Pulling Ponies Won’t Quit Grass Grabbing In-Hand

Learn how to keep ponies, Miniature Horses, and full-sized horses from pulling and grazing when you lead them.
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Pulling Ponies Won
When working on the basics of leading, use positive reinforcement and reward your horse each time he makes a positive step in the process. | Photo: iStock

Q: My Miniature Horse pulls on me to graze when I’m leading him. How can I lead him without him eating grass? — Allison, Ohio

A: Miniature Horses and ponies, with their strong and short little necks and incredible food motivation, can be formidable! It doesn’t take too many successful maneuvers for any horse or pony to learn they are stronger than you.

There are a few simple methods of countering the head-down grazing behavior. Rather than trying to pull straight up, pull your horse’s head to the side to turn in a tight circle or engage the hind end into moving by a light tap or swing of the end of the lead rope. Getting the horse to move forward is counter to planting his feet and nose to the ground

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Prior to attending veterinary school, Dr. Nancy Diehl completed a master’s degree in animal science while studying stallion sexual behavior. Later, she completed a residency in large animal internal medicine at the University of Pennsylvania’s New Bolton Center and worked in equine practices in Missouri and Pennsylvania. Diehl also spent six years on faculty at Penn State, where she taught equine science and behavior courses and advised graduate students completing equine behavior research. Additionally, Diehl has co-authored scientific papers on stallion behavior, early intensive handling of foals, and feral horse contraception. Currently she is a practicing veterinarian in central Pennsylvania.

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