HELP: I'm really scared of a horse at my yard!

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icyfreya

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Ok, well I've just started working at this yard, as a groom/exerciser etc, and might be going there for livery some time. Most of the horses are absolutely fine, but there is one horse that i'm really scared of! He's pretty big, about 16.3, and kicks. The other people on the yard don't like him either, and only the yard manager can actually deal with him confidently! Anyway, so I have to go into his stable sometimes, to fill hay rack, top up water etc, or to take him out/move him to a different stable so I can muck him out. It's not a totally unfounded fear too, a few years ago he kicked his owner in the face, she lost an eye and now has pretty bad scaring. I'm being careful with him, making sure i'm not in a position to get cornered etc, and not taking any chances with his back legs! But I still find that if I have to go into his stable or do something with him, I feel really anxious and scared! I still do it, but I feel really scared, and have to sort of psych myself up before doing it. Do you have any tips/experiences that might help me, or do you think I should maybe talk to the yard owner and tell her that i'm not really happy handling him? I'm usually very confident handling any sort of horse, I think it's mostly because of what happened to his owner...
:)
 
The horse that is next to my beastie is the same - about 16.3HH, palamino and he has pinned people down to the floor and bitten and kicked out at them - never seriously injured anybody but only through chance!

The easiest way of dealing with this....IMO....is during the day if he is in leave his headcollar on - when you need to do something in his stable you simply tie him up :D

You then have semi control on where he is able to kick :D
 
She lost an EYE?

Does he have a reason for misbehaving? Or just bad manners?

Personally I would be telling your boss you're not handling him, and I would risk losing my job over it. Its not worth YOU losing an eye!!!
 
I used to work at a yard and had a similar problem with a bad tempered mare who would threaten to bite and/or kick. We dealt with it by putting on a headcollar (over the door if possible - if this is difficult perhaps leave one on) and tying her up on the yard when doing anything in her stable - even just filling the water bucket or tying up a haynet. We also changed rugs with her tied on the yard.

IMO its not worth risking getting cornered in a stable with an aggressive horse. I know it seems like a pain to take the horse out and tie it up but in the long run its much safer. I know ours responded much better to a confident handler so if you take steps to handle this horse safely, perhaps your confidence around him will improve and he may in turn feel safer around you.
 
Umm, I'm not sure if he has any reason for the behavior, I think that his owner used to hunt him into the ground, like 3 times a week, and apparently he was really underweight and had sores all over his back, poor boy! This was years ago though. Anyway, I don't know this for sure, just word of mouth. But yeah, I think this might have just made him really untrusting/bad tempered...he puts his ears flat back if you go anywhere near him!

And yeah he takes chunks out of people too, although i'm not so concerned about that. Yeah, I do try and always get a headcollar on him to have more control, but he has still tried to swing round and corner me. Eeeeeek. I sort of wanted to check that i'm not just being pathetic though. It should be safety first, but then with horses you're always taking a calculated risk, even the calmest old plod could have a funny turn...I think I'll talk to the yard manager then, although I'd like to not loose my job :O
 
After seeing a horse with a headcollar left on catch it on the stable door bolt and have a VERY nasty accident I don't think that is really a safe option.
 
I totally agree - you must tell the YO you don't want to handle this horse (if nothing else Health and Safety). I know it would be awkward, but if this is such a problem horse, only the YO should be handling it anyway. Your health and welfare are far more important !! sm x
 
I think YO would much prefer you were honest and said it unnerved you rather than you attempted to do it yourself and had an accident. Horses pick up on fear and a bolshy horse will take advantage of this, so you really should just tell the YO how it makes you feel.

She might even give you a few lessons in how to handle such horses, which would be a bonus :)
 
I agree you should voice your concerns but if you want to work with horses you will have to learn to assert yourself or they will dominate you if you let them.

The way to deal with this situation is to go in there and get him used to you just being there. Take a stick in so that if he comes to close you can back him up by being firm with your voice and touch his chest or shoulder and say "back". When he moves back say "good boy" or whatever you would say for encouragement and give him a stroke if you can. Just stay gentle and calm but assert yourself when he gets too close.

I wouldn't use treats on this occasion because if he expects treats every time you go to him, he may get bitey.

It sounds like he has just got used to getting his own way with people through violence and it's not on!

Or as Oldnag says, get YO to teach you :)
 
TBH, if the horse is really that bad, you shouldn't be expected to deal with the horse!!
There is a horse on my yard that is a real nasty piece of work, she would really hurt you if she could! No one other than the YO is allowed to touch her, and there are notes all over her stable door warning people not to go near her.
 
Another vote for telling the YO you don't feel comfortable handling the horse. It's just not worth it to get crippled by someone else's horse.

We had one like that in the first place I worked. I'll never forget that horse. Her name was National Party and she was miserably mean. My friend and I used to draw lots to see who had to go in and deal with her and the other would man the door.

I remember ducking out of there one time just as she let fly and hearing her hooves hit the door at just about the level my head would have been. It was a very nasty feeling.
 
I'd be a bit cautious about taking a stick in... it doesn't sound as though this horse has had a nice life, and if it associates a stick with a leathering, in an enclosed space the presence of a stick may make it more aggressive as it won't be able to run away so will fight instead. You really need to know the history before you can make a decision on whether or not the use of a stick would be appropriate.

I would have a word with your boss, explain you are unhappy about the situation with this horse and say that you would like to be shown how to behave - treat it as a learning experience. That way, your boss sees you are not just wimping out but will also realise that you need support.
 
I've got a horse on full livery who is nasty to handle, she bites, kicks and will pin you in a corner. However, the general rule with her is to get headcoller on over the door, remove and tie up outside when doing anything with her. You don't take her for granted and if you go in the box with her thats your choice and your risk (she's had me against the wall and double barrelled before). But is ANYONE went in to her stable carrying a stick I would hit the roof. Horses like this will more often than not see it as a threat and retaliate quicker than you can blink. You are better off getting them tied up and leaving the stable as their own zone. Mine will bite over the door too but in general she likes to be left alone and not interfered with.
 
Divasmum said:
After seeing a horse with a headcollar left on catch it on the stable door bolt and have a VERY nasty accident I don't think that is really a safe option.
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No it is not,but I would rather risk a horse getting hurt then a human!
If you have to handle and do things with him,leaving a leather headcollar on may well be the best option for your safety.
 
I have been in this situation (only about riding a particular horse, racing yard, same principle) and it is no fun. You are torn between being a nervous wreck and not wanting to look silly.

I told my Boss point blank (this was after said TB ran through a 5 bar gate off the gallops and bolted along a main road) that he could sack me if he liked but I wasn't riding that mare again, end of conversation, he didn't like it, but he needed me a darn sight more than I needed him. Honestly, no job is worth being injured, especially by a horse that has a reputation, you only have one life, your family only has one you. Your decision, don't be bullied into anything that is potentially dangerous.
 
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It may be the case that the stick will make it worse but not in my experience. It's for your own safety nothing to do with the horses psychology.

If he has had a leathering before he'll be scared and back off.

In any case, you are right SPUDLET, need to know history and be shown how to handle him.

Don't let a horse intimidate you though, I think that could be a very big mistake to make early in your career. Get to know a horse and he'll show you how he wants to be treated.
 
Agree with the others, having been kicked in the head by a horrible horse its made me very nervous of handling horses especially ones with problems.
 
I looked after 3 colts while owner went to Wales to shows and sales as a favour to my friend who looked after them, but went with him, 2 not bad a little colty and easy enough to handle, the 3rd was a complete nightmare, only 12.2hh and I got along with him, by sticking carrots all through his haynet and putting his headcollar on came 2nd nature. I could muck him out and change water and his rugs as he was busy trying to get to carrots, but he very rarely went out, is this the same problem with this horse???
 
I actually own a horse like this. I think the key is being very confident and do not give him even an inch to get one over on you...easier said than done re the confidence thing! Best thing to do is what others have said, tie him up and keep your distance. NEVER drop your guard, always have one eye on him. I turned around and took my eye off mine for a second and he took a chunk out of my shoulder lol
 
We have one a bit like this where I work. He is very grumpy in his stable and when I first met him I was a bit scared off him (especially as he bit me quite savagely on the arm within two weeks of me starting there!) However now I know what he is like I am no longer scared of him, I make sure he knows not to mess with me when I go in his stable. Generally I try to be nice to him or ignore him if he's being abot grumpy but if he does go for me I tell him off. You have to be confident around these sorts of horses, also always be very aware of everything they are doing, don't trust them as this is when you're most likely to get hurt.

I find the one at our yard is much happier when he gets to go out lots. He was on box rest for awhile due to injury and he was in a foul mood all the time then! Now though he lives out all night and is just stabled in the day time, as a result he is alot more relaxed. Is there anything that could be changed in the management of the horse at your yard in order to make him happier?
 
I had a chesnut gelding that had killed his previous owner, he kicked her in the head. She was in the wrong place at the wrong time. Thankfully the parents of this girl knew that it was an accident. Give a horse a bad name etc. I had years with this horse, hunting xcountry, then one day events. I still miss him now.
 
natalia said:
I've got a horse on full livery who is nasty to handle, she bites, kicks and will pin you in a corner. However, the general rule with her is to get headcoller on over the door, remove and tie up outside when doing anything with her. You don't take her for granted and if you go in the box with her thats your choice and your risk (she's had me against the wall and double barrelled before). But is ANYONE went in to her stable carrying a stick I would hit the roof. Horses like this will more often than not see it as a threat and retaliate quicker than you can blink. You are better off getting them tied up and leaving the stable as their own zone. Mine will bite over the door too but in general she likes to be left alone and not interfered with.
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Ditto this advise.
I would also wear a hat when handling the horse.
 
I have the exact same issue!
My scary horse is 17.1 TB and he actually only seems to dislike me!
I have to muck out with him in the box and he tries to roll and kick (front legs thrash at me too)
God damn animal he is!!
 
Thanks everyone for all your advice! :) yeah, tbh I value my life, and no job is worth putting myself in that sort of hazardous situation. Although she lost an eye, it was actually pretty lucky for the previous owner, as if he had go her on the back of her head or side, anywhere that gets to the brain, he would have killed her, for sure.
I'm not sure about his turnout routine, although I have a feeling he doesn't go out much because he's impossible to catch and will try to kill anyone within 10 feet of him!

I am firm with him, and have been used to dealing with big, bolshy horses, including hunters and ex-racers, who have tried to take chunks out of me/kick me - and i've been knocked to the ground by horses spinning round an knocking me - and most of these horses haven't phased me. I think it's just, knowing what happened to the owner, and she was just in the wrong place at the wrong time, I don't want that to be me!

Oh, and I never leave him with his headcollar on unsupervised - I usually put it on over the stable door (avoiding the chomping teeth trying to get my hands lol) and then tie him up in the stable to do whatever, then lead him over to the door, go outside, and take it off over the door again. Not taking any chances! Although he has tried to corner me twice even with the head collar on, even me being very firm and forceful, he's a big, strong boy and he knows it, and doesn't seem to have much respect for humans (who can blame him if he's been seriously mistreated).
Will speak to the YO about it then :)
 
Tbh I'm not really sure - I know he used to be mainly a hunter, and he has done some SJ too - but now his owner doesn't seem to do anything much with him?
 
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