Pepi - bites to defend herself

Following the success with Viva we asked Malan to take a look at Pepi, a 13-year-old rescue pony. "Pepi bites," explained the pony's owner. "She's a super pony once you're on her, but on the ground she feels very threatened. My eight-year-old daughter is mad about her, but she's been bitten black and blue." "In both horses and humans touching is a sign of affection," Malan replied. "But with Pepi, touching means to her that she must defend herself."

"She's much better than when she arrived six months ago. You could hardly go near her then," said Pepi's owner.
Malan nodded, then continued, "At some stage Pepi must learn that touching means affection. But I have to put up parameters. I have to show her that r can understand her reactions, but that they are not acceptable."
Malan began to work with Pepi in the ring doing join-up. Pepi's body language was vastly different to that of Viva, and instead of instantly going into flight mode she wanted to stand her ground and defend herself. "One of the main difficulties with abused horses is that they are so desensitized they can't use their flight instincts," Malan said, tossing the rope at her to get her moving away.
"I'm doing join-up first to establish a relationship in which I'm the teacher and she's the student," he explained.
He then picked up a mop, and began some desensitizing exercises, putting the mop in places where Pepi was most likely to object. At first Pepi put her ears back very unhappily. But Malan kept the mop there until she relaxed and stopped putting her ears back.

After the basics, Malan asked Pepi to be angry with him, touching her in the girth area. Pepi immediately tried to sink her teeth into Malan's thigh. Instantly he reprimanded her for it - not by hitting the pony; but by tossing the rope at her, making his kissing sound and showing dominant body language.