Can you "cure" a kicker?

[SouthWestWhippet]

Any thoughs appreciated.

Daughter (age nearly 4) has an 11hh Dartmoor mare. Age 10. Bought last summer, she had previously been ride and drive by an elderly man (!) only ever hacked and never cantered or jumped. Kept only with her brother.

She has taken to her new life fantastically. She is working livery at a riding school where I work. I have managed her schooling and she now happily canters, pops a fence, done a spot of XC, canters in field etc. she even won the inter house prelim dressage with a 9 yr old riding school rider. She does a max of an hour a day, 5 days a week so not hard work and it is varied.

She has had her back checked, saddle fitted and teeth rasped.

The problem is that she kicks out at other horses. Not just the naughty nose-to-tail types but anything within a horses length. She has started to turn and threaten when in front. She will also overtake on the inside, then immediately stop and double barrel. She does not do this to her field mates (mare ponies) but all geldings and all horses she will go for.

Otherwise she is fantastic. We have won a few leadrein show classes, my daughter trots off round a 3acre field with her off LR, she climbs over logs with my daughter much to her delight, she is fab to handle.

But I need to crack this mareish behaviour fast before she starts PC next spring and also before she gets into trouble at the riding school.

Am happy to try supplements but she is a very fussy eater and it is hard to get any into her.

Thanks for reading the essay, any advice would be great.
J

 

[ihatework]

That's a very witchy thing to do!!
Suppliments wise, agnus cactus is worth a go - you can get a liquid version called 'no moody no' which is worth a try although I'd be surprised if it worked miracles.

What is she like personality wise? Confident? Dominant?

What do you or your daughter do when she acts like this? Can you tell her off and does she take it?

 

[3Beasties]

How does the rider react when she kicks out?

It's completely unacceptable behaviour which needs nipping in the bud. Can you get a small adult on her or a really confident child that can make it very clear in no uncertain terms that kicking is not going to be tolerated?

 

[SouthWestWhippet]

It is tricky as she is a riding school pony however I do have a few confident lightweight jockeys who could give a good crack with the stick. Daughter not yet as is too small and dreamy to react. Also I have to say i shamefully lost my temper a bit with pony this morning for repeatedly going out if her way to try and kick the other small quiet gelding in the arena and fetched her a crack on the bum. She jumped sideways and daughter went straight over the top [bad mother]. But she doesn't usually react to badly to the sick.

I guess maybe I have been being a bit nicey nicey about it as I am aware pony has gone through a big life change abut it sounds as if I need to get tougher.

Personality wise she is confident and dominant mare and she can be a bit of a drama queen. She got bitten in the summer in the field and she had hysterics when we tried to clean it. But she is very gentle with children and good to handle, if a bit strong.

Right will go through my riding list this afternoon and track down my strictest jockeys lol. Thank you .