How to become dominant?

I'd get 'good' non aggressive help tbh. Another pair of experienced, objective eyes on the situation may shed more light and help with a plan of how to proceed safely.
 
Agree with Amandap (seriously). Overcoming fear isn't always easy, especially when a person has to cope on their own. Getting the independent view and help of someone else with experience is a really good idea. The danger is that aggressiveness is often the response to fear in the attempt to conquer it (but actually only masks it), and an aggressive horse needs calm, quiet firmness not more aggression.
 
I'm also with Amandap and Fburton, 110%

Getting aggressive will either;
a), cause the horse to fight back, and I wouldn't go into a boxing ring with Mike Tyson, so I wouldn't with my horse.
b) I equally don't want him to be scared of me.

A non-invasive, slow and patient process is what I'd do, my youngster was quite aggressive, particularly when leading- he'd bite and kick me. Instead- I started clicker training him and rewarding the good stuff- and ignoring the bad stuff- he soon learnt that leading nicely, outweighs biting/kicking/barging/bolting.

Patience is a virtue!

Amy x
 
Haven't read all the replies but...

If you can teach her to back in in-hand out of the stable (by the sound if it she is quite nice with the headcollar and rope on) with a voice command, I see no reason why that shouldn't translate to the box.

Make sure you're not "tensing for the fight" as it were, and stay cool at all times.

Try to remember to get her to step back from the door every time you go in. Its a good habit to get them into, and sets the scene for who is who.

Is she claustrophobic, and that could be causing the problems in the stable?

Once the door is open and you are in, try to keep her facing you, use treats if necessary, and get the headcollar and rope on first. If she needs to be tied up when someone is in the stable at all times, surely thats not too bad?
 
flamehead said:
As far as I know, shes never been mistreated. She came from a lovely lady who had bred her and was absolutely devastated when she sold her on - I just can't imagine she was mishandled.
Click to expand...

A couple of people have said to me: 'never buy a homebred'....I think meaning, a one-off breeder, having bred from their favourite mare for instance.... because the owner has mollycoddled the foal/youngster to death and not taught it any manners.... I wonder whether this is the case with yours?

I've only ever had one dangerous horse. A gelding. He was aggressive in his stable, field/own environment. But once away from home, he was just lovely. None of my friends believed me when I said how awful he was at home... until he kicked my Mum in the field. Missed her head by an inch :(

The only way round it with him was to pump myself up, shoulders back, head up, and march straight in his stable, verbally threaten to kill him if he dared touch a hair on my head, and just stomp around like I was in a mood. If I was nice and sweet, he'd turn on me.

The whole thing was exhausting. Being like that just isn't me. But it was necessary with him to avoid me being splattered, which he was easily capable of doing.

He had been mistreated in the past, I did at least find that out :(

p.s. Actually he was fine once on a headcollar, with the farrier/vet etc. I'd never realised that!
 
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