Are horses like dogs?

[Pmf27]

In that they can get 'jealous' when you've been with another of their kind?

Today, loan horse hated me. He was all ears pinned back, eyes wide, trying to bite (more than usual, he's always nibbly). He wouldn't even let me clip the lead rope to his head collar to bring him in from the field, despite being stood at the gate ready to come in.

He'd approach for treats and then retreat back to the far end of his stable away from me. There is no obvious trigger for this other than I had gone on a hack on another horse that morning and was wearing the same clothes.

That or he's spontaneously decided that I'm not to be trusted. His reaction to me was as if I'd hit him or something (never have), it looked like fear and I have no clue why.

 

[windand rain]

Don't think so not to that extreme it sounds like he has had a fright or hurt himself

 

[nagblagger]

Yes, to a certain extent but that doesn't sound like jealousy. Did your clothes smell of something other than 'horse'.
My mare gets jealous, but she is the only one of my lot that does and she sulks!

 

[Pmf27]

Yes, to a certain extent but that doesn't sound like jealousy. Did your clothes smell of something other than 'horse'.
My mare gets jealous, but she is the only one of my lot that does and she sulks!

I don't think so, the jods are new so perhaps they smelled like whatever was in the house of the lady who shipped them?

I can't work it out, his reaction to me was so viscerally "NO" it was quite a shock.

That said, he did walk nicely with me from the field when he'd let me clip his head collar, happily ate treats from my hand and then permitted some neck scratches while eating his hay, so maybe I'm overthinking it.

 

[Peglo]

My mare tried to bloke me from the white pony field mate when I was taking him in to get his feet trimmed (they don’t get on particularly well) but that was happening right then and reacting. Can’t imagine they have the capacity to hold a grudge from earlier that day.

 

[ycbm]

I suspect you smelt of something frightening. Been near any pigs (with 4 legs!)?

 

[Pmf27]

I suspect you smelt of something frightening. Been near any pigs (with 4 legs!)?

I hope this is all that it was! Hadn't been near any pigs, four-legged or otherwise ?

 

[Mrs. Jingle]

My mare never showed one moments jealousy when I got a riding replacement on her retirement. Barely lifted her head each time we trotted out the gateway, I secretly suspect it was a huge relief that she could stay and stuff her face while the new boy did all the work! ?

I did have one horse, a very big Suffolk Punch X, who never took to a single new horse I ever bought after his retirement. Before his retirement he was extremely placid and tolerant of any newcomers to the herd, then he was ridden by me every single day. Once retired I had to keep him with his donkey companion alongside the others in a separate paddock, he was just too dangerous thundering around after newcomers trying to flatten them.

I don't know if it was jealousy as such, much more likely because he was no longer in work, so perhaps he therefore felt he was no longer top of the pile and felt he had to assert his authority to maintain his position in the herd?

 

[Barton Bounty]

Mine is completely jealous, will lunge for other horses if they are near me, even went to double barrel a dog near me, through the fence and it could have been very dangerous and costly for me! Tried to chase my dog away from me ?

 

[Pmf27]

Mine is completely jealous, will lunge for other horses if they are near me, even went to double barrel a dog near me, through the fence and it could have been very dangerous and costly for me! Tried to chase my dog away from me ?

Gosh, that's some jealousy! Haha.

 

[Ratface]

Old Horse will clap his long yellow teeth at me, pin his ears flat and offer to stuff me into the stable door if I say hello to his girlfriend next door before I greet him. If I go straight to him, he's all cuddly whickering, sweetness and light. He also demands to be brought in first. If not, he screams his head off and starts on a wall-of-death rampage round his paddock. His registered name does start with Prince, though.