For those with 2 or more horses - jealousy?

[LHIS]

I have recently ventured into plural pony ownership, and apart from the issues with finding them somewhere to live whilst we wait to move, it has been quite easy.
However, I have noticed my gelding that I had first is starting to exhibit what I assume is jealousy.
It started a couple of days ago when he was positioning himself rather close to me as I was pottering around the field, and then when I was grooming and fussing my new gelding he would come over and ask to be fussed too, whilst scowling a bit. He doesn't try to see the new lad off, but definitely seems to show behaviour of 'I want what he's getting'.
My original gelding is definitely the dominant one, and my new lad doesn't seem to be bothered about challenging this.
This morning I fed them and for the first time my original gelding had a go at bossing me about over food. I feed them separately (though in the same field as I have no means to split them up at the moment), original gelding scoffs his then comes over and moves the new lad off his breakfast. I removed the second breakfast opportunity and tried to let the new lad finish his brekkie, at which point original gelding swings his bum at me and does a half hearted buck in my direction. I gave him a slap on the shoulder (and will be bringing my lunging whip with me tomorrow) and growled at him. I will not stand for that and will nip this in the bud right away and will do some reminding of manners with him.

My question is, how do you handle your horses that show jealous behaviour? Both get equal attention and prior to grooming and fussing my new lad I gave my other one a groom and fuss.

 

[Spottyappy]

Not sure it's jealousy, as not sure that's a human attribute horses have. I would suggest it's still sorting the pecking order out, and you are part of that.
However, with regards to the food, I would section a small corral off with electric fence, and feed one in there as it's not fair on your new boy that he is chased off his feed.

 

[Red-1]

I had this when I had a Police horse for a couple of years, then had another in the next door box, to bring 2 on at once. The first was very put out that he now had to share me, we had spend 8 hours a day with each other for a long time! The older one certainly knew his 'person' and was a bit put out when their person went to another horse.

Apart from being endearing when vying for attention in the stable (sweet faces, 'trunks' on their noses) it did not affect anything at all. It did not affect them at all when turned out with each other. When groomed they were tied up, so would not have 'done' anything untoward as they were in control. They were easy to catch individually, and again would not have barged or anything as one was trained and the other in a training program.

The one thing that stands out to me in your post is the feeding/handling in the field. Trained or not, I just would not feed two horses unrestrained in the field. Even the most sweet horse will go and investigate the second feed bucket. I would not do that with any horse as I find it creates problems. Nor would I have tried to groom one in the field with the other unrestrained. It seems unfair to the restrained one, being pestered by another, and a danger to you.

 

[LHIS]

Thanks both. Re your comments about the field - it's a temporary measure until we move to our new house. From then there will be no loose feeding or grooming, but at the moment I have no choice.

 

[Red-1]

Thanks both. Re your comments about the field - it's a temporary measure until we move to our new house. From then there will be no loose feeding or grooming, but at the moment I have no choice.

Electric fence small enclosure? Two tie posts? Horse box? Temp field shelter with slip rails? Small post/rail enclosure? Just trying to think of possible options to keep everyone safe.

 

[cauda equina]

Or put a headcollar on one of them, remove him from the field, and hold him while he eats?

 

[canteron]

I always think 3 is a crowd and yes, when I have had 3 I have this issue. I just think that horses get used to having your full attention and are a bit put out when things change! Call it jealousy or if thats too anthropomorphic then habituation, similar thing different word!

 

[Leo Walker]

Cant you just tie them to the fence while they eat? Thats what I used to do. The horses all knew "their" spot and would line up in the right order.

 

[KittenInTheTree]

If there's no way to separate them for feeding, then add a big handful of plain chopped oat straw to his ration - that should slow him down and give the other one a bit more time to finish eating. It does sound like they're still sorting out the pecking order though.

 

[Nasicus]

You could set up a small feeding corral with two posts in the ground and some rope/tape, close to the fence/border, so you make a square pen using the posts and the fence, if that makes sense? I feed my girls in the field if they're not coming in, and I just pop one in the pen to avoid fights.

 

[AandK]

If you can't set up a fenced off area to separate them to feed, then just pop a headcollar on dominant horse and hold him while he is eating and also until the other horse has finished.

 

[GeorgiaR95]

I had this issue with my girls. One is a lot more dominant over the other when food is involved, she will eat hers and then try and eat the others. Had a similar problem with her turning on me but after a few slaps on the shoulder she soon learnt that she wasn't aloud. I usually stand in the middle of them and if she goes near the other i just tell her no and she walks away. I always feed them in the same spot so they know which side they go on and which bucket is theirs. Has taken some time to get her used to it but now I have no problem, attention wise as long as they both get equal they will soon learn that they are both getting attention. If i went to ride one both would come and the other would go crazy in the field but after a few times of taking each one out on their own they soon learn that they are coming back and no longer bother. Its just getting them used to it really, they will soon adapt its just a bit of persistence to start off with.

 

[Cocorules]

I bought a foal already owning a pony I had bred myself. The original pony was 18 at the time and a few years before had lost her mother who she was extremely close to. That pony is my absolute favourite and I had owned her all her life my attention only having been diverted towards her mother before.

She was extremely jealous and loathed the foal initially, even though she was always treated as no. 1. She showed her displeasure to me too with lots of ears back and head shaking.
Eventually though she took the foal under her wing and they became and still are best friends years later.

I eventually had a third which doesn't register as any kind of threat at all to either of them.

 

[Sparemare]

I always respect the pecking order with mine. I take them out of the field in the same order and return to field the same each time. I wouldn't feed them bucket feeds in the field and if I have to hay in the field will put extra piles out.

 

[LHIS]

Thanks everyone, I will try holding the dominant one whilst the other one finishes their breakfast. They will only be in the field for a few more days then we are moving for the final time. Once that's done I will only feed them in their stables which I hope will solve the food dominance issue.
As for taking one away from the other I have all that to come, though the dominant gelding has the odd squabble with the new boy they do get on on the whole and are quite bonded already. It will all be to work on once we've moved.

 

[pippixox]

pecking order takes time.
I'm lucky my 3 know their places now! So I can actually feed all 3 in the field together- just spaced out a little.
My old boy is the boss- which is lucky as he needs the most food and supplements. My mare is bossy but below him, but sometimes he lets her pinch a bit towards the end (so I tend to bulk her feed a bit) and then the bottom of the pecking order is my young New forest- who gets a handful! It is actually good I think to have the younger ones put in their place by the older horses, makes them behave better!

I have previously used a few posts and tape to make a separate area when needed- takes 5 minutes to make and costs very little

 

[Pearlsasinger]

Thanks both. Re your comments about the field - it's a temporary measure until we move to our new house. From then there will be no loose feeding or grooming, but at the moment I have no choice.

Get the buckets organised with the right horse eating from each, then hold onto the dominant horse until they have both finished eating.

 

[Mule]

I have 3. Until recently I had 4. I don't know if it's jealousy or some less human like emotion but if one of mine gets attention the other ones want it. That even goes for being tacked up!

 

[laura_nash]

However, with regards to the food, I would section a small corral off with electric fence, and feed one in there as it's not fair on your new boy that he is chased off his feed.

This is what I did with mine for the first 6 months, my cob (who I'd had for years) went in the pen to eat. To begin with he was throwing some impressive tantrums once his dinner was eaten! Once my cob had got used to the idea that he couldn't nick the ponies dinner I was able to swap to holding him in hand and he would just graze once he hoovered his up without a big fuss. Even years on I do this, if I really can't wait while they eat I have to give the cob about 3 times as much as usual and short-change the pony so they finish at the same time.

I also had to train the cob that he couldn't barge in on the pony if I was giving him a scratch, applying fly spray etc. This was particularly an issue as the pony needed training for some things (like fly spray) and trying to do pressure and release training with occasional barging cob appearances was not conducive to progressing the training. He was much worse than yours, he would come barging in with teeth bared and see off the pony. He eventually got the hang of it with firm body language and will now graze a distance away, whilst keeping an eye on us to make sure no treats are in evidence (I NEVER hand feed but he is still hopeful after many years!).

I do always do the cob first (feed, adjust rug etc).

As spottyappy said I don't consider it jealousy per se, more protection of a limited resource (the limited resource being me). Just like he would see off the pony from grass or water if it was in short supply.

 

[LHIS]

Thanks all. Popped a head collar on the dominant one today whilst they both had breakfast. The key I think is giving bossy boots his first. The new lad isn't as bothered about food as the other one and are a bit of breakfast then wandered off to get stuck in on some hay. Transferred the left overs to his bucket and he polished off the rest.
Neither particularly bothered in having a fuss today!

 

[nikkimariet]

Can very much vouch for horses getting jealous. Fig isn't really a horse person, he's a people person. And he does *not* like it if I'm paying Nova attention, and not him! He gets over it if I give him a scratch though.

 

[SEL]

My mare definitely has the jealousy gene. I am HER human and she only shares when she wants to. If I groom another horse in her sight they get the evil look. Our gelding is tolerated and I've spotted she'll protect him if other horses give him a hard time, but he's only allowed a cuddle from me when she's had enough....