Gelding with no manners out on field

[cootuk]

Summer turnout is here, and that means fieldwalking to check on horses. Im fairly new to this and pretty mature (50yo), and know which horses on the livery have attitude.
If alone then i seem to be having a few issues with one particular youngish gelding who everyone says is pretty bad mannered.

If you turn your back on him, then he will follow pretty closely, sometimes trying to rush you from behind and barge past.
Facing him becomes a mexican standoff of who blinks first.
If others are around then he keeps his distance.

I know he can sense that im wary of him, and usually try to keep something between him and me. Usually that has to be another horse.

Im not really sure what works - we arent officially allowed to hit someone elses horse and i dont really want to be getting close physical contact with him anyway.

 

[paddi22]

i'd carry a big crinkly noisy thing i can shake or and back it up with a schooling whip as well if needed. But as far as im concerned i'd never hit another persons horse, but if i felt it had intruded on my space in an unsafe way i'd do what i felt was necessary to keep myself safe.

 

[Shay]

We have a gelding in our fields who will do this. Don't hit them - obviously - but if you have to carry a schooling or lunge whip to keep yourself safe then do that. Alternatively you can whip a lead rope around you - sounds a bit bizarre but it can make them keep a bit of distance. Hang on to the clip end and then flap the trailing end from side to side so that if swings out in an arc switching from one side of you to another - and makes a smack sound each time it hits you.

I'd be slightly wary of trying to scare him with a noisy thing as some will bolt toward and past the source of their fright and you don't want to be barrelled into. You just need to make him respect your space. He'll then get bored and got to pester someone else.