Your horse is not a puppy

Your horse is not a puppy 

No matter what you think 

You can wash him all you like 

But he won’t fit in the sink


You can sook and snuggle and hug him

But it must be on your terms

You cannot let him push you round

With him you must be firm


You can take him anywhere 

As long as you’re in charge

Don’t let the bugger pull you round

Because through you he’ll barge 


Please don’t let him drag you

To the tender patch of grass

It’s a sweet and tasty morsel

But he’s definitely putting you last 


If you treat him like a puppy

He has no respect at all

You’re setting yourself up to fail

You’re setting up to fall


I see those cute little videos

Of the foal jumping in a lap

What happens when they’re bigger

And try to do just that?


I know it’s not intentional

To let them in our space 

But let’s be honest when we look around

There are too many horses in your face


They don’t respect the bubble

That we should create ourselves 

But instead they’re pushing kids over 

And putting them through hell 


The kid who took their pony

To the competition being led

But the pony dragged them to the plants

And tried eating them instead!


The mother wanted to step in

And help their poor dragged kid

But manners should be made at home

So they’ll do just as they’re bid.


You horse is not a puppy 

It doesn’t matter if they’re cute

If you allow them to push you

You’re likely to cop a boot 


Your horse is heavier than a puppy

It may well weigh half a tonne

But while it’s dragging you around 

It truly is no fun 


Manners are easy to create

Our expectations should be high

Horses that are respectful 

Are far better ones to buy 


Teach your horse good manners

They’re not that hard to do

Remember you’re not being cruel

You’re just thinking first of you! 


When your horse is looking elsewhere 

They’re not focusing on what you ask

To get them to do what you want

Is a near impossible task


So don’t treat them like a puppy 

But treat them with firm respect 

Don’t let them get away with little things

It’s just changing what you expect 


You may think that you’re being kind

You don’t want to hurt your horse

But have you watched them in the wild?

They’re far rougher than your force! 


A well mannered horse is pleasant 

They’re a joy to have around

It’s so much nicer to work with 

On their backs and on the ground 


A youngster needs to be reminded 

On a regular basis

To follow the rules we set for him

When we’ve raised our expectations 


It can be exhausting to remind them

Each and every time

But the more consistency we give them

In the end will be just fine 


We cannot treat them like a puppy

And let them have their way

Because of their size it’s dangerous 

And can make kids afraid 


You can make excuses 

Of why they’re in you’re face

But really it’s the owner

Who needs to put them in their place 


Your horse is not a puppy 

He’s much bigger than you

But still I’d rather pick up horse manure 

Any day, over dog poo!