Pushy Horses

Differentiating between those who are a little in your space or want to engage a little too much and Pushy Horses, the horse that we are talking about here, a pushy horse, is one that is not aware of your personal space.  Maybe they are so distracted that they run over you or maybe they completely ignore you.  Working with pushy horses can indeed pose several risks and challenges. 

1. Safety Concerns: Pushy horses may invade your personal space, push, shove, or even bite. Such behavior can result in accidents and injuries to both the horse and the handler.

2. Lack of Respect: When a horse is pushy, it often indicates a lack of respect for the handler. This can create a power struggle and make it difficult to establish a trusting and cooperative relationship.

3. Ineffective Communication: Pushy horses often don’t respond well to traditional training methods because they may not understand or accept the handler’s authority. This can lead to frustration and an escalation of undesirable behavior.

4. Reinforcement of Undesired Behavior: Allowing pushy behavior to continue can reinforce these actions. Horses, like children, learn through consistent consequences. If they find that being pushy gets them what they want, they will continue to act this way.

5. Safety Risks for Others: Pushy horses can be a danger to others in their vicinity, such as other horses, handlers, or even bystanders. This poses a risk to the overall safety of the environment.

A simple fix for this is to place a barrier between the pushy horse and yourself. This allows you to work on things just as you would in a normal round-yard or pen, but in a safe and effective manner.