Aggressive horse in field

TheOldTrout

TheOldTrout

Completely Unknown Member
Joined
1 March 2015
Messages
14,923
Visit site
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.
 
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 said:
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 ?
Click to expand...
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.
 
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
 
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.
 
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.
 
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?
 
Lois Lame said:
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?
Click to expand...
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.
 
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.
 
Lois Lame said:
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?
Click to expand...
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 .
 
Roasted Chestnuts said:
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
Click to expand...

Bob notacob said:
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.
Click to expand...
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
 
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.
 
Last edited:
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
 
Birker2020 said:
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.
Click to expand...
The deep mud makes everything worse, you struggle to move while your feet get stuck in it.
 
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.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top