Help, what on earth has come over him

MurphysMinder

MurphysMinder

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Sorry this will probably be long
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Bit of background, Murph can be grumpy in the field but has lived with our pony for 5 years, he pulls faces at her in the field and sometimes threatens to kick her but other times they can be seen itching each others necks etc. Last year he was on working livery at a college, away for 10 weeks at a time, went back in the field with the mare on his return without a problem.
This year a friend has been taking pony to shows, which involved taking her to her stables on a Saturday, keeping her over night, show on Sunday and back to us sunday afternoon/eve, on her return usually they have a quick squeal and then settle to graze.
This weekend, as friend was busy yesterday she took pony Friday night, show today and this afternoon on her return we put pony in field. Murph was in stable and we put him out with her. They met with usual nose sniff and then he turned and gave her both barrels (luckily missed) then proceeded to chase her round the field ears flat back, trying to bite her and every time he got near turning to try and kick her. We eventually managed to get her out of the field. They are now both in their adjoining stables with a half wall and rail between and they seem okay, but he is very jumpy, calling all the time and just not himself (which could be due to the fact we belted him a few times with ropes while trying to get pony out
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).
Has anyone experienced this with horses that have previously got on okay. They are both overweight and have been on restricted grazing, could that be it?
I really am at a loss, as long as they seem calm tomorrow I am thinking of putting them in the bigger field with more grass, or would I be better keeping them a part for longer.
Any suggestions gratefully received.
 
I can only think that pony must smell different due to having been away. Was she on a clean fresh bed at her overnight stable or could it have been used before by another horse, hence pony lay down in this and now smells of another horse which upset your boy causing him to react so strangely?
 
It could be that in the limited space he is asserting himself more.

Can you increase the space they are in to at least 1.5 - 2 acres???
 
In my experience , a horse almost never misses when he intends to kick anyone,near misses are no such thing, they are carefully aimed frighteners.Murphy is telling his lady friend that her wanton behaviour going off for the weekend,is not acceptable.She is part of his herd and had better start behaving respectably.Dont worry too much, once they have finnished throwing all the crockery at each other,it will be back to normal.
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You know I wondered that, but I honestly didn't think horses thought like that and I felt was just anthromorphising (sp?). Tbh in the past his odd threatening kick has always seemed to be aimed to miss, but today I think it was just the fact she is smaller and faster than him that he didn't connect
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They are staying in in their adjoining stables tonight so fingers crossed they will have called a truce tomorrow.
 
Its not antht an
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,what ever you said,its herd instinct at its best.A herd does not survive in the wild by allowing its members to casually wander off.
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Our old Appy once had a real go at our welsh A, I had ridden the welshie and when we put her back in the field the Appy grabbed her and dragged her about a bit!
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We put this down to the Appy believing that she 'owned' me and was jealous of the welshie. So he may be jealous of the mare who gets out and about?
 
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Dont worry too much, once they have finnished throwing all the crockery at each other,it will be back to normal.

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My experience is that if a horse attacks another in the manner described by MM - then they absolutely mean business - and to have missed is pure fluke, as opposed to purpose.
 
No, If a horse means business,as you say, he will strike with a front hoof to kill. hinds are for defence and discipline.
 
At my old yard we had a beautiful gelding that had lived out with a particular elderly mare in a herd for four years. One day we found her very seriously injured
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but didn't know what had happened to her. She was almost at the point of having to be put to sleep. We got her better and eventually she was returned to the herd. All was fine for about a month or two when he turned on her for what appeared to be no reason at all and again drove her to the point of death
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An elderly lady at our yard managed eventually to beat him off with a broom and rescue her but again she was badly hurt.

When she recovered she was put in a separate field and again all was well until one day I watched him looking at her from a distance. Growing concerned I got a lunge whip and halter and went in to get her out of the field as I had a feeling he was going to try and get to her. He did! He charged the hedge and fence and knocked it flat and then bulldozed through it. I managed to keep him away from her until someone could get her out fo the field but he was hell bent on getting to her. It was terrifying! We never did find out why he did it and he has never done anything like it to any other horse
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We wondered if it was something to do with her age and that he was trying to drive her away from the herd? Horrid though.

Sorry not much help to you but I hope your neds sort themselves out soon, but please watch them carefully.
 
Yes ,I,m afraid I have seen somthing very similar.A mare with some form of sudden neurological problem,possibly some form of plant poisoning.The other horses in the field became very agitated and the "herd leader"did his absolute best to try and attack the mare.Sadley the mare was untreatable,and was PTS.
 
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No, If a horse means business,as you say, he will strike with a front hoof to kill. hinds are for defence and discipline.

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This is what a horse does when it fully intends to inflict serious damage.

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I am sure you will be keeping a close eye on them, hope that all is well by turnout time.

 
I am experiencing something a little similiar between the grey gelding below and my welsh A, they have always been out together with a herd of varying size for the past 4.5 yrs with no problem at all. Year before last they were alone on my farm and were very happy, then I bought Anna the bay in sig and everything this summer has completely changed to how the three were last summer.

I know Ollie has rig like tendancies and the bay Anna is very marish but poor Rosie the welsh a is getting the brunt of Ollie, he is chasing, biting, kicking with intent to hurt, it is so distressing to watch so they are now separated. He really does try to split the mares apart, it has actually become dangerous which has been a large factor in my decision to sell one of the three. I cant sell Rosie as she is my boys beloved pony that has been with us 6 yrs, Ollie is my baby so sadly poor Anna is leaving us to go out on loan in the next week or so.

I have decided to take Ollie to the vet and have them run some tests to confirm the rig possibility and do what is necessary to sort the problem.

I believe introducing Anna was the worse thing I could have done despite her being a truly fantastic horse, she is so dependant on Ollie and is so nervous and stressed when I take him away into stables or out of sight, she almost jumps the fence. Anna is the most marish mare I have ever owned or experienced and it has sent Ollie crazy and my normally calm family yard into a circus.

I think the world of Anna but in all honesty will be utterly relieved when she goes to my friends private yard to be started in competition sometime within the next week. My hobby has turned into a risky scary mess and I cannot wait for tranquility to resume!
 
Thanks for all the advice. They stayed in overnight side by side and I turned them out in the larger field this morning, clutching a lunge whip in case. Trotted off togther and are now grazing quietly.
I hope it was just a combination of her being away, smelling different and lack of grazing sparked things off. Mike007 as I take your point that his kicks may not have been aimed to harm, though as I have said it looked like it to me
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, but the mare has already had a leg fracture from being kicked whilst on loan so was pretty scary whatever his intentions.

Enfys, that pic looks terrifying, was the pony okay ?
 
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