Any one else experienced this level of aggression.

kateandluelue

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So i have 2 ex broodmares. One is extremely loving and social, overly loves other horses (too much this can be a problem with separation anxiety)! and is generally lovely to all things great and small.

The other is vile to other horses, will just about tollerate sharing a field and at every opportunity will throw faces and ears back and shoo away other horses within a 10 metre radius. Anyway this is never a problem, in the summer they graze together and in the winter they are separate as would squabble over hay.

Anyway every so often i have to pop them on the same field just for a few hours which is never a problem. Today i did that, there was no problems then they started running about in the field excited by something, no problems and it was lovely to watch them.Then out of no where my mean ex broodie attacked my friendly one, It was more than just a nip and a kick it was a primal attack that lasted about 5-10 min and there was nothing i could do to stop her, she chased my friendly broodmare flat out continuously until she was so exhausted she couldn't run (very unfit) bit her repeatedly and tried to kick her. It was nothing i had seen before, i ran over with a bucket of feet to try and stop the meanie horsie however she didnt even so much as twitch her ear in my direction. She only stopped when she tripped and then almost snapped out of it.

its really shaken me up and my friendly mare was quivering when i got to her. No damage done and im not concerned about keeping them separate for life however i am concerned about just how aggressive this was. My meanie was literally out for blood and i dont think it was normal?

Anyone else experienced this type of aggression.
 
I have only seen this type of behaviour once when a yearling colt was turned out with a normally very chilled, friendly gelding. The gelding chased the yearling until he literally collapsed with exhaustion. It was heart breaking and like your mare it was as if he had completely lost his mind. They could not be turned near each other as the gelding would even try to jump over fencing to chase the colt. The colt was gelded and sold on and the gelding reverted back to his placid self. My mare is aggressive and won't let anything near her but as long as they keep their distance she is fine. I would say there would be a massive problem if she started turning her aggression your way. Is she the same with all horses or just your other mare?
 
My gelding did this to a mare. They had been in the same field for a few days quite happy, then he just flipped out of the blue. No feed etc involved. The mare was unfit and he chased her until she literally dropped. I had to run to the yard and get a lunge whip to stop him.
 
Thankyou both for your replies! Yes this sounds similar! She does not mix fields with other horses, i rent a 2 acre paddock however there are other horses about. She is not great with other horses on hacks either so yes i think she would be vile with whatever horse she was on the field with. Luckily touch wood, she has been ok with myself.
 
My gelding does this all the time he is now in a separate field, he has no preference young or old any sex. My little colt was doing the foal mouthing saying he was not a threat and Jack was still going for him on the opposite side of the fence. When I make feeds up no other horse is to look I. The direction the feed room as he chases them up the fence line. I always put it down to him being cut late but not sure now seeing as yours is a mare. ��
 
I have known a mare who did this many years ago. She would be lovely whilst in season, but at all other times would randomly attack other horses. She was out in a huge field with lots of horses (and cows) and usually kept to herself but would suddenly attack. She was also difficult to handle as she would flip and turn on her handler. She had problems with her ovaries (cysts I think) and they suspected hormonal problems, though I remember some speculation she had a brain tumor or something as she was so unpredictable. Her behaviour was tolerated because she was talented to ride (had been round Badminton).

At my last livery yard there was a mare who was like your meanie and kept all other horses away from a wide radius around her. I used to hack out with her to keep my gelding walking out when he got a bit nappy, put her behind him on a track and he would stride out well. She was always on individual turnout, so I don't know what she would have done to another horse if turned out with them.
 
Might it be worth getting her ovaries scanned, as while fortunately I have no direct experience, I have heard of mares with ovarian tumours/cysts becoming agressive.
 
I had one that was OK a bit grumpy then I moved and made the mistake of feeding them in the field over one winter when we didn;t have proper stabling. It flipped him and he was horrendous with other horses from them - I only have geldings so not tried with a mare.

He fractured a horses hock and was then only ever kept on his own.

He got through a double electric fence on Christmas day and trapped my other horse in the corner of a field reversed into him and kicked the s&*t out of him - he couldn't get away

He even fractured the skull of my big horse over the fence (although big horse a little to blame for winding him up over the fence!!)
 
Click on the search box at the top of this page your key words are THECA CELL TUMOUR.
you will find there are two pages of threads some will describe your horse I recall a thread last year a lady has a mare that attacked her Shetland , the mare had a huge tumour that caused her to be vicious .

Worth a read .
 
Thankyou for all your kind replys. Yes I looked into the ovarian cancer and cysts. Worrying ! I think if she's funny again I'll have vet look at her!
 
No wish to be "speaking out of turn", or to appear rude, but do you think it a good idea to get vet out BEFORE next aggressive episode? Your meanie mare sounds as if she could do severe damage: better safe than sorry?
 
No wish to be "speaking out of turn", or to appear rude, but do you think it a good idea to get vet out BEFORE next aggressive episode? Your meanie mare sounds as if she could do severe damage: better safe than sorry?

possibly but she's not going to have the opportunity to do it again with my other mare. Having consulted with a friend who is a vet last night , she advised keeping an eye on the behaviour and felt it could have been because they hadn't been together for a while.
 
Mine is not that aggressive but has consistently attacked by kicking before thinking twice about it with other horses. I cannot hack him with other horses as he has been known to stop and rapidly back up to barrel kick a horse behind. I would never let him out in a field with other horses...hence he is perfectly content and relaxed living on his own at my home and no other horses have to suffer his hooves! He was bred for showing and hence was cut late...which I am sure does not help.
 
My first pony was very aggresive to other horses but not to the extent of your mare. She wouldn't let other horses near her but wouldn't usually go out of her way to attack. She did attack twice, both times doing serious damage to the other horses both requiring vet treatment. It was suggested that she may have had a hormone problem and that putting her in foal may work. We did breed one foal, which is still with me 21 years on and it did change my mares attitude but as we moved the horses when the foal was 6 months old to our own yard where she just had one other mare and her foal we will never know if it was the foal that's calmed or the move to a very quiet, peacefull yard.
 
I owned a mare who had always been like that since birth - flipping between being sweetness and light and then suddenly looking like a snake with ears flat back, snapping teeth and neck swaying at me. I began to keep a diary and noticed the transition seasons around March and October were the worst times, but it was all pretty random. She would pal up with one submissive horse but turn on any others. Eventually she was segregated at all times but would still run at the fence and strike out with her fronts. In 2013 I had her ovaries scanned but they were fine! After that I used Regumate in spring and summer. She once even chased my sister out of the paddock! She came at me once on the lunge and I gave her the choice - stop or run into the lunge whip - she chose to run into it, but never did that with me again. No amount of discipline/NH techniques stopped the behaviour, although she responded well to them. She was mostly sweetness and light and I believe fear was at the root of it as she was so defensive and wary of intent. Although talented, she could be quirky to ride too - occasionally flipping out thinking something was behind her. Reading this back, I think I deserve a medal for bravery! Good luck with yours....
 
I am the person who's mare had the ovarian tumour! She turned from vaguely miserable to a raving nightmare stallion. I would get her ovaries scanned, as although it comes on slowly can very quickly escalate into a very dangerous situation. Her reaction to the shetland (a mare) was as if she was a stallion, so not biting and kicking, more domineering. Handling had gradually got harder too. Did a strange whickering noise, teeth grinding very joggy, neck bendy!
Nearly 8 months on and she is much better although still has a few learnt nasty habits I think. The vet didn't think it was ovaries so not all horses react the same way. It's not too expensive (the scan, not the operation!!) and definitely worth doing. Hope you get to the bottom of it soon x
 
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