Has anyone ever had a horse/pony that attacked other horses it was led past/with? How did you fix it?

[maya2008]

For the worried posters - perhaps I seem more focused on a solution than worried, but that’s because I seem to attract ponies who need help, so she’s by far not the worst I have come across, it’s just this particular behaviour is new to me. Gathering information is therefore a sensible approach before making a plan.

She’s also only 11.2hh. I can physically stop her from actually connecting while we work on the issue. My children are 9 and 11 and experienced around young/problem ponies. They won’t be getting between her and any potential targets. Pony is responding to R+ well and is proving trainable.

I have seen a fear aggressive (towards humans) pony turn into the most perfect, loving and protective first ridden. Most people would have put her down, but we gave her a chance and she repaid us 100 fold. I won’t give up on anything until we have at least tried.

 

[hock]

For the worried posters - perhaps I seem more focused on a solution than worried, but that’s because I seem to attract ponies who need help, so she’s by far not the worst I have come across, it’s just this particular behaviour is new to me. Gathering information is therefore a sensible approach before making a plan.

She’s also only 11.2hh. I can physically stop her from actually connecting while we work on the issue. My children are 9 and 11 and experienced around young/problem ponies. They won’t be getting between her and any potential targets. Pony is responding to R+ well and is proving trainable.

I have seen a fear aggressive (towards humans) pony turn into the most perfect, loving and protective first ridden. Most people would have put her down, but we gave her a chance and she repaid us 100 fold. I won’t give up on anything until we have at least tried.

The problem with the small ponies kicking is where there kicking a bigger horse ie legs rather than body!

 

[LadyGascoyne]

I wouldn’t raise my voice, I wouldn’t tell off - some horses just don’t understand that and it upsets them. Mim gets a barked ‘absolutely not!’ and I have never ever had to discipline her beyond that, Miri would go to pieces if you raised a voice at her. Different horses.

Can you get on her? I probably won’t be popular for saying this but I’d probably take over riding for a few weeks, and even the slightest indication of going into reverse would get a sharp smack with a schooling whip, backed up with the leg to ride her ride forward very strongly.

It’s dangerous behavior, I wouldn’t advocate a smack unless it’s a safety issue.

 

[Crugeran Celt]

My first pony was very aggressive to other horses, she was only 14hh but would attack anything that got within reach. It came to a climax when she attacked our other horse getting hold of her bottom lip and ripping it almost off. Spoke to the vet as she was getting worse who suggested it was probably hormonal. Decided to put her in foal, she had a text book pregnancy and birth and was a completely different pony after. She still remained the dominant pony but no longer went out of her way to attack our other horse. We did move from a livery yard to our own place where there was just our two mares and the foal when the foal was six months old and that helped i think.

 

[Gloi]

Its more likely to be a childs leg she shatters. I've heard of it happening more than once.

I've still got a patch on my shin with no feeling where I was kicked by a section A mare at the riding school when I was on another pony when I was a kid.

 

[maya2008]

My first pony was very aggressive to other horses, she was only 14hh but would attack anything that got within reach. It came to a climax when she attacked our other horse getting hold of her bottom lip and ripping it almost off. Spoke to the vet as she was getting worse who suggested it was probably hormonal. Decided to put her in foal, she had a text book pregnancy and birth and was a completely different pony after. She still remained the dominant pony but no longer went out of her way to attack our other horse. We did move from a livery yard to our own place where there was just our two mares and the foal when the foal was six months old and that helped

If we get nowhere with training I believe a good look at hormone levels etc are next.

The problem with the small ponies kicking is where there kicking a bigger horse ie legs rather than body!

All ponies in the line of fire as it were are currently close to her size. She rides out with my 13hh tank, and the Shetland. Both are the boss of their own small herds and she’d get way more than she gave from either. Both know not to interfere and let us deal with it though so long as it’s just a threat. The pony who is trying to be friends over the fence, is the same size.

I wouldn’t raise my voice, I wouldn’t tell off - some horses just don’t understand that and it upsets them. Mim gets a barked ‘absolutely not!’ and I have never ever had to discipline her beyond that, Miri would go to pieces if you raised a voice at her. Different horses.

Can you get on her? I probably won’t be popular for saying this but I’d probably take over riding for a few weeks, and even the slightest indication of going into reverse would get a sharp smack with a schooling whip, backed up with the leg to ride her ride forward very strongly.

It’s dangerous behavior, I wouldn’t advocate a smack unless it’s a safety issue.

So far, she hasn’t done it under saddle. She’s got a competent 11 year old on her at the moment.

 

[Orangehorse]

The "good whack" was a rhetorical question. Not with this horse particularly who has other issues and the owner has been trying with for some time.

But I genuinely ask. If you own a young horse that is kicking out at other horse when ridden, just exactly how do you explain to them that this is not acceptable behaviour? Because I don't know.

 

[paddy555]

For the worried posters - perhaps I seem more focused on a solution than worried, but that’s because I seem to attract ponies who need help, so she’s by far not the worst I have come across, it’s just this particular behaviour is new to me. Gathering information is therefore a sensible approach before making a plan.

She’s also only 11.2hh. I can physically stop her from actually connecting while we work on the issue. My children are 9 and 11 and experienced around young/problem ponies. They won’t be getting between her and any potential targets. Pony is responding to R+ well and is proving trainable.

I have seen a fear aggressive (towards humans) pony turn into the most perfect, loving and protective first ridden. Most people would have put her down, but we gave her a chance and she repaid us 100 fold. I won’t give up on anything until we have at least tried.

you seem quite normal to me. many we have had had problems and I always give them a chance. (lots of chances)

just a case of working out what the problem actually is to find a way of dealing with it. Also ponies are very different to horses. Sometimes they seem to be 2 different species when looking at works for each.

But I genuinely ask. If you own a young horse that is kicking out at other horse when ridden, just exactly how do you explain to them that this is not acceptable behaviour? Because I don't know.

before you explain anything to them you need to know why so you can give them the correct explanation. That may be somewhere in the equine's background and not easy to work out as it would be unlikely you had owned them since very young. It may be in relation to their status in the herd, may be due to fear of being hurt ie the horse has pain somewhere and kicks to keep himself safe, may simply be naughty. For the being naughty a quick reprimand may be the best, for the horse in pain it will make things much worse. For the horse who has had harsh treatment it will be a serious reminder and reinforcement of what humans can do.

 

[maya2008]

you seem quite normal to me. many we have had had problems and I always give them a chance. (lots of chances)

just a case of working out what the problem actually is to find a way of dealing with it. Also ponies are very different to horses. Sometimes they seem to be 2 different species when looking at works for each.

I think I only speak ‘pony’ - my last horse died two years ago!

Our ponies decided to help today…NF untied herself then went on a wander to prove she wasn’t a threat (nose gently nibbling the bottom of problem pony) while pony was tied up so couldn’t do anything. We all rushed to retrieve her but it was actually fine. Problem pony then went in the middle and next to the Shetland on the hack. She’s learning - no one here will have a go with tack/a headcollar on. She’s totally safe while out of the field and under our control.

 

[MagicMelon]

I had a Welsh Cob who did this to begin with. As a 4yo he was very firey (typical Welsh D) and threw his weight around. When I bought him, I spent the first month just trying to get him to stop tanking off up the field while leading. He'd also try to kick me if he was eating his feed. He didnt seem to understand fitting into my small herd, he lacked a basic understanding of how to behave around and interact with other horses. Im not sure of his background to be honest but something must have screwed him up as a youngster. Early on when I started taking him out to training/events he would try and double barrel any horse passing even remotely near (in hand and when ridden). Hitting him would not have done anything, he was actually a total baby and was just worried about life. I put a big red ribbon in his tail and was VERY aware of where other horses were, even to the point I wouldnt go in the warm up at all if I didnt think I could do so safely. After a while he slowly got more used to the environment and stopped doing it completely. Yes he would threaten to kick if someone rode right up his rear end but thats to be expected. I think its time. Just keep on plodding away, but being extremely aware of the pony at all times so if they threaten to kick at all then Id turn them in a circle - anything to snap their mind out of what they were about to do. I certainly wouldnt punish and I wouldnt really do lots of treats either. Id try not to make a big fuss of the behaviour.

 

[AShetlandBitMeOnce]

That sounds like a really difficult problem. I don’t really have any advice. We have a very strong alpha mare that takes absolutely no rubbish from anyone and so we tend to turn anything naughty out with her for a few weeks. It is absolutely not a democracy with her and puts good herd manners on everyone. But I accept the responsibilities and would only turn my own out with her. Thats the only thing I would be tempted to try.

Best of luck, I’d be interested in hearing how you get on.

If she ever needs a temp job, Dex needs a mare like this to tell him his place in life a little. His field mate is the most submissive non-reactive horse I have ever come across and Dex is a bit of a d!ck to him sometimes I have to admit. I saw him corner and mount him once even, but he did get a shavings fork thrown at his @rse for that and hasn't done it since!
It's not really an issue as he doesn't hurt him and isn't nasty, but I do worry one day if he goes out with a more dominant herd and he's always been top, whether he will be able to adjust.

 

[suestowford]

His only excuse was that he simply couldn't read or understand other horses. He was a bottle fed baby, I got him at 2 and he just never understood horses. He could tie up in the yard and would be fine with a horse close by it was just riding. I suspect it might have been fear, he thought he was getting into a situation he couldn't cope with and reacted first.

no way I could train him out of it, just a case of vigilance.

I have a bottle reared small pony here and he is also like this. In fact I could have written the same post, especially it being a case of vigilance. If I had him out in public he always wore a red ribbon in his tail, and I would do my best to keep him a good distance from other ponies, also I would be ready to skip out of the way if he took it out on me! He can go on sweetly for a long time then suddenly flip for no apparent reason.

 

[hock]

If she ever needs a temp job, Dex needs a mare like this to tell him his place in life a little. His field mate is the most submissive non-reactive horse I have ever come across and Dex is a bit of a d!ck to him sometimes I have to admit. I saw him corner and mount him once even, but he did get a shavings fork thrown at his @rse for that and hasn't done it since!
It's not really an issue as he doesn't hurt him and isn't nasty, but I do worry one day if he goes out with a more dominant herd and he's always been top, whether he will be able to adjust.

That’s the ultimate humiliation isn’t it being mounted!

 

[Glitterandrainbows]

That sounds like a really difficult problem. I don’t really have any advice. We have a very strong alpha mare that takes absolutely no rubbish from anyone and so we tend to turn anything naughty out with her for a few weeks. It is absolutely not a democracy with her and puts good herd manners on everyone. But I accept the responsibilities and would only turn my own out with her. Thats the only thing I would be tempted to try.

Best of luck, I’d be interested in hearing how you get on.

This we also have one like this they all can be led with her tied up with her she would have them if they started but they never ever cross her more than once .. she’s very fair doesn’t start it but would end it. I’d never let my kids ride a pony that double barrels though wouldn’t let them brush it and I am pretty chill but it’s not worth it