Aggressive horse in field

[TheOldTrout]

A mare arrived on livery at our yard in the summer, she is currently turned out with 3 or 4 other mares including mine. She has been becoming increasingly aggressive at bringing in time. It started with her chasing the other horses with her ears back, then she started also chasing me as I walked across the field to get my mare. A few days ago she swung her quarters at me but didn't actually kick. Yesterday she aimed 2 kicks at me and today she bit me. She's also still chasing the other mares. What's the best way to handle this? I'm concerned she's going to cause serious injury if her aggression continues to escalate.

 

[rextherobber]

The Livery yard owner needs to remove this mare

 

[fidleyspromise]

I would stop thinking about serious injury and just think about injury full stop. This mare has bit you and threatened you by swinging her hindquarters.
If it was me, I would take a whip into the field with me. If she came near I would flap it up and down - this is generally enough to keep horses out of my space. I would be speaking to the livery owner about how this mare needs removing from the shared field as it's become dangerous.

 

[Gingerwitch]

it does not justify the behaviour from the horse it the biting - but is she doing it because she is hungry and getting stressed thinking she is going to be left out on her own ?

 

[TheOldTrout]

it does not justify the behaviour from the horse it the biting - but is she doing it because she is hungry and getting stressed thinking she is going to be left out on her own ?

It might be because she's hungry. I tend to be one of the earliest to bring in so she maybe wants to come in and get to her hay. She isn't aggressive in the stable as far as I can see.

 

[Cloball]

The other mare my girl shares with can be a bit resource guardy and grumpy around the gate. Increasing the hay ratio help significantly.

 

[U.N.Owen]

Can the mare not be brought in first?

 

[TheOldTrout]

Can the mare not be brought in first?

Her owners don't come to the yard until later.

 

[Lucky788]

Problem for your YO to sort

What do they propose if someone is injured by said horse trying to get their horse in? I’d be asking about insurance from that perspective.
Sounds like they need to bring that horse in earlier but thats not your issue to resolve

 

[WuzzBred]

The owners need to pay the staff or yard owner to bring this horse in first

 

[Birker2020]

I had this situation years ago when 20 geldings all hanging around the gate waiting to come in and barging and kicking and you stood in deep mud in your wellies trying to stay upright and not get stuck whilst trying get your horse out of the field.

 

[adamntitch]

nope after seeing someone kicked and killed outright by a similar situation i would never deal with a horse like that in a shared field and the carry a whip was what caused it along with fighting horses the whip thing kicked it off as horse tried to protect its self so nope dont take a whip into field

 

[mariew]

I'd be talking to yo about resolving it. Hungry or otherwise, you hav already been bitten. Does yo do services, could she bring in the other mare first? In meanwhile I'd do the same, I'd bring a long whip and wave it around, lungewhip if a dressage one isn't efficient enough. I'm afraid safety first until the issue can be sorted.

Edited to say winter gatewaya and hungry horses is one of my least favourite scenarios with horses. It is always dodgy.

 

[adamntitch]

dont ever want to see something like that happen again to anyone

 

[Birker2020]

dont ever want to see something like that happen again to anyone

How awful, I'm so sorry you went through that.

 

[Roasted Chestnuts]

Ive had this before and I would just take a whip and reinforce your space! Next time she could topple you and you get trampled!

Take a whip and mean it if she comes at you. Keep yourself safe

 

[Pearlsasinger]

Is there hay in the field? If not, why not? This really is a problem for YO to solve but OP, you need to push YO into dealing with it.

 

[Honey08]

I had a livery gelding that was like that. And he was huge. The owner couldn’t have cared less. In the end I gave her notice. She was a sulky owner too. I have a thread about it from a few years ago. If nothing else, the mare needs to be in a sectioned off bit of the field.

 

[Bob notacob]

No disrespect intended to anyone but this is a job for a professional to deal with (though so often yard owners are not what I would consider professional) .I wouldn't even go into such a situation without a bull whip or at least a good hunting whip . Also lost a very good friend due to an accidental kick ,40 years ago and hardly a day goes by without thinking of her.

 

[Lois Lame]

I'm surprised to read that carrying a whip into the field lead to the disaster. Pearlsacarolsinger, I noticed you agreed/liked adamntitch's post. Can either of you, or someone else, shed light on why the whip produced the tragedy?

 

[Fieldlife]

I'm surprised to read that carrying a whip into the field lead to the disaster. Pearlsacarolsinger, I noticed you agreed/liked adamntitch's post. Can either of you, or someone else, shed light on why the whip produced the tragedy?

I think grumpy horses gate hanging and keen to come in and deep mud in gateway is already a fraught situation. And adding a whip is potentially increasing the risk.

A better option might be two loops of thinned baling twine outside field. First catch & tie up problem horse. Second catch & tie up your horse. Return problem horse to field.

You would need owner & yard owner permission to do this.

 

[Lois Lame]

I didn't picture horses all milling at the gate, and a muddy gateway at that. Going in amongst that sounds like a mess about to happen if any are aggressive for any reason.

 

[Bob notacob]

I'm surprised to read that carrying a whip into the field lead to the disaster. Pearlsacarolsinger, I noticed you agreed/liked adamntitch's post. Can either of you, or someone else, shed light on why the whip produced the tragedy?

People often underestimate how far a horse can reach with a kick and a short whip ,even a schooling whip can leave one well within range .So Sad .

 

[adamntitch]

Ive had this before and I would just take a whip and reinforce your space! Next time she could topple you and you get trampled!

Take a whip and mean it if she comes at you. Keep yourself safe

No disrespect intended to anyone but this is a job for a professional to deal with (though so often yard owners are not what I would consider professional) .I wouldn't even go into such a situation without a bull whip or at least a good hunting whip . Also lost a very good friend due to an accidental kick ,40 years ago and hardly a day goes by without thinking of her.

well unless you know the horse well the one i spoke about had a bad up bringing so put 2 and 2 together thought would be getting a beating and protected its self when it seen a whip horse was mine and had never caused trouble before it was not even him that was the problem but woman flipping a whip around and he reacted friendlyest horse ever has never kicked or been a problem before or after just a freak accident he reacted to the whip flying about

 

[Tiddlypom]

Randomers of varying levels of skills and timing waving a whip about in a field of milling horses, some of whom they don’t own - what could go wrong .

Definitely one for the YO to sort and not for individual liveries with their own ideas of how to to deal with it.

 

[Bobthecob15]

We have had this at our yard, YO has dealt with it by not letting anyone else bring her in bar the owner or them…which is annoying if you want to bring your horse in as she does chase the others off. Have to wait for someone to be available to get her in. Thankfully said mare as now left

 

[TheOldTrout]

Is there hay in the field? If not, why not? This really is a problem for YO to solve but OP, you need to push YO into dealing with it.

We're on heavy clay soil so any hay would just get trampled into the mud.

 

[TheOldTrout]

I had this situation years ago when 20 geldings all hanging around the gate waiting to come in and barging and kicking and you stood in deep mud in your wellies trying to stay upright and not get stuck whilst trying get your horse out of the field.

The deep mud makes everything worse, you struggle to move while your feet get stuck in it.

 

[Pearlsasinger]

We're on heavy clay soil so any hay would just get trampled into the mud.

It doesn't have to be directly on the ground. It's no wonder horses become aggressive if they are out for hours with nothing to eat.

 

[Pinkvboots]

It sounds like hunger if there is no hay out in the field it's a massive problem when horses are turned out very early and brought in very late, some horses get very angry when hungry the owner needs to think about the management and get the horse in earlier.

Seen it so many times over the years at yards it's so dangerous having to navigate angry horses at gateways.

Speak to the yard owner and the owner of the horse.