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  Discussion on Ear Pinning
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Member:
Longhorn

Posted on Thursday, May 13, 2004 - 12:20 am:

I've read some of the interesting experiences in this forum from owners whose horses pin their ears when being lunged, or being approached in the stall, or when they're in a pasture with other horses, etc.

I wouldn't exactly say my horse has a problem or a vice, but I think I've finally figured out why my 11-year old gelding pins his ears when we visit him in the barn. His stable mate, another 10-year old gelding, has a separate stall and corral. The horse in question, Ben, is what I would call an Alpha horse or a Class A Brat. He bullies my other horse the few times I'll put them together in the arena and he throws fits when he doesn't get his way or when he's really, really hungry. He'll do the usual, head shaking, squealing, ear pinning big time, giving petulent little kicks at nothing in particular, etc. He knows better than to do that in the proximity of me or my husband because we've shown him who the herd leaders are and Ben is very responsive on ground training and under saddle. He doesn't get aggressive with us in the stall, no kicking or nipping, but he sure does pin his ears at feeding time even though we may be standing outside his stall! At first, we returned his aggression with aggressive postures squaring our shoulders, looking straight at him and shooing him out of the stall. Ears still pinned. Then we tried assuming passive postures to be non-threatening (hunched, 90º angle to him) and speaking softly to him. Still, ears pinned. We've tried feeding him first before his stable mate, ears pinned. We've tried cajoling him into bringing his ears forward and rewarding him with treats, but he has only ever managed one ear barely twitching and then back to pinning his ears. He'll show respect by turning his head away at our intentional gaze, but will still pin his ears. If we walk away until his disposition improves, he relaxes and then when we approach the stall again, back go the ears. He does this ear pinning thing even after he's been fed!

The only thing I can think is that he's just a natural Brat. He feels the need to bully and threaten anyone or anything within his sphere of influence when it comes to food. He's basically trying to bully us into feeding him and then bully us into leaving him alone. I don't know where he developed this need given the fact that both horses are fed regularly every day, two to three times a day. The fact he has arthritis in his hocks may be the cause for some crankiness as well (we feed a glucosomine supplement).

The other horse is Mr. Mellow, laid back, kinda walks around wanting his dinner, but he doesn't have an aggressive bone in his body. I have never seen this guy pin his ears for anything.

So, I suppose the only answer is Ben-the-Brat is just "that way" and we might as well give up trying to improve his disposition at breakfast or dinner time. Any similar experiences from Brat owners?
Member:
Ajudson1

Posted on Thursday, May 13, 2004 - 9:01 am:

Hi Laura,

I was just thinking of writing a similiar post with the same questions/comments. In my case I think I know why our filly does this, but I don't know how to stop it either.

My daughters filly, Gem, was bought last year as a very malnourished bottem of the pecking order yearling. She was very timid at first, but as she gained weight the ear pinning began. She actually goes after my other 2 yr old with her mouth open, and, tries to kick him to pieces. And he's about 15.2, she's only about 13.3 hands tall. Gem will do this mostly at graining time, in the stalls, and a little while I am putting hay out. (they are fed in buckets hooked side by side across a 30 foot wall) I carry a buggy whip with me to keep all 5 of them in their places as I carry hay.

My guess is she's being a "brat", because she's just very worried about not getting enough to eat as that is what her life was before. She also shifts on her feet constantly while her head is in the bucket. She's between 2 dominate mares, which seems to help save the hide on my poor geldings. It seems in her case, she only picks on who she knows she can pick on, and leaves the rest alone. My concern is she may bite my daughter or one of us.

Rather than slapping her, I grab the rope she's hooked to and make her stay back til I dump her grain in. Only when she stands still does she get her head free to eat. She's the 3rd one in line to get fed so she has to wait a little before I even get to her. I imagine once she's in her own stall it'll be different. But until then I am curious also as to what other people have for advice about this.

I knew of one other horse that was awful at feeding time. In fact, he would chase people outa of the pasture, ears pinned. In his case he had been hit by a truck, and was under it for a spell, or so was the story I heard. So perhaps all of this comes from something in a horses past?

Angie



Member:
Cowgrl

Posted on Thursday, May 13, 2004 - 10:57 am:

Hi Laura and Angie,
It sounds like a respect issue here. He's trying to intimidate you into giving his food. He thinks he's the alpha horse and you are secondary. Think about the scenario - here you come with a grain bucket, he pins his ears, you give him the grain. In his mind, you have something he wants. His body actions to you are if I pin my ears and show that I'm dominant she will give up the food. This is typical pecking order behaviour. One horse has food the dominant horse wants and he gives it up to avoid trouble.

I have a quarter horse that will occasionally try the ear pinning with me when I have his grain. In fact, just yesterday he tried being aggressive. I withheld the grain from him while I was in his stall and I made him stand back with a sharp "No!" He wasn't thrilled and pinned and swung his head but I didn't give in. As soon as he put his ears forward I gave him his grain and gave him a rub and a "good horse."

With your boy, it's natural for him to pin his ears after he's fed. He's just protecting his food. I would make a practice of going in there from time to time and take it away from him and then bring it back. It might get him annoyed but it will cement the fact that you are in fact the alpha and he is not.

Angie, your filly knows where her place in the pecking order is and wants to reinforce that with the lesser horses at feeding time. I don't think it's that she was a malnourished horse when you got her, she probably doesn't remember it. But now that she's feeling better her normal healthy horse behaviour is coming out. I had a T.B. who was almost identical. When she was malnourished, she was very submissive. As soon as she picked up weight and was feeling fine, her real attitude came out. She was a sweetheart but she pushed some of the other mares around. Your filly is protecting her food so that is why she shifts her feet - ready to act if her food is threatened. I wouldn't punish her, she's just being normal.

If you're worried your two year old will get hurt, can you feed the filly separately so she can't get to him? I seriously doubt she will go after you or your child but you are prepared if she does (buggy whip).

Good luck with your kids.

Holly
Member:
Warwick

Posted on Thursday, May 13, 2004 - 12:16 pm:

I have a DrOp-dead gorgeous 2-year old filly who unfortunately is also a chronic ear-pinner and has been since the minute she was born. In her defence, she was a premature foal and had to be shipped off to the vet clinic for round-the-clock intensive care for the first week - strapped to a waterbed, multiple plasma transfusions, heaps of tests and meds, etc, etc - so that undoubtedly contributed to the cranky behavior but it has never abated.

In addition to ear-pinning she can get quite mouthy at times. She's very aware that I'm the alpha female and do not tolerate this behavior however she is very threatening to other people (my poor husband for one) if she thinks she can intimidate them.

She has her own stall and has never had to compete for or guard her meals so it's definitely not a food thing. Plus she is not dominant in a herd situation.

She is smart as a whip, relishes the opportunity to learn new things and stands like a statue for grooming or the farrier. She is very submissive to me when being worked with in a controlled situation but the minute the halter is off, back go the ears and the crankiness returns.

I've never had a foal quite like this before - and one of them is a full sibling. I've tried all kinds of stuff to modify her behavior without success. It's a bit of a headscratcher - a truly complex and unbelievably frustrating personality!
Member:
Kthorse

Posted on Thursday, May 13, 2004 - 6:59 pm:

My arab has also been an ear pinner since birth. only its Always around food. He wouldnt hurt a fly and is bottom of the power in the herd. I just push his ears forward then he forgets about it. I guess he hates beeing bottom rung and tries to act tuff, doesnt work though.
Member:
Longhorn

Posted on Thursday, May 13, 2004 - 11:25 pm:

Thanks for all your comments. I don't feel so alone now!

Fortunately, this is one of those annoying little habits that's controllable and ear pinning isn't inherently unsafe. We've actually trained both horses to leave the stall at feeding time with a voice command, "Out!" and come back in with "Okay!" They'll even stand patiently by our side and keep to themselves while we put food and treats in their mangers with a firm, "Wait!"

When I scratch Bennie's butt, he's my best buddy. At breakfast or dinner time, though, he's my best brat.

Thanks all!
Member:
Quatro

Posted on Friday, May 14, 2004 - 11:31 pm:

Hi all, Levi, my 4 yo qh, does a pacing, demanding scene every am for his breakfast. I insist that he put his ears forward and stand still before I put the grain in his bin. It is so funny to watch him trying so hard to get both ears forward, but he does it every morning for his grain. I just stand back with the grain bucket in hand, wait till he choses the correct behavior, which is ears forward, body still. The second his ears come forward, I dump his grain in and he calmly eats. We started this years ago, and will continue it forever! I can hang out with him when he is eating, brush him etc.
good luck
sue
Member:
Longhorn

Posted on Thursday, May 27, 2004 - 12:17 am:

A little update on the ear pinning... I switched stalls between my two geldings putting my ear-pinner (Ben) in the smaller corral and my gentle sweetie (Strat) in the larger arena. Somehow I think it's helped to calm Ben down. My guess: higher strung, nervous and dominant horses have this "protect the homestead" attitude. They are the self-appointed watch horses. The larger the area they have to protect, the more aggressive they are about defending it. Of course, this includes protecting their eating space. I think Ben feels more secure about defending this smaller space and so feels less threatened when someone approaches it. Just a thought.
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