Post by Tamara on Jun 22, 2016 1:09:07 GMT -5
Nimue is a devil of a kicker, and my question is... will she grow out of it? She's 6 months going on 7.
I don't remember Ginger ever kicking as a calf but then Tallulah never kicked either. Arwen does kick, but only when she's upset.
Nimue however will kick quite viciously when I touch her back legs/under her flank/udder/milk mirror areas. I have made a 'glove on a stick' and use it to desensitive her most evenings. She has gotten slightly better with touching her back legs and hooves however will repeat the same process of kicking every day if I touch anywhere from her baby udder to under her tail - ie. the area I will eventually be touching if she were to ever be milked! Eventually she settles down once I've stroked her with the glove for 5-10 minutes but she'll be right back at it the next day. She's knocked the glove right off numerous times and even snapped the first stick right in half... She did manage to graze my hand once and boy did that hurt
I don't punish her for the kicking (except the time she actually hit me) but I also don't break contact with the stick until she stops kicking. I don't end the session until I have stroked down both legs and her udder area without any kicking. But this has been going on for several weeks now. She also hates it when her mum licks her butt while she nurses and will kick her too
Will she ever stop this habit?! I can only imagine her mama instincts will activate when she eventually calves, because right now she would kick the head off anyone who attempted to nurse on her...
I don't remember Ginger ever kicking as a calf but then Tallulah never kicked either. Arwen does kick, but only when she's upset.
Nimue however will kick quite viciously when I touch her back legs/under her flank/udder/milk mirror areas. I have made a 'glove on a stick' and use it to desensitive her most evenings. She has gotten slightly better with touching her back legs and hooves however will repeat the same process of kicking every day if I touch anywhere from her baby udder to under her tail - ie. the area I will eventually be touching if she were to ever be milked! Eventually she settles down once I've stroked her with the glove for 5-10 minutes but she'll be right back at it the next day. She's knocked the glove right off numerous times and even snapped the first stick right in half... She did manage to graze my hand once and boy did that hurt
I don't punish her for the kicking (except the time she actually hit me) but I also don't break contact with the stick until she stops kicking. I don't end the session until I have stroked down both legs and her udder area without any kicking. But this has been going on for several weeks now. She also hates it when her mum licks her butt while she nurses and will kick her too
Will she ever stop this habit?! I can only imagine her mama instincts will activate when she eventually calves, because right now she would kick the head off anyone who attempted to nurse on her...