Smacking a horse in his privates if he drops??

[War Admiral]

Totally unnecessary. I've noticed with most all you have to do is ask them to MOVE a couple steps - forward, backward, sideways, doesn't really matter - and they'll tuck it back in.

I'd fire her.

[lovey1121]

. My halter horses know when I growl at them and point the whip in that direction that it needs to go away. It's a button I install.

Wonder if this'd work on my DDH?? Grrrrr..... PUT THAT AWAY.

[cloudyandcallie]

I once boarded at a barn where the BO (certifiably crazy and with alcohol issues, but nevertheless a big horse "expert") once did that to a horse belong to one boarder when she caught him exposed. She bragged about flicking the dressage whip and hitting his penis with it. (She did not like the horse and eventually convinced the owner to give him away and buy a horse the BO liked and eventually got free from the boarder.)

Cloudy kept it in in the ring when he was showing. Outside the ring, and always "at home," it's his public part, not a private part. He shows off to mares, and of course when he is relaxed it's hanging. And of course when it's so hot in summer, it's hanging. (In Atlanta, guys were always greeting each other with "how's it hanging?" and in the city, a lot of penises were exposed to all, causing us to refer to them as "public parts.")

My first 2 horses were geldings, and they too let it hang around their barn.

It's a typical male trait. Males love to show off their stuff, and so it's just a natural occurrence It's called "wand waving.". Horses and other animals do it as well.

Admire it or ignore it.

[Aussie Chick]

Some people shouldn't be around any animals let alone horses...

If I saw anyone smack a horse in his or her privates I would be mortified

I have never worried at all if my horse "drops". Sometimes when I give him a nice fresh bit of hay or a food he adores, I see he can be "happy" lol.

Such a cruel thing to do, why would anyone

[ShearConvenience]

The woman is a nut. Slap her in the privates, twice, once from me.

I second that. I wonder if she does the same to her SO?

[Canaqua]

I've never heard of such a thing! I'd no more smack a horse (anywhere, let alone his penis) for dropping than I'd smack my young son for fiddling with his penis.

I think that woman has some serious issues with anything male...scary, hope she has no male children.

[paulaedwina]

Oh dear The first time I saw it was with a person who turned out to be a bit ....erm... incompatible with my horse. Gosh, I guess that should have been an early warning

LOL! I guess I haven't learned much since my old boyfriend the crack head. With him too there were early warnings that in hindsight were loud and clear ADDICT signals.

When I saw this person do this action of smacking her stallion's privates for him to pull them back in I thought it was very very strange, but then I dismissed it. Loud and clear signal I guess

Paula

[hundredacres]

LOL Yeah, she is not coming back. That was kind of the last straw. But I was curious about that incident. Glad I was right. Poor baby, I can't imagine smacking him there when he's just happy. Sheesh.

I'm so glad you stood up for him. I've never in my life heard of anyone doing that...

Side story, still related: we were showing a gelding to a potential adopter (for Exceller Fund) and we walked out to the field where he was with my mares. My daughter was about 7 or 8 at the time and went with us. When we got out there the gelding was hanging out and my daughter says, "Oh, he's just showing off." It cracked me up.

[Belg]

So glad it's virtually unanimous. Having gotten kicked in them there parts a couple times as a kid (until I learned how to defend myself better) I think I take some comfort in everyone's responses. Needless to say, as a boy, I'm aghast at the thought... Especially since at least one regular lesson boy here drops when he has to pee.

[ptownevt]

I knew a stud who got hit with a whip directly on his penis if he dropped anytime he wasn't actively breeding. He went from a sweet guy to a nasty guy. I think that woman has it wrong, it will get nasty if you hit it.

[ddashaq]

10+ years ago I boarded with some halter people and smacking for dropping was one of the many bizarre things they did to their horses. Unfortunately, there was nothing I could do about it but I was quite happy to the back of them.

[Belg]

I think that woman has some serious issues with anything male...scary

I think that woman has it wrong, it will get nasty if you hit it.

[Frank B]

That woman's nuts.

My gelding would often drop when relaxed, even smacking it against his belly. In the cross-ties, hand grazing, etc., it was no big deal. (Well, actually it was, but well, erm, you know )

If we were at a show, I'd gently jiggle the reins or lead line and whisper his name in a disapproving voice. It'd retract as quickly as a Stanly measuring tape, then I'd give a "good boy" pat.

There was an article in (I think) the Quarter Horse Journal several years back stating that it was normal behavior for both stallions and geldings and occurred several times a day.

[WalkInTheWoods]

There have always been people who dont want their geldings or stallions to drop in public. At the standardbred tracks i saw one person that hung a wire brush from a loose fitting surcingle placed midback behind the low hanging part of the belly so it woulent ride forward. This wasnt home-made. You could buy a getup like that. And trainers used to put stud rings on stallions. You would oil up the ring and gently push it over the head of the penis. The horse could urinate, but the ring would keep the penis from engorging with blood, so they could not masturbate. I guess they thought energy would be preserved if a horse didnt go "there". Athletes are asked to abstain from sex. Dont know how that crosses over to horses.

In my travels i have seen "trainers" or show people kick the penis and yell Put it away!

I have never corrected it in my gelding. He often drops while eating his soaked alfalfa cubes or during a good grooming. Theres a big difference between a relaxed horse dropping and even masturbating a bit and a stallion erect and dancing in place and out of control screaming at mares. I think it is cruel to correct a horse for the wrong reason. And as others have said, getting their attention and moving their feet is enough - no need to resort to whipping, whacking or kicking that sensitive area.

[Far_North_Equestrian]

Another vote for NO.

I'll give a tap on the BELLY and tell them to put it away on the crossties or in the isle, because I don't REALLY want to clean up pee - but other then that, couldn't care less. If he's comfy with it out - whatever.

[Canaqua]

The TB gelding I have been half leasing frequently let's it all hang out...when he has to pee, when he is super relaxed and , in a more lively fashion, when his favorite mare is in heat and aggressively flirting with him. I ignore it, it's his business, except on the rare occasion when he's wheed up over the mare and is slapping it against his belly AND there's a small child in the vicinity starting to demand an explanation from a clearly uncomfortable mother...getting Mr. Sexy walking will easily cause him to put it back in his figurative pants.

[WalkInTheWoods]

The big difference is whether your horse is just relaxed OR relaxed and fantacizing OR getting ready to act on his urges !

[Antaeus]

There have always been people who dont want their geldings or stallions to drop in public. ... Athletes are asked to abstain from sex. Dont know how that crosses over to horses.

In my travels i have seen "trainers" or show people kick the penis and yell Put it away!

I have never corrected it in my gelding. He often drops while eating his soaked alfalfa cubes or during a good grooming. Theres a big difference between a relaxed horse dropping and even masturbating a bit and a stallion erect and dancing in place and out of control screaming at mares. I think it is cruel to correct a horse for the wrong reason. And as others have said, getting their attention and moving their feet is enough - no need to resort to whipping, whacking or kicking that sensitive area.

Ditto. I don't see folks do the former much any more ( and give them my 2 cents when I do), but saw it quite a bit 35 years ago when I was at public barns. Now, when someone doesn't want to see wee willie, they just move their horses's feet. Me, I usually look over at DH and comment, "Oh look, _ is tryin' to make you cry..."

[Diamondindykin]

I have shown with quite a few stallion and it is common to smack their private parts if they drop when being ridden but we are talking mature breeding stallions not young foals. There is no reason to smack a foal for something like that

[wendy]

if you ever want to be able to clean the sheath properly, you can't go around whacking the horse for dropping when relaxed.
Even if you felt it was ok to physically correct the horse for dropping, surely hitting the horse in the actual privates is even more of big no-no than say, apply a whip to a horse's head or kicking the horse in the belly? and for the same reason- a very sensitive part that could easily get injured by physical correction.