| Author | Message | ||
     Dean Horsley |
We keep Kune Kune pigs and have experienced Horses backing away when they get near to them. I belive it is the smell as much as anything else. However a friend has kept their horse in the same field as our pigs for 2 years now. Once they meet and get over the initial concerns, they become best friends. My advice would be to introduce your horse to pigs, let it have a good sniff around for 15mins or so and hopefully that would cure it's concerns. | ||
| Philippa Foster |
All of my horses started off being terrified of pigs when they first arrived on my farm. They very quickly settled down and learned to live with them. Even the warmblood who arrived here later with a "phobia" realised the rest of the horses weren't bolting at the sight of Elvis! I started with the horses in a big field adjacent to a small pig field so they could come closer at their leisure. The hay or feed place was near the pig fence though. Eating therefore optional... I second Pat's suggestion of getting a pig (or borrowing one?) - but stabling on a pig farm may be too much for your pony initially and would be "flooding" if your pony is stabled close to lots of pigs - if he is very frightened, this could make him worse potentially in the long run as he remembers being terrified and trapped in a stable. You could get a tape recording from a pig farm of the cacophony of noises pigs make - sometimes this freaks them out. Also get some pig poo for him to smell and get used to - this can also be one of the scary smells about them from experience! Another pony who is happy with pigs to show him there is nothing to be scared of works well too. Word of warning though- you would need a holding number and a herd number (DEFRA) if you were to have even a single pet pig, and they do need considerations to their habitat, feed, wallow holes etc. Perhaps borrowing one would be better! I recommend Kune Kunes as the ones horses take to most easily :-) | ||
| Pat Cooper |
You have my sympathies. i am in the same boat ! We have outdoor pigs near us. My horses hate them and I avoid them like the plague. The only thing I can suggest is to long rein him past them without the carriage, with someone leading him as well, feed him next to them, or better still find farm with pigs and stable him with them for a while. Or alternatively, buy a pig and keep it with him. I would be interested to know how you go on. Good luck. | ||
| Sara Stokes |
Hi all, am new to this forum and have a 13.2 driving cob called harry. He is extremely well behaved and 'bombproof' in most ways EXCEPT pigs! I live in the new forest where at the moment pigs are turned loose on the forest until the end of november and we had a scary incident a couple of days ago. I lost my confidence driving a few years back due to a horse bolting with me but have since broken a couple and driven but this incident has knocked me back again. Am wondering if I should find a different horse to drive that wont have this issue or stick with him as lots of people have said that many horses wont tolerate pigs. Any advice on driving a horse past something which is very scary to him? He does eem petrified of them and as I said, at the moment I cant be sure of avoiding them if I take him out. I am capable of driving horses past mildly scary things but become terrified myself if they persist in shying/running due to my bolting incident. |