Desperate for Advice on my Mare

[ponieslovered]

I bought a Mare last year, ive had her now for 8 months. she was a rescue from Ireland. She has overcome the fear that people will kill her, and now realises that we are not monsters and she is really loving.
Before i got her she was a Broodmare - i believe living in the wild. She is 6 yrs old and had apparently had 2 foals.

She is on regumate as her hormone levels are raging and she was being naughty (been on this since Feb this year and she is calmer)

MY PROBLEMS: She is in a field with my other mare, but she feels the need to protect her all of the time.
If a horse from an ajoining paddock goes near my other mare (filly), She will run over bite my filly on the bum and shoo her to the other side of the field and trap her there for a while as if she is teaching her a lesson.
Now when i ride out with my friend and her mare, we dont go far as i only broke her in at the end of last year and she is very green and still learning, so we go out for 20 mins or so. On the way back we go past a few fields of geldings and she is the same as she is with my filly. Very protective, the ears go back the tail swishes and she tries to push the other mare out of the direction of the other geldings. On one occassion we had geldings coming towards us, and again she went cookoo !!! bouncing trot ears and tail going and my friend tried to push me into the hedge away from the oncoming horses, but my horse wanted to push the other mare into the hedge to protect her.
Earlier this week, i took her for a walk in hand only to have some grass, normally on her own she is ok, but on this day and other lady came with her mare, and it was awful, everytime my mare was 10 foot or so away from the other mare she rushed forwards to take the lead, and then we went passed a field of 3 geldings and there she went again, ears back, tail swishing, trying to push this other mare away from the geldings, and me hanging on for dear life in a headcollar.

I have hacked out for 20 mins with another gelding and she was fine, and i have ridden her on her own and lead her on her own passed geldings and she was more manageable.

So the problem seems to be if i am with another mare, she feels the need to protect them from geldings.

I know from her past this is her natural instinct and from how she acts i would say she was the herd leader and protector, and she worry's about horses coming up behind her, so this is also from her past with stallions etc etc !!!!!

I like the fact that she has this lovely instinct to protect her fellow members, but at the same time, its bloody frustrating and could be dangerous.

i have never had an experience like this before and i am hoping that in time she will relax and accept her new life, but im hoping that some of you may have had an experience similar or have any ideas what i can do to her my mare chill out and relax

thank you for any help

 

[Marley&Me]

I think she needs to learn that you (the human) are the herd leader and that she does not need to take on this role.

I think an Intelligent Horsemanship Recommended Associate would be of great help to you. She is such an interesting case that they may be interested in her for demos.

If you google the IH website you will find a forum and also an area where you can apply to have your horse used in a demo. Alternatively you can get a consult with an RA.

Given how much work you have put in and that her issues are so specific I think an the people at IH would be really helpful and she is worth giving it a try.

 

[ponieslovered]

Thanks for the reply i will try to contact Kelly Marks (IH)

I do alot of IH with my mare and she's great, and on our own she listens to me and accepts me as the leader, its just when other mares are with her and geldings are present !!!!