Crazy angry horse when fed :(

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travelmad

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Horse gets fed in field with his companion, over summer I did it mostly and he always got little grumpy, ears back bit was fine. Recently moved yards and has new companion, yard feed for me but this morning I went to feed and he was awful, charged for bucket, ears back, trying to kick other horse (he grabbed her bucket) and then turned on me lashing out with back legs. Eventually managed to get himto take his own bucket and get her to other side of field to feed but it was horrible, properly scared of him
For first time ever. His last owner warned he was grumpy when fed, but this is a total change. Any ideas? The horse he is in with is very submissive and def not stealing his food.
 
Sorry for the spelling ... iPhone craziness.

Also he is on a calmer but generally very sweet to take care of

Vaguely worried about ulcers as it's an ex-racer but shows no real symptoms (unless this is one?)
 
He's probably just getting more hungrey now as winters coming, less grass etc, so food is more important than in the summer and worth protecting more. Can you bring him in to feed?
I wouldn't even try to bucket feed in the field in winter, especially as they get more hungrey, think it could easily cause problems. Horses are fine with hay tho, as long as its well spaced out and you're quick on your feet when putting it out!
 
But he has been fed with another horse in field for 8 months without acting like this, never had a problem, the old horse he was with used to even come take the odd bite out of this guys bucket and he never did anything, real change in behaviour
 
One of mine is a bit like this though not quite as crazy. I feed from hook on buckets at different points, the dominant one firsthand the other one further away, he gets a feed of chaff to keep him occupied long enough for the first one to feed. They now know their positions at the fence and stand apart to be fed now

Doesn't stop the greedy goat rocking the boat though lol
 
He's unsettles due to the move of yard and new companion and is trying to prove that he is in charge with both the new horse and also you if you try to stop him doing what he wants. I agree that he needs to be taken out to bucket feed as this is dangerous behaviour.
 
New yard, new companion, new routine......its no wonder he needs to defend his bucket. If the yard feed him, you don't know that the other horse is not trying it on and attempting to pinch out of his bucket.
Take him out the field to feed him.
 
clydesdale said:
you need to bring him out field to feed so he dosnt feel threatend by the other horse
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as above, put him in his own stable where he can eat in peace, with no other horse able to see him.

When you take his bucket in, expect him to stand back, respect your space, allow you to tip the bucket into his feeder or put your feed bucket down. Insist he does not bully you or flatten you.

Leave him in peace to eat. If he was mine, I would not feed him as soon as he came into the box, perhaps give him a handful of hay. I would also leave him again for a while before turning him back out so he does not get revved up at feed times and learns to stand quietly in the box. Do not under any circumstances, put the feed in the box before bringing the horse in. Doing that is the quickest way to teach the horse to tow you in from the field and be a thug on the lead rope.

I had a horse that was greedy rather than aggresive, he suffered a massive choke episode when I fed him with others in the field.
 
Thanks everyone, it's not practical to stable him to feed x2 a day (yard charges £2.50 per horse for bringing in and same for turning out so it would be way too expensive, but will make sure other horse is removed from field when they are fed, and put back after. I'm sure they will settle down after a while (fingers crossed). Def not going to let him start bullying!!!
 
travelmad said:
Thanks everyone, it's not practical to stable him to feed x2 a day (yard charges £2.50 per horse for bringing in and same for turning out so it would be way too expensive, but will make sure other horse is removed from field when they are fed, and put back after. I'm sure they will settle down after a while (fingers crossed). Def not going to let him start bullying!!!
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Sorry, I did not realise you didn't do the feeding yourself. Hopefully removing his mate will make the situation safer. Do take care, there are far more accidents on the ground with horses than there are riding the creatures !
 
Could you make an electric fence square that he could be put in to eat?

An alternative could be a tie point where the other horse could be tied up to eat his feed

As it's not you that does this a quick and easy solution needs to be found
 
My horse was quite like this. His feed was his feed, and you gave it to his so you were at the fence so you could be out of his way. Once he was fed, you scarpered- no faffing around him. He was very protective of it, we think because he had been in a field where he was at the bottom of the pack and so had his dinner stolen. If you fed him in his stable, you were best to drop over the door, or stay by his head.

We never really thought anything of it, and after a while he stopped minding about us so much although we never pushed it. In terms of companions, we fed them a way apart and left them to it- if his mates were stupid enough to try and eat his dinner, they soon learnt not to be!
 
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