Would you smack a pony for being naughty ?

brighthair

sarabe wrote: »

I find it quite odd that it seems to be perfectly acceptable to 'smack' a horse, a dog or a child, yet if we were to smack another adult we would be guilty of assault.

Have you seen the damage a horse can do to a human? I will not let any horse walk all over me, bite me, push me about or barge me. Whether I have to growl, push them back, or yes, slap them
That doesn't mean I am advocating hitting dogs or children. There's a small size difference, and a horse will feel a smack a lot less than a small child

sarabe

brighthair wrote: »

Have you seen the damage a horse can do to a human? I will not let any horse walk all over me, bite me, push me about or barge me. Whether I have to growl, push them back, or yes, slap them
That doesn't mean I am advocating hitting dogs or children. There's a small size difference, and a horse will feel a smack a lot less than a small child

Yes. I bare the scars from both horses and dogs that have previously been 'trained' using physical punishment.

brighthair

sarabe wrote: »

Yes. I bare the scars from both horses and dogs that have previously been 'trained' using physical punishment.

I don't train a horse by using physical punishment. However if a horse that is well trained bites me, I will discipline the horse. And if a horse that has been taught how to lead well in hand, decides to try and barge me, I will push the horse back over and growl.Each to their own, but I would rather have well mannered, happy horses than horses that are allowed to walk all over me. I think routine and discipline leads to happy horses. A horse that is allowed to do whatever it wants is like a small child with no structure
Out of interest - if a horse bites or barges you, what would you do?

CFC

sarabe wrote: »

I find it quite odd that it seems to be perfectly acceptable to 'smack' a horse, a dog or a child, yet if we were to smack another adult we would be guilty of assault.

That makes about as much sense as saying:

I find it quite odd that I have to go out to work to keep a roof over my head, but children dogs and horses don't have to, why is that acceptable?

sarabe

brighthair wrote: »

I don't train a horse by using physical punishment. However if a horse that is well trained bites me, I will discipline the horse. And if a horse that has been taught how to lead well in hand, decides to try and barge me, I will push the horse back over and growl.Each to their own, but I would rather have well mannered, happy horses than horses that are allowed to walk all over me. I think routine and discipline leads to happy horses. A horse that is allowed to do whatever it wants is like a small child with no structure
Out of interest - if a horse bites or barges you, what would you do?

I wold look at why the horse bites or barges. I wouldn't label him as 'bad' but try to see things from his point of view.

brighthair

sarabe wrote: »

I wold look at why the horse bites or barges. I wouldn't label him as 'bad' but try to see things from his point of view.

I would never label a horse as bad either. So if a horse sinks it's teeth into you, causing a huge injury - you just ignore it?

sarabe

If an animal bites it is because he has a need for self preservation, because he fears for his life. Hitting him will just reinforce this.

So no I wouldn't hit him as punishment and I would hope that I could read him and avoid putting him into a position of needing to bite.

Raksha

Humans seem to have this streak that says you have to *do* something when things go wrong - get even, whatever........
It's actually far more effective with any species of animal to make sure that for them, doing the right thing (i.e. what the human wants them to do) is more rewarding.........

Kimberley

MrsTine wrote: »

Hang on... so this is all based on a photo? Not a "witnessed" event? There is actually no evidence that the pony was even smacked with the whip???
I used to ride with a whip nearly all the time when I rode regularly. Be that race horses for my uncle, riding school nags or problem horses I was working on - never have I beaten a horse or "smacked" it for being naughty when it comes to jumping. I have hit a horse when it left a full set of teeth marks in my thigh - uppers and lowers and frankly I would again - vicious bleeding beast that mare was She was renowned for taking bites out of anyone getting within range...
Using whips when jumping - I've used them for encouraging horses over jumps by tapping their hind quarters, but never BEATEN them... and after all people hold whips differently...
Holding a whip like a jockey (having spent a summer training race horses at a racing stable) is fine if you're going in a straight line, it's not the easiest way to hold it if you're trying to get your horse to jump and you actually need control over it...

I guess the question really is DID they beat the pony? Or are people merely acting in outrage because of one misleading picture?

So you smacked your Horse for taking a bite out of you? That is just cruel. What right have you got to hit a Horse when that Horse would not have a clue why? People make me sick at the way they feel it is their right to abuse an animal it really does.

Jockeys whip a Horse to make them run faster. The Horse has no choice but to run faster. The Horse only knows it is being hurt, it doesn't know that it is being hurt because it is running too slow. Animals cannot speak English.

Kimberley

brighthair wrote: »

right so in that case we shouldn't be riding them at all

Not if it means you have to hit it to do what you want it to do no. I'm training my pup obedience but I wouldn't smack him into obeying me.