Kicking Out When Hitching

[Goranson Farm]

Princess kicked out for the first time while I was hitching her up yesterday…
The trace chain has rubbed some of the hair off of her outside leg, so I sure its sensitive and may have provoked it. She has also been kicking out when she is on the outside of a turn and the trace rubs against her leg. I have covered the trace and chain with padding that you would use on a halter but it doesn’t seem to have helped.

I don’t know how to respond to this behavior and any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

Carl

[Donn Hewes]

I don’t think they are sensitive as in ” it hurts”; but I do think she is sensitive in the sense that she has not gotten used to it touching her. The rubbing sort of indicates she has not learned to move away from it. Again doesn’t like it touching her, but doesn’t know what is the right thing to do about it. Most animals learn these lessons fairly easily without much effort on our part. Some need more coaching on moving over. Do you use a butt rope at all? I have never found a huge need for one as a safety tool, but do like to use them on green animals, and this year I really noticed how it was helping a particular mule learn to move over.
I have worked with other animals to teach this and found it difficult. some just have it, and other will be following with their hind end for every. Hopefully a better horse trainer than me will think of something intelligent to say!
The kicking is very frustrating, no matter what a horse likes or doesn’t like we would prefer that it didn’t learn this response. I would be watching to try and catch this horse just thinking about it. I would like to start correcting it right then if I could. Easier said than done.

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