his flank and legs or 2) someone hurt him down around that area and he is untrusting. I advise just doing small things to touch him down there as much as you  can and he will simmer out of it and when he tries and kick you grab that leg and hold it for a second this will get him out of the kicking at you because he wont like how you can grab his leg and he will keep it on the ground. Also if the kicking become too much what I did with a kicker is I took two lead lines and put them on my horses halter and ties them behind his hind legs so he wouldnt kick out as it would make him fall over because of becoming unbalanced and then I did whatever I needed to do back there. this will keep you safe and hardly stresses the horse out. Hope I helped!

**Edit*** also in my words it almost seemed like I said my horse fell over and thats why he stopped lol I ment to say he will feel like he is going to fall over so he will stop kicking. My horse has never fell over from this!

Answer 2

We had a mare do this. Once she got used to a certain person handling her she was fine. But if a different person handled her, she'd repeat her pattern. It was obviously a trust thing.

Only advise I have is be ready to be nimble, stand facing the hindquarters all the time, the closer into her belly you stand the safer you are from getting a kick.

Sorry I don't have a remedy, only patience with him.

Answer 3

While holding onto his lead take a blanket and just toss it at his sides so it 'whomps' on him.  Not hard....not like you are beating him with it.  Just as if you are trying to toss it up and miss and it hits his sides/flank/rump.

When he stops moving around then you stop immediately and let him rest.

Start again. Don't stop until he stops moving.

Be careful he doesn't move into your space so keep your hand up near his eye (about a foot from it).  If he turns his head into YOU ...smack/tap fingers on his cheek under his eye.  I normally use the heel of my palm.

Now use the (long)lead end to toss over his back and around his legs.  Don't stop til he stops then let him rest.

Time to tie a plastic baggie to the end of a long dressage whip.  Rub this over his shoulders and back...then sides and front legs. Top of neck and under neck and then all over the front part again until he's ok with it.

NOW...venturing down his back and sides towards his flanks...rub. rub rub. Not tickle mind you...rub with the stick.

If he's bothered in an area retreat a little then slowly work your way back.  Don't stop til he stops.

continue down again.

This may take a week of repeating..depending on his mind.

Funny..this is what I am doing now with my filly.

She's freaky with her back legs now.  Used to be any touching from her hips back.

Answer 4

take your hands and just rub up by the horses neck.. move along his body until you reach right next to his flank. in a quick but easy motion swipe your hands across his flank. then go back to rubbing. this time use a brush. do the same thing that you did with your hands

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The way i find works best:

attach a lead rope to the halter of your horse. take another leadrope or one of those stick things and start wacking the ground beside your horse DON'T HIT HIM. make sure he doesn't spooke to it and then take the rope or stick and tap his neck and then wack the ground ( do this until the horse doesn't jump anymore ) then move down tel you get to his belly. do the same thing as you did before.. then move to his flank.. lightly tap ( don't hit forcefully) then do this over and over and over again until he doesn't mind if you do this to his flank.. move along all the body parts and then ( on a lead rope ) try to groom by your horses flank. if he jumps do that las excerise again. don't lket him be boss

Answer 5

If you can't touch him with your hand, use a dressage whip. Rub the horse with your hand/whip until he relaxes. Then stop. Let him think about what happened for a few seconds, then rub again. Only stop when he relaxes. Rub his body/neck/head/legs/belly/hip - every part of him, even by his sheath. Progress slowly, build on one part at a time, and only move on when the part you started with no longer bothers him.

When you have finished rubbing with your hand, do the same thing with a saddle pad, or a bag tied to the end of the whip. Rub and rub and only stop when he relaxes. When you stop rubbing, you take away the pressure. When you take away the pressure, you give him a chance to think. When you take away the pressure at the exact moment he relaxes, he learns that you want him to relax. Taking away the pressure is the reward. So, he learns that you aren't going to hurt him. Timing is crucial.  This will take time and consistency.

Answer 6

It is possible that he is ticklish in that area - take care but don't be too delicate about it. we did have this issue with my daughter's pony when we first got him - if he was touched lightly he would kick out but if the touch was firm he was fine with it.