Horse killed ducklings

TheresaW

TheresaW

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One of the grooms at the yard today went to get in a couple of horses. As she was walking to the field, she was stopped by a lady and told that one of the horses was seen killing some ducklings today. Apparently, she was picking them up with her teeth and throwing them around the field. There were 3 dead ducklings in the field.

Has anyone ever heard of anything like this before? I think it is terribly sad and would be really upset if one of mine did this. :-(
 
Incredibly sad :(
I can sort of understand why - they must be terribly confused by the ducklings.
I know my girl will chase pheasants with a passion, but pheasants have a bit more wit and strength about them and tend to fly off - although it tends to be AT her sometimes (what was I saying about wit...)
K x
 
no iv never heard of anything like this??

the only thing i can think of is the horse is particularly territorial and didnt want any strange animals in its territory?

the horses at my yard can be very territorial at times, sometimes for no obvious reason.
 
That is very sad, and yes I would also be upset if that was my horse that had done that, not really the same but we do have a mare on the yard who hates dogs and a couple of years ago she picked one up in her teeth and swung it around till she dropped it,but with her we can keep dogs away now.
 
My pony as a youngster used to like trying to stamp on sparrows. Never caught one though. She is otherwise very sweet natured.
 
We had a livery some years ago now and I was assured he was OK to turn out with sheep. This particular horse was rather quirky, borderline riggy.

So we turned him out with the sheep in a 10 acre field; he then went across to the sheep grazing, and started striking out at the poor sheep with his forelegs, and then started biting and trying to pick the sheep up with his teeth.

Luckily we were there, and managed to catch said horse and take it away to another field, and thank god the sheep was actually OK (unbelievably) - but this horse was the same with dogs too - if a dog ever accidentally strayed anywhere it was grazing it was a case of get it out PDQ.

I think, looking back, it was a territorial issue - but there are some horses who unfortunately will see anything in front of their feet or in their space, as a threat.
 
Unusual.

If there were hens in Manni's paddock picking thro the hay, then he would canter over and strike out at them with his foreleg and snake his head and neck at them, but they were quick to get out of the way. i like to think it was humerous rather than malicious!
 
Years and years and years ago i had a TB who was a bit scatty, he threw a wobbly one day and slipped over and landed on my brother's puppy, killed him outright, I was absolutely devastated, even though it was an accident, i never liked that horse much after that, it wasnt long after i sold him as my dad said he was dangerous after he dragged him through a five bar fence when he was being shod, think he had a bit of a screw loose.
 
I knew a recently gelded pony that killed a kitten that must have gone into his stable overnight. I imagine he would have stamped on it because he would chase dogs and try to stamp on them. Being a stallion, he would have been territorial too. Very upsetting when such a peaceful prey animal becomes violent like that.
 
I watched a mare kill a rabbit with her forelegs ( I assume it had mixy)
A farrier I had had a mare that would regularly have a dead rat in the box with her they were sure she was killing them.
 
My sisters pony killed my puppy with his foreleg, I think it was just unfortunate accident but the whole family was devastated and he was sold a few months later but due to my sister giving up riding but I think the incident had a large role to play.
 
When I was very young we had a 13.2 welshie on the yard called Silver - he would lift his hoof and stamp on the baby chicks when they came past him, he also broke a ducks neck by charging at him, and once had a go at a goose - he came off quite badly injured that day.

All in all he was a real nasty piece of work - and would bite and kick out at humans too.

Now my old girl Gingerwitch, was as sweet and lovely as could be, til the day I had a little pup in my arms, she went to bite it - not being nasty - she just wanted to see what it was - was it a treat etc.... ?
 
I actually think this is pretty common. Not the first time I've heard it.

FWIW, I knew a gelding who liked to kill, and squash completely flat, hedgehogs! :eek:
 
We used to have a gelding who killed rats. We found at least one flat one every winter. I also knew a gelding who killed a litter of kittens that were in his stable, we always though that he mistook them for rats.
 
I had been nursing a hen back to health for weeks and finally got her well, only for her to be stamped on by Eeyore, who was tied up on the yard. She just got a little too close to him and he objected to it. I was gutted and held her whilst she died a couple of minutes later. I never had the hens out when there were horses on the yard after that. Eeyore also attacks dogs following being harassed when in a field we used to have years ago. Owners used to let their dogs bother the horses and he just started fighting back. He has been known to pick them up and throw them and to stamp on them with front feet.
 
How sad.
Daughters pony will chase dogs, cats & even our geese in the field. Will back off from the geese if they're together but not put off by a lone one. She's actually not bothered by the chickens & ducks tho. I think its because from being weaned at 3 months she was kept alone till 1 & subsequently learnt how to deal with threats herself. She's actually fine on the yard with them on the yard & when my mare who's her adoptive mum is around, so with her its more self preservation than territorial.
 
My late father (born 1889) told me that in the days when horses were tethered in stalls it was very common to find dead rats in the morning. This was because the rats would nibble at the heels of the horses as they were attracted by the (often) slightly rotten smell. All would be fine until they nibbled a bit too much and then - Wham - one dead rat!
 
Yup my mare will chase after other animals in the field, just this morning watched her chasing some ducks after she had been turned out. My last horse caught and killed rats with his teeth on a regular basis. Hmm. I seem to attract odd horses :eek:
 
A lot of non predatory animals seem to see small animals on the ground as something to squash I am afraid. When visiting Longleat many years ago one of the elephants picked up a stone in his trunk and lobbed it very accurately at a pheasant pecking around some distance away and stunned /killed it. It stuck in my mind as it seemed quite motiveless. No idea why they do it.
On the other hand, an Arab stallion owned by a friend shared his box with a cat and her litter of kittens for several weeks and did not harm any of them. They were literally around his feet at times!
 
A gentle gelding cob raised his foot and hovered threatening over the chicken, we told him no and he slammed it down on the chicken, this was him not wanting to share his grub! Seen a herd of cows kill a chicken too!
 
never heard of it with ducklings but i have a rising 2yr old gelding who is so evil when it comes to the dogs he eyes them up then runs at them and tries to stamp them with both front feet if all this fails he tries to get them with his back end. i refuse to take the dogs put anymore as he is going to do one of them some damage one day as he has been to close for comfort many times
 
A friends cob stamped on a young rabbit with myxi and my OH had to finish it off because he'd broken it's back and it was doing that awful screaming. Poor bunny. My highland used to pick up sheep and small ponies but only in a playful way. If said small ponies had rugs on, he would grab the rug and lift their backends off the ground. He would try to lift the ram by his fleece but I think the ram quite enjoyed the attention because he never ran away, just lay in the corner of the barn with his ladies!
 
An old hunter of mine was embarrassing during cubbing (before the ban I hasten to add!) If a fox tried to make his escape from a covert, Bramble would spot it before anyone else and lunge at it with his teeth! He couldn't go in a field with sheep because he'd pick them up and throw them (if a mouthful of wool didn't come out first) and woe betide any dog who went into his field!

And it's not just older horses - my foals are regularly seen stalking hares, rabbits, pheasants AND foxes! It's normally playful - occasionally food uarding behaviour - but a horse's hoof can be lethal!
 
Sienna has killed and maimed all sorts of wildlife. She's killed foxes & rabbits and tried to get a few dogs, I saw her badly injure a deer once, but it managed to get over the fence and away.
I think it's perfectly normal behaviour, she's a very dominant mare and will deal promptly with any perceived threats. We just ensure there are never loose dogs in the field with the horses - as if anyone would let them anyway.
On the yard she is a saint and will have cats/dogs etc under her feet etc and is incredibly tolerant and kind.
 
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