Biting partner

[Doc]

Hello all,

I have a pair of Haflingers, gelding and a mare, who are together 24/7 and get along well in the paddock.  The issue I have is that the gelding will reach over and snip/bite at the mare when going from walk to trot or when making a sharper turn.  I can usually manage with a half-halt like squeeze of the outside reign, tap of the whip, or a firm verbal chide.  He seems mad at her.  I have thought that he is doing more of the work when this happens, but clearly this is not the case all of the time.  It almost seems as if it has become an automatic response to asking for the upward transition.  Any ideas on how to eliminate this?  Thanks.

Doc

[Tom McIntire]

Had the exact same issue with my pair when they started. Ruby would “snip at” Pearl when she was making transitions. The root of it was indeed that Ruby was working harder, but it became habit.

 

We put a check-rein on the outside only, to keep her from being able to reach her sister. It is a delicate balance, as you can’t keep the horse from bending properly, but you need to limit them enough to prevent them reaching the other half of the pair. We put the check rein straight to the bit, and it did the job. She “banged into it” once or twice, then decided not to try it again.

 

After a couple months like this, she stopped trying entirely, then we removed the check.

 

As a friend once said to me, when driving a pair, there are three conversations:

                You and the near horse

                You and the off-side horse

                The two horses

Unfortunately, you are not always privy to the conversation between the two horses.

 

-Tom

--
www.DrivingPairs.com
 
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google
Groups "DrivingPairs" group.
To post to this group, send email to drivin...@googlegroups.com
To unsubscribe from this group, send email to
drivingpairs...@googlegroups.com
For more options, including setting to DIGEST, visit this group at
http://groups.google.com/group/drivingpairs?hl=en?hl=en
Choose EDIT MY MEMBERSHIP on the right side of the page.

---
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "DrivingPairs" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to drivingpairs...@googlegroups.com.
To post to this group, send email to drivin...@googlegroups.com.
Visit this group at https://groups.google.com/group/drivingpairs.
For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.

[sstarrr]

Hi Doc-

 

I had this problem also.  You can't pussy-foot around with this.  An accurate sharp sting on the inside of the neck from the whip is what you want.  It must be instant, and it must be sharp.  Don't bother with verbal.

 

It does not matter what your gelding's excuse is:  crowding, pulling, "looking at me funny", he still can't bite.

 

After the first time my gelding (recently a stud at the time) got this treatment, he tried it again but only half-heartedly.  And he got stung again.  The third time, he did not make actual contact, but he got stung again.  It has never happened since.

 

Let us know how it goes.

 

-Cheers, Catherine in SoCal

[Helen Garza Roeder]

Hi Doc,

I agree with Catherine.  Sting him until he stops doing it.  He can be the alpha out in the pasture but not in harness……ever!   You are always the alpha. Trust that you’ll only have to sting him once, maybe twice, and perhaps a half hearted third time…..he’ll be testing you.   You gotta pass his tests or keep having the problem.  

Please give us a report on your progress.  

Safe driving, 

Helen 

[Mary Ruth Marks]

great advice.  glad to see ya’ll are diligent still.

Mary Ruth Marks
www.maryruthmarks.com
maryru...@gmail.com
608-513-7490

[Tom McIntire]

OK, so I am a bit more “passive” about it than some, at least initially. J. That said, I agree, the key is that the whip is the alpha, not either of the horses. To that end, it must be asserted no matter what.

 

For what it is worth, Ruby was the Alpha of the pair. (we lost her to colic a few weeks ago).

 

And no, I am not afraid to apply a sharp snap or crack of the whip, when needed.

 

-Tom

[Leigh Semilof]

I had a similar problem with two geldings in a pair. The trainer put a jerk line on the outside ring of the bit on the worst offender. Used the whip as well. Neither worked. I had to retire him from the pair. Now working with two new young ones and hope it doesn't happen with these guys.

[Helen Garza Roeder]

> For what it is worth, Ruby was the Alpha of the pair. (we lost her to colic a few weeks ago).
>

Tom,

I’m so sorry to hear about your loss of Ruby. Many of us know how hard it is to lose one of our pair.

Helen

[Heidi Forchemer]

I am also very sorry for your loss. I've been there and it was devastating! I lost an 8-year-old Haflinger gelding from my first team in 2002 to torsion. I wish you all the best.

Heidi Forchemer

[Doc]

Dear Friends,

Glad to have awakened the group.  Interesting that the gelding who is the offender is the passive one to the mare at all other times.  He would not dare do that to her in the paddock.  The mare is usually a trooper when this happens (biting) she puts her head down and does her job.  At times, however, she will bite back and it can get ugly.  Getting after both of them tends to sort it out quickly and they settle in.  Mostly they go very well together, but I want to be rid of this biting business.  My concern with getting heavy handed is that they will tear off, though I know I will get them back quickly.  Secondly I know that they will then be at each other.  If so, do  I just clock the gelding or both of them?  I like the check rein idea that Tom offered.  I know to clip to the outside ring of the bit on the gelding and then through the neck terret.  Is final connection to the water hook or the outside saddle terret?  Thanks.  On another note this is the pair I ended up with after loosing a gelding to colic as well.  Both of these Hafflies are a joy to drive as singles and we generally drive 2 times/week as singles and 2-3 times/week as a pair.  More time now with full retirement.

Doc

[Heidi Forchemer]

This happens with one of my pairs. The biting mare is subordinate in the herd and in the hitch appears to try to take charge.  She also likes to go slower than the other, and also nips when forced to work harder than she would like.  It isn't a major problem and the two work very well together in general.  I am learning from all of these comments and will be applying them. Thanks!

Heidi Forchemer