Pushy Horse?
- Debbie
- Oct 21, 2016
- 1 min read
We got this horse as an older guy. While he is a very sweet boy, he also had some habits that had become ingrained. One such habit was being pushy - especially when food was involved. While we have worked consistently on this and he is much better, every now and again his old behavior will surface.
One such time occurred recently when my farrier was here for a trim. When I went into the paddock with the farrier, my horse was convinced I was there to turn him out into the grass. He was totally fixated on the grass, getting to it, and absolutely wanted no part of a standing still for the farrier. Not a good scenario for any of us.
The next time my farrier was coming, I brought some vetiver essential oil to the barn with me. I had worked on his pushy behavior in the meantime, but I was taking no chances. I offered the vetiver to my horse. He was definitely interested in it and inhaled deeply. During this entire session with the farrier he stood quietly with his head resting on my chest!
While we all know that there is no substitute for good training, it is also nice to have a backup in your toolbox!
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