Aggressive miniature stallion on hacking route!

guido16 said:
Are you serious?

Why on earth should the owner move them just so someone can hack passed?
OP is taking a sensible approach but what would you say if I called round and ask you to move your horse as I couldn't hack passed safely?

the stallion is not a danger, it's the possible reaction of other horses that is the danger.
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Actually I think that this is a reasonable suggestion. It wasn't stated to go round guns blazing threatening action, it was a friendly word as the owner may not know the stallions behaviour to passing horses.

There is a horse locally to me kept in a field where it hangs it's head across the main road, I almost crashed into it the other day and would have done if there had been a car on the other side of the road and I couldn't swerve (this is a two way, wide, 60mph main road). Bit more extreme but both are situations where a horse in it's own field can be a danger.

Personally I'd approach the owner nicely and ask if there is a possibility of putting an electric string on long insulators or posted a foot or so in. Not just for the hacking horse, but to prevent the stallion doing damage to itself if it attemps to get through the fence.

Our stallion is good as gold and very gentle but still has a second electric fence up, it's just common curtesy.

Pan
 
You may have a good opportunity to get him used to the Stallion in relative safety - the football is on I believe on Sunday with England playing - the roads should be nice and quiet as long as you head out after kick off.

I have to pass some mad cows and horses sometimes, it makes me feel better if I talk to them "hello little cows, oooohh arnt you brave" etc etc - at least it makes you breath out - just dont let anyone hear you !

other option of course is to hack out with another horse a few times who you know will ignore stallion !
 
Op-sounds like you managed to keep calm first time, just a case of the more you do it, the less bothered he'll be. Even though nothing short of a bomb landing behind her is likely to make my oldie jump I always stop at giveway lines slightly back where its possible just to be on the safe side.
 
Forever_broke said:
My question is how do I get my horse used to this without putting myself, my horse and indeed other road users in danger?
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Only you, who knows this area, and how reactive your horse is, is able to risk assess that situation.

Personally, with my own donkey/bridlepath/A road situation, and a reactive 17.1 Gelderlander with a very strong flight instinct - I'm not prepared to kill myself and my horse attempting to desensitise him to those donkeys on a 60mph road! If the road was out of the scenario, I'd be hacking that route every day until he got over it.
We have no idea who owns the Donkeys, and there's little/no chance of me being able to ask a friendly yard owner if they have another field which might be convienient to use, which isn't next to the juntion of the road and bridlepath.

I think the only options you have is to either ask a YO if they can help (you never know, they might have other field and be happy to move him, and the worst that can happen is they'll say no) Or you avoid that route, which is what I do because of those blasted Donkeys.
 
Forever_broke said:
My boy wasn’t frightened of him but I did have a little trouble to make to get stand with his back to the stallion whilst standing waiting to cross the main road. This is where I feel is the danger as its not just a field that I can walk past I have to stop and wait to cross the road. My boy is only just turned 5 so whilst he is generally very well behaved he is still young.
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Then use this as part of his education and getting him listening to you. when you ask him to stand with his back to the stallion, you want him to stand with his back to the stallion. This coud happen with anything at junctions, anything could cause your horse to not want to stand with back to said object. I'd crack on, ride past as much as possible, ignore the stallion and concentrate on getting your horse to listen to you at the junction. From an outsiders point of view, i doesnt seem to me like it is the stallion that is 100% the problem, but the fact that you had difficulty getting your horse to stand how he was told. Not the stallions fault at all.
 
I didn’t say that the stallion was 100% the problem, However I feel that I can not use this as a schooling exercise when there is the potential of very dangerous situation. As I said this is a main road with a 60mph speed limit that can at times be difficult to see unless your pretty much on top of the junction.

I just hope that there are not inexperienced riders come across this stallion, as I feel that there is the potential for someone to be killed. Oh well I guess riding on the moor is out for me until he is moved.
 
Forever_broke said:
I didn’t say that the stallion was 100% the problem, However I feel that I can not use this as a schooling exercise when there is the potential of very dangerous situation. As I said this is a main road with a 60mph speed limit that can at times be difficult to see unless your pretty much on top of the junction.

I just hope that there are not inexperienced riders come across this stallion, as I feel that there is the potential for someone to be killed. Oh well I guess riding on the moor is out for me until he is moved.
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Very sensible F_b.

There is a time and a place for a schooling exercise and near a busy road is not the right one.

I'd approach the owner - if nothing more they can let you know if it's a temporary arrangement or not. They may be unaware of the situation and appreciate a heads up.

Pan
 
Imo inexperienced riders should only be hacking bombproof horses that won't react if they panic. So if an accident did occur I would sympathise but it would be the riders fault not the stallions.
 
littlelegs said:
Imo inexperienced riders should only be hacking bombproof horses that won't react if they panic. So if an accident did occur I would sympathise but it would be the riders fault not the stallions.
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IMO even the most bomb proof horse might spook given that there is an agressive stallion threatening to attack from behind.
 
I disagree, lots of horses do the same to horses passing their fields. Never caused a problem. The bombproof ones don't bother & ones that aren't reliable shouldn't be ridden by novices.
 
guido16 said:
Are you serious?

Why on earth should the owner move them just so someone can hack passed?
OP is taking a sensible approach but what would you say if I called round and ask you to move your horse as I couldn't hack passed safely?

the stallion is not a danger, it's the possible reaction of other horses that is the danger.
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This I am afraid.

Now that you know he is there, the same as you know where there are dogs that come out to bark on your route, look on him merely as a pint sized hazard.:)

As long as the ponies are securely fenced in then there is little you can do about it. If it was some great monster horse then perhaps I would be a little more concerned, but a miniature! Most horses passing would be intrigued by the little upstart more than anything else. ;)
 
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littlelegs said:
I disagree, lots of horses do the same to horses passing their fields. Never caused a problem. The bombproof ones don't bother & ones that aren't reliable shouldn't be ridden by novices.
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Really?

Even police horses have the potential to spook and have been known to react in a situation in which they are trained to deal with. They are not machines that you can guarantee will not spook and react. A horse would not naturally stand there with and aggressive horse behind them and ignore it. As I said I have been around horses and stallions for years and never come across a horse that was like this little chap. Most are just trying to be dominant however this was frightening even to me.
 
littlelegs said:
Imo inexperienced riders should only be hacking bombproof horses that won't react if they panic. So if an accident did occur I would sympathise but it would be the riders fault not the stallions.
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it's never quite that straightforward though is it, many an experienced rider has been injured on the road due to spooking horses:( Even an alleged bombproof horse can react to something it has never encountered before.

OP, perhaps you could ask the owners to put a sign up warning people of a stallion in the field, that way people passing can be prepared rather than being taken by surprise by a testosterone filled mini:)
 
Does anyone know if there any rules and regulations about where stallions may or may not be grazed? With or without mares? As there are about bulls (beef and dairy breeds have different regulations so the NFU informed me)
 
I have no idea of whether the op is a novice, I assumed that as she has a youngster & remained in control she is not inexperienced. My comments were in reply to the op saying it would be a problem for an inexperienced rider.
I agree any horse can spook, but I class horses behind fences as everyday hazards like barking dogs, screaming kids on bikes etc. Out of any combination of horse & rider, one of the two should know how to deal with it.
 
Enfys said:
Does anyone know if there any rules and regulations about where stallions may or may not be grazed? With or without mares? As there are about bulls (beef and dairy breeds have different regulations so the NFU informed me)
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No, there are no such rules, stallions may be kept alone or with any variety of company. The only recommendation is that where possible they arent kept in a field where a bridleway route runs through the open field for obvious reasons. And that the fencing is sufficient to prevent them escaping; this is mainly to prevent unwanted coverings of mares in adjacent fields. It is expected that horse riders will be able to cope with animals within their own fields adjoining a road or right of way doing some cavorting including pigs sheep llamas and horses incl stallions.

Dairy breed bulls arent allowed to be kept in 'right of way' fields because they have been bred over generations and generations for milk qualities and never for temperament and they are in most cases inherently dangerous. Beef breed animals have been more bred for both temperament and confirmation, not just the extreme of a single aspect. They are allowed in 'right of way' fields provided they are with cows.

Start down the track of telling other horse owners they cant use part of their field which they are legally allowed to, and just wait for the majority of people who dont like horses trying to do the same about horses on roads, horses pooing on bridleways etc. ie horseriders do things that other people dont like but we can do it because it is legal to do so....I think we should be very wary before trying to restrict legal rights of others.....
 
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PandorasJar said:
Actually I think that this is a reasonable suggestion. It wasn't stated to go round guns blazing threatening action, it was a friendly word as the owner may not know the stallions behaviour to passing horses.

There is a horse locally to me kept in a field where it hangs it's head across the main road, I almost crashed into it the other day and would have done if there had been a car on the other side of the road and I couldn't swerve (this is a two way, wide, 60mph main road). Bit more extreme but both are situations where a horse in it's own field can be a danger.

Personally I'd approach the owner nicely and ask if there is a possibility of putting an electric string on long insulators or posted a foot or so in. Not just for the hacking horse, but to prevent the stallion doing damage to itself if it attemps to get through the fence.

Our stallion is good as gold and very gentle but still has a second electric fence up, it's just common curtesy.

Pan
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Are you sure it wasn't a giraffe that you had to swerve to avoid?

Seriously. How long a neck did this horse have????
 
littlelegs said:
Imo inexperienced riders should only be hacking bombproof horses that won't react if they panic. So if an accident did occur I would sympathise but it would be the riders fault not the stallions.
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LOL!! ^^^ I hate that phrase. The only 'Bombproof" horse I have ever known is a mechanical horse called merlin, and I think even that would probably shatter. ;)

I think many people on here are missing the point. I don't think the Stallion in itself is a problem for the OP. The OP is worried about the potentially heightened risk of a reaction from her horse (because of the behaviour of the stallion towards her horse) coupled with the close proximity of a road which has poor visibility for drivers.

None of us know the layout of the area, how much space there is to manoeuvre between the stallion and the road, etc, but if the road is a busy one, and there is no room for error, then I think the OP is right to question how best to avoid an accident.

I'd rather live another day than have a dead horse from just trying to prove a point to someone on here who doesn't even know us.
 
Quote:
Originally Posted by guido16
Are you serious?

Why on earth should the owner move them just so someone can hack passed?
OP is taking a sensible approach but what would you say if I called round and ask you to move your horse as I couldn't hack passed safely?

the stallion is not a danger, it's the possible reaction of other horses that is the danger.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Wagtail
I agree, I don't think the stallion's owners should have to move him just so others can feel safe hacking past. It may be the only field they have secure enough to keep a stallion in. I'm afraid if my horse reacted badly, I would just not hack that way. If it was away from a busy road, I would keep going there to get my horse used to it. We used to have to hack past a miniature stallion and he used to terrify my mare but I got off and led her past. Eventually she became used to him. It was a different story with the lamas though who used to live behind a tall hedge and delight in popping their heads over it with timing to get the best reaction from my mare! We used to have to canter past (her choice not mine). And then she would prance and snort for the next half mile as though she had won some kind of victory.

This!

^^^^^ these^^^^ :)
 
I think whatever you do op, you must be safe. And if you think there is potential for an accident, then of course you'll have to avoid this route.
 
It sound like normal stallion behaviour to me. My stallion does a 'cavalry charge' at the fence when he sees horses passing, he charges over whinneying and squealing, tossing his mane about, then stands snorting and pawing the ground for a minute or two, then gets bored of his 'look at me I'm a stallion' routine and ambles off again. We have to ride past his paddock to get into our menage, a few of the ponies stare at him the first time they see him do it, but non of them have ever reacted more than that.

I'd just bend your horse in the opposite direction and keep a meter out into the road if safe to do so.
 
Is there a time when there's little traffic you could hack past with a sensible horse just in case? Then you can accustom him to it safely? And try & find somewhere off road where you can hack past a field with horses that do similar and get him used to halting with them behind just like he needs to with the stallion?
 
Actually, I think you are right to be concerned.

I once hacked past a small pony stallion on a country lane. It was cantering up and down the fence line as I rode past, and then jumped out and proceeded to violently attack my gelding.

It was a very frightening experience as they were rearing up at each other and I couldn't get off my horse to chase the stallion away. I screamed like mad and fortunately a local farmer heard and came and chased it off with a cattle prod. I have no idea what would have happened otherwise. The only thing I could think off was to try and out run it, but on a public highway........doesn't bare thinking about.

If you have concerns over the fencing, I would approach the owner and politely explain your concerns. They will either be receptive or not, but at least they will be aware that the stallion could cause a potential problem.
 
My horse was ok as I said before. And I've never come across such aggressive horses before in the 20 or so years I've been riding. The time the road is quiet is when it's going dark. It is a busy A road. The only other time there are other horses nearby I can hack with don't appear until the winter when the stallion has gone. Again I can ride through fields with other horses in etc and he is fine with horses galloping up behind him.
 
MissMincePie&Brandy said:
I think many people on here are missing the point. I don't think the Stallion in itself is a problem for the OP. The OP is worried about the potentially heightened risk of a reaction from her horse (because of the behaviour of the stallion towards her horse) coupled with the close proximity of a road which has poor visibility for drivers.

None of us know the layout of the area, how much space there is to manoeuvre between the stallion and the road, etc, but if the road is a busy one, and there is no room for error, then I think the OP is right to question how best to avoid an accident.

I'd rather live another day than have a dead horse from just trying to prove a point to someone on here who doesn't even know us.
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:) No, I don't think people are missing the point at all, we are all aware of the situation, busy road, junction, a distraction behind a fence, young horse - that sums it up doesn't it? Anyone who has ever ridden out on any road will appreciate the scenario and the possible consequences of a horse spooking onto a busy road. You are correct, we haven't been informed of the dimensions of the road and can thus only presume that it is a fairly normal rural British road.

Just out of curiosity what type of fencing are the ponies behind?

Another point that people are taking into account is that this is a shetland pony, not a stonking great Clyde etc that could do some serious damage (physically) if it escaped and chose to attack or rape a passing horse, which would certainly be of more concern if the fencing were inadequate.

What if it was a dog that lived in a house on that spot instead, a dog that had a habit of rushing up to the gate/fence/hedge and barking at any passing horse? Would that not be just the same? Would you expect the owners to restrain the dog on their own property? No, you would just be prepared for it and get on with it.

I have to add that in that scenario if I had a dog that barked at riders passing by it would drive me crazy and the little rotter would be confined somewhere else.

Perhaps the suggestion that the fence have additional electric wire added inside may be viable, but if someone suggested that to me for a shetland, after I'd picked my jaw off the ground and stopped laughing, I'd say "Fine, but YOU pay for it" All of it, the tape, the stakes (and I would want wooden posts) the energiser (and I would want a solar one) etc.
 
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The stallion that attacked my horse was only about 11hh, possible welsh sec a type, but jumped 4ft of stock fencing with a rung of barbed wire along the top. It also had no problems with having a go at my 15.1 h/w cob...

I am not suggesting in any way that this stallion may do the same, but equally don't think it should be underestimated imo.

In the OP position, I would avoid the area, which although I appreciate is not ideal, the only sensible solution. Hopefully the pony will get moved at a later date, then the problem will be solved.
 
The ponies are behind a post and rail fence. And a stallion is a stallion small ones can still inflict as much damage as larger ones.
 
Forever_broke said:
The ponies are behind a post and rail fence. And a stallion is a stallion small ones can still inflict as much damage as larger ones.
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No they won't, a miniature shetland is not going to be physically able to deal as much damage as say a 17h warmblood, it is also very unlikely that this stallion will be able to jump or go through the same size fence that aforesaid warmblood could.

I used to have to ride my 4yo mare past a Sec D stallion that would roar and run up to the fence (which was a double one), this was alongside a fairly busy road, so I avoided it when she was in season but continued to use it when she was not, she soon got used to it as will your gelding.

As for the person who suggested getting the owner to move the stallion :rolleyes: are you for real? I know what my answer would be if I were the stallion owner!
 
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