I don't want to make any fuss but I'm concerned too...

LauraBR

LauraBR

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The stables at the yard I'm at are built in such a way that the horses can reach right round to see their neighbour- which as a rule I like, nice for them to have contact with other horses and quite often you see horses playing together if they are stuck in etc.

My horse's neighbour is a REALLY grumpy mare. Beautiful horse but real nasty biter when she wants to. I have a totally soft spot for her as she is closely related to a horse I used to own but- she can be wicked and I have seen some very nasty bruises people have received from her bites.

She moved next to him a fortnight-ish ago and I have noticed more and more bite marks on his neck. Today there was a nasty swollen one that needed some attention, took a little chunk out.

Now, he and his last neighbour used to bicker occasionally but my general view then was that they were both standing at the wall and they were both as bad as each other hence they should learn to stay away!

BUT, this mare is different, she will let him stand close and then go for him with no warning- an assumption on my part but that is what she does with people and Sam has got wise to grumpy mares next door, he doesn't get himself in fights anymore.

Anyway, I'm actually, genuinely worried about this mare taking a proper chunk out of his neck- or worse his face, particularly given his broken nose. Given that the owners are the people I would least like to challenge on the yard... how best to raise it?

Or am I being over reactionary?
 
Is there any chance of you horse moving ? You can always say that he is getting fidgety eyc and needs a change etc - better view outwards ???
 
They must know about the biting (presumably?) so I'm sure they wouldn't mind you gently pointing out the bite marks. Perhaps you could suggest putting up a grill between the doors and at a right angle to the outer wall (have seen one, but no idea what to call it...) so that they can see each other but not have contact? They would have to be VERY unreasonable to be annoyed at you bringing this up imo. Good luck!
 
I can sympathise. I have a horse, my giant Spotty Horse, who does exactly the same as this mare. He will stand at an adjoining fence and look all smiles and sweetness so the other horses who aren't in his field believe him to be kind and trustworthy........I feel like shouting to them "He's not - don't blooming trust him!"

Anyway he will scratch their necks and kiss them and be, what looks like, genuinely their friend......and then when they relax and start to enjoy being with him - he will just lunge at them! The minute he knows I am watching, he will immediately stop though. Mind you, he's never injured anyone and he has never done much more than pull a few hairs out.

Interestingly, he NEVER ever does this with the horses he shares a field with; so could it be an idea for your horse to go into the same field as this one so that they can get on better?
 
The stable that my boy is in is like this, too, and he has bickered with whatever neighbour he has had. The one before his present one took some rather large chunks out of his neck, but moved away a couple of weeks ago. Now there is a three-year-old moved in, who is extremely 'in your face' and nosey. My horse flies across the stable at him, teeth bared, and is kicking hell out of the wall as well.
I have strung up a pole and put a rug up as 'curtains' which is helping. I believe it is an issue of invading space.
This might help you, too, if you can fix something up, and perhaps a weave grill might just separate them enough.
I can see the problem from both sides now (cue song
grin.gif
) and it's not easy without offending people. But I can quite see that it is a worry and you need to do something to make them both more comfortable.
 
Great ideas, thank you.

There is nowhere to swap him to, although TBH he is a stressy type and I'd rather risk the bites than him getting all upset because his stable had changed.
 
[ QUOTE ]

Interestingly, he NEVER ever does this with the horses he shares a field with; so could it be an idea for your horse to go into the same field as this one so that they can get on better?

[/ QUOTE ]

If it was any other horse on the yard then yes- but not this one. She and her mum are in a seperate small field because of this mares behaviour towards other horses.

Shame because Sam can hold his own and I think it would help.
 
Oh dear... could the horse have a weave grill fitted so that a full guard could be fitted. I know it is not the kindest thing to do, but it is better than it getting shouted at or smacked whenever it bites a person, and it would stop Sam getting chunks taken out of him too.
 
[ QUOTE ]
Perhaps you could suggest putting up a grill between the doors and at a right angle to the outer wall (have seen one, but no idea what to call it...) so that they can see each other but not have contact?

[/ QUOTE ]

Actually, that is exactly what I need! Where can I get one? I can stick it in my stable and forget about worrying about next door....?
 
Shame as it may have helped. As others have said, can you put up a grill between the two stables? I have grills seperating my stables and it works perfectly.
 
Louis' old neighbour used to take chunks out of him too (and gave as good as he got I should add!) and my YO put up a metal grid inbetween. He can still make faces and talk to his neighbour but the chunks he used to have missing from his face are no more
grin.gif
 
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