Horse in field next door

Hallo2012 said:
in the first instance just go and speak to the owner of the problem horse, like an adult, no tears or blame and see what they say-they might be horrified and be 100% willing to fence it further from the walkway.

DO NOT start squirting or hitting other peoples horses.

if the problem horse cannot be moved and it absolutely cannot actually make contact with yours over the fence then you need to work on your own pony-as the owner of two actual stallions i still expect mine to behave whatever is going on next to them etc-i would forgive them prancing and blowing but they are NOT allowed to push me around, barge in to me, pull away etc.

walk between them and the fence line and don't rush, walk at a steady pace and if the pony rushes or pushes stop them, back up, bring the attention back to you then proceed slowly, the odd treat wouldn't go amiss in this particular situation to build confidence.
Click to expand...
Brilliant, brilliant advice.

Sorry Op, just re-read your initial post and see that you’re walking along an alleyway.
 
bz88 said:
Spoken to owner of the aggressive horse and she totally ignored me and laughed saying “you know he can’t cope with small ones” next thing is speaking to yo.
I appreciate advice about teaching my pony to cope but I’m sorry I haven’t met or seen a horse that will not react to horses galloping and charging straight at him to very close proximity. More likely aggressive horse need teaching manners and needs ground work whos owner doesn’t do with it. He won’t stand still when tied up for example. My pony will cope with rider on in those circumstances but not walked in hand.
Click to expand...

no one is saying he shouldn't react, but his reaction should still be safe.

would i expect mine to grow 3hh, blow, stick tail in air and passage next to me-absolutely.

would I allow any barging forward, pushing in to me, spinning-no.

if the horse cannot make contact then the pony absolutely can learn to control his reaction to a safe degree.

have a look at TRT videos on youtube and get a rope halter and I am sure you will get it sorted :) also the less they react, the less the big horse might start....
 
Electric fence is a good shout, otherwise I'd be inclined to take another person or two with you- if you can put yourselves between the ponies and the horse that might instil a bit more confidence in the pony. I wouldn't take a whip/ advocate hitting someone else's horse, but borrowing a large, loud friend to walk alongside the pony and tell the horse to back up if he lunges for the pony might help. I've led horses down barn aisles and had one in a stable go for their bum- a loud Oi! usually makes them think twice without needing to lay a finger on them. You do need to be confident for that to work though- the ponies are probably picking up on your (understandable) nerves that the fence is going to give way, which won't help with their behaviour, which is another reason why I suggest bringing extra support at least until the bigger horse has got out of the habit.
 
Can the other horse reach over the fence and touch either of you in the alleyway? An angry big horse can reach a long way over. If yes, then it is a horrible dangerous situation. If no, then I do think you can work on training your pony and getting him used to it.
 
MuddyMonster said:
I have to be honest, if someone had taken a water pistol to my horse when it was the other side of a fence, I'd be absolutely fuming.
Click to expand...

It is no different than the quit kick teaching a horse not to kick the door,
Click to expand...

Yes but this horse is lunging over the fence at them, . For someone to have to let go of their horse to avoid this horse attacking theirs then sorry I would do the water pistol but i would tell the owner of the horse or video it doing so I had proof. Water is harmless, and people use it on dogs, Where they do not know where the jet came from and it distracts them from going at the OP.

I am not saying aiming at his face or such, but squirt a pray or jet is not alot different than using fly spray and OP could use a garden spray thing, not saying buy a huge water gun or such like

I wouldn't mind them doing to mine if they were being aggressive to someone, and this is speaking from experience from my late mare being kicked by a bully and shattering her splint bone in 19 pieces.

Horses do much worst to each other than a squirt of water, bite - kick.
What would be worst if this horse gets through the fence when OP walks past and goes literally after them.



We had a recent thing here where a horse has decided this one new horse is not allowed in the field and charged at her numerous times, and this poor mare tried to get over the high post and rail and got stuck with her front legs through the fending.
 
Last edited:
Can this aggressive horse actually reach you or your pony?
If he can't and the fencing is adequate, I don't see the problem. Yes it might be intimidating but I'm afraid that's life. I'd be more worried that the charging horse will hurt himself on the fence.
If the horse can't reach you , then just ignore it and walk past , if you remain calm and ignore it , your pony will learn that there's nothing to worry about.
 
Sossigpoker said:
If you hit my horse you'd be bleeding afterwards.
How dare you suggest that someone hits a horse let alone one not belonging to them ?!
Click to expand...
if you did that you might well be looking at a criminal record for actual/grievous bodily harm.
ETA I’m referring to your suggestion that you’ll hit someone, and hard enough to draw blood at that.
 
Last edited:
The yard owner has a 'Duty of Care' for anyone on their property. The yard owner is accepting payment and therefore like any work place they must ensure that they comply with the requirements of the Health and Safety Executive. Clearly this horse is cabale of causing a serious injury and this needs to be reported to the yard owner in writing so that they are given the opportunity of dealing with the matter. Make sure that you keep a copy of your dated letter so that there record here is a record of it. In the event of a serious accident occuring then the yard owners may become liable for the cosnequences which may initilally be an investigation by the Health and Safety Executive. This could have serious consequences for the yard owner as the Health and Safety Executive would charge them for the cost of the initial report which could be many thousands of punds as well as issuing a financial penalty to them in the event of them being found to have put anyone in danger.
 
I’m sorry you’re dealing with this. Honestly it’s not worth the stress or potential accidents so if speaking to your YO doesn’t bring joy, I would leave.
 
teacups said:
if you did that you might well be looking at a criminal record for actual/grievous bodily harm.
ETA I’m referring to your suggestion that you’ll hit someone, and hard enough to draw blood at that.
Click to expand...
Well don't hit my or anyone else's horse and you won't need to find out!
So it's OK to hit a horse but not to hit a person? When I was younger a farrier hit my horse so hard he drew blood- 20 later I still regret not hitting him back. This wouldn't happen today, not on my watch .
 
bz88 said:
Spoken to owner of the aggressive horse and she totally ignored me and laughed saying “you know he can’t cope with small ones” next thing is speaking to yo.
I appreciate advice about teaching my pony to cope but I’m sorry I haven’t met or seen a horse that will not react to horses galloping and charging straight at him to very close proximity. More likely aggressive horse need teaching manners and needs ground work whos owner doesn’t do with it. He won’t stand still when tied up for example. My pony will cope with rider on in those circumstances but not walked in hand.
Click to expand...
But can the horse actually do anything to you?
I ride past some horse paddocks and sometimes they come charging to the fence. My horse behaves because he trusts me.
If the fencing is adequate and the horse can't reach you , then I'm afraid this is your problem.
Horses should be allowed to be horses in their free time
 
Could you put a bit of electric fencing at the walkway side of the horses fence? It doesn’t need to be on all the time but you could flick it on when you’re leading your pony. It would obviously be better at the other side but if the horse did get a zap while lunging over that might keep him back a bit.
 
As a mum, this would horrify me, and obviously you can’t let the children get the horses in/out.
You’ve had no luck with the owner, so you need to ask the YO if you can move fields, or put some electric up in the aggressive horses’ field to keep him further away from the alleyway.
If that fails, I would move, even if it’s somewhere less convenient while you wait for the other yard to want have space.
Your little group of cobs sound lovely and you and the kids should be having fun with them instead of worrying about this.
 
A chat with the owner of aggressive horse might be enough. They might offer to run a strip of electric fence a few feet inside the fence line to keep it away.

Until then, pop yourself between your pony and the fence when leading and, provided nasty horse can’t get at you and make contact, work on getting your pony to walk calmly regardless of the situation. Once your pony recognises that he can’t be got at and that you are calm and in control of the situation, you might find the whole thing becomes easier and less traumatic for you.
FWIW, sending the horse to run off down the alleyway on his own will only cement the idea that he can run away from you when he gets worried and that there is actually something to be worried about, which will just amplify his fears each time he goes there. Also, you are potentially creating a very unsafe situation for your child, with a pony who will take matters into his own hands if he feels threatened.

And please don’t follow advice to hit or spray water at a horse who is on the other side of a fence!
 
bz88 said:
Spoken to owner of the aggressive horse and she totally ignored me and laughed saying “you know he can’t cope with small ones” next thing is speaking to yo.
I appreciate advice about teaching my pony to cope but I’m sorry I haven’t met or seen a horse that will not react to horses galloping and charging straight at him to very close proximity. More likely aggressive horse need teaching manners and needs ground work whos owner doesn’t do with it. He won’t stand still when tied up for example. My pony will cope with rider on in those circumstances but not walked in hand.
Click to expand...
Agree. Mine are very good on the ground. But .. would Woody would be snorting. Prancing and being a tit, if he was charged at by an aggressive horse every time he was lead to and from his field. That horse should be in an electric area right away from the walk way. It’s not fair on you or the children.
 
OP if you're not already, I would advise wearing a riding hat, gloves, good safety footwear such as steel toe capped jod boots and possibly even your body protector if you have one, certainly a thick jacket/sleeves, and using a lunge line or extra long lead rope when turning the cobs out/bringing in.

Never turn out or bring in alone, always have another adult with you.

How wide is the alleyway? Sorry if it's already been said, just trying to picture it.
And what is on the other side?

I would walk on the side nearer the problem field/horses, so the cobs are futherest away from the aggressive horses.

Get someone to video the issue.
Hope the YO takes you more seriously than the problem horses owner did.

There absolutely should be an electrified inner fence with a decent voltage a couple of metres in the inside of that field. Preferably with the extra tall poles and at least two strands tape.

Big aggressive horses can have some surprising reach.

I agree, good idea to work with the cobs on staying calm in that type of difficult situation, good advice about looking for an experienced ground work instructor for a couple of sessions maybe.

I wouldn't take the whips or water pistol as the cobs could react to them as well.

Good luck with it OP!

(my experience: been on livery yards 14 years/handling a variety of horses!)
 
Crikey, I can't believe how many people are advocating hitting the horse or squirting it with a water pistol. I would be incandescent.

If the livery yard arrangements are not to your satisfaction, I would make other arrangements. I'm not sure what the horse's owner is supposed to do, when she is bound by the field she is told to be in.

Owner and YO are aware the horse has a problem with small ponies and the ponies have been found an alternate field. Maybe a sensible, no blame, conversation with all to ask for electric fence to keep the horse back? If the YO says no, and the horse has been restrained by the fence, I think you would be bang out of order to take action for some perceived threat that you are scared may happen, but has not.
 
If the big horse did break out of the fence and injure the owner or the pony then who would be to blame- the YO or the owner if she knows that her horse is being aggressive but she hasn't approached the YO to ask for help? I feel very sorry for the OP and think that some of the responses have been less than sympathetic to her situation. Years ago my mare and her friend were put in a field with two others. One of these was a pony that had never been handled much. She was an absolute nightmare and would come flying past, fly kicking and trying to barge us when we were bringing either of the other two in. It didn't help that the field was very long and thin so she seemed to use it as a race track. My mare and the other were petrified of her. It made riding a very unpleasant experience. The yard owner eventually agreed that we could move to another field before anyone got hurt.
 
Chianti said:
If the big horse did break out of the fence and injure the owner or the pony then who would be to blame- the YO or the owner if she knows that her horse is being aggressive but she hasn't approached the YO to ask for help? I feel very sorry for the OP and think that some of the responses have been less than sympathetic to her situation. Years ago my mare and her friend were put in a field with two others. One of these was a pony that had never been handled much. She was an absolute nightmare and would come flying past, fly kicking and trying to barge us when we were bringing either of the other two in. It didn't help that the field was very long and thin so she seemed to use it as a race track. My mare and the other were petrified of her. It made riding a very unpleasant experience. The yard owner eventually agreed that we could move to another field before anyone got hurt.
Click to expand...
I think both owner and YO would be, especially so as the potential danger has been pointed out, but as the OP also knows the situation and continues to take her horse past, I think she would also be responsible.

It is all up in the air though, as the horse has never broken through the fence and there is space to take the pony by without it being able to be bitten or kicked. So far, the YO has been proven right in that the fencing has held.

If it were me, thinking my pony was in danger, I would move it. Or, as a first try, have a considered conversation to suggest possible options. That may mean me paying for some electric fence if that made me feel safer.

Hitting the horse or shooting at it with a water pistol would bring out the mamma bear in me! That is unreasonable.
 
Backtoblack said:
This is the most stupid reply I've ever read,the big horse is being very aggressive and needs a hard smack to drive it away, poor pony is being very good going past it, absolutely not the pony owners fault I'd chase the aggressive horse with the lunge whip and give it a good hiding every time it approachesd.
Click to expand...
You can not go beating up an livery’s horse it’s a ridiculous idea that could land OP in a lot of trouble .
Its a horse at liberty in its own field it’s being a horse .

Op I would expect my pony to walk beside me with me in between it and the field even it that’s leading on the wrong side .
The Yard owner would be well advised to put an electric yard rail on the inside of the fence just peace .
 
Backtoblack said:
This is the most stupid reply I've ever read,the big horse is being very aggressive and needs a hard smack to drive it away, poor pony is being very good going past it, absolutely not the pony owners fault I'd chase the aggressive horse with the lunge whip and give it a good hiding every time it approachesd.
Click to expand...
So not the right thing to do. The horses are defending what they see as their territory, and really its normal horse behaviour. Without actually being there its hard to understand the cause, sometimes horses will just get very defensive about their companion, or food, there is usually a trigger. If they are in their paddock and there is a fence, it is not a place to start teaching them 'manners'.
I would go for more control with the pony and habituation, and yes you can teach ponies to just about ignore anything but you have to be the one to take the threat/fear out of your reaction.
 
I dont think the water pistol is a bad idea.

If my horse was being a sod and causing such hassle along the fence line, I would be quite happy for someone to give him a squirt for his troubles.

He wouldnt do that though because hes a perfect princess barbie horse.

I would just straight up ask the owner if you can either fence her horse back a couple of feet, or if she minds you giving him a squirt to keep everyone safer.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top