I feel terrible :(

[Btomkins]

Sorry for the lengthy story but here goes.....

I keep my 1 1/2 yr old colt, Ben, at a small private yard near to me. Up until two weeks ago he was happy with just having 6 haflinger friends that he could speak to over the fence (long story short hes not fully gelded yet...complications with the vet and still has one testicle) he had his own field and was looking a little lonely but wanted to wait until he was fully gelded to introduce them fully.

The YO asked me if he wanted a friend that was happy to share with a stallion so of course I jumped at the chance. Said horse arrived who is a lovely big bay gelding happy to teach my youngster the ropes. They were introduced and turned out together for a week and got along wonderfully. My boy then unfortunately got lice and the other owner wanted to separate them which is understandible. However, she has to bring her horse through my youngsters field and huge problems have arisen....

Every time she brings her horse through bens field,he is charging at them full at gallop, rearing and striking out in a vicious manner. She kindly offered to turn him out for me each morning, but he has taken to biting her as well :/

I have never had any problems like this with him - a little bit nippy sometimes but not extreme for a yearling - more like investigative. I have always found him very sweet, if a little opinionated.

She has now said that she doesn't think Ben should be with any other horses until he is fully gelded (which I am planning to get done ASAP) but I don't know if this is gong to make a huge difference because he just doesn't act this way with me. Does it seem like a jealousy type thing where he is desperate to get his friend back or a territorial thing??

My other huge worry is that all the other horses now share a huge field that has a public footpath running through and as this lady has now pointed out - what if he were to do this to someone just walking through?? I really don't want him to be on his own and not have any friends but I dont want him to be a risk to other people either :/

I just feel a bit lost and singled out and guilty for him behaving this way towards her when she's been nothing but helpful to me. She has even said she is still happy to turn him out but this worries me incase something happens. She has even resorted to bringing him in before her horse to avoid anything happening agin, but I really don't want her having to feel that she has to both turn him out and bring him in for me when I cant do the same for her in return.


Any thoughts appreciated, sorry for the essay!!

 

[Cocorules]

He will come okay once you can get him in with others. Until then can he be fenced furthest away so other horses do not have to get past him and also fence him off the footpath. The sooner he gets company the better though.

 

[Janah]

Bless you. Owning horses is such a worry., If the other person is happy to turn out/bring in I really wouldn't worry. They obviously know what they are taking on.

I would talk to YO about your worries.

I would get him gelded sooner than later. He is obviously upset at having company and then none.

 

[be positive]

Your colt is probably missing his friend, he just got settled then was left alone again, very unsettling and I feel unfair to him, getting lice was not his fault they may have been brought in by the new horse as they must have come from somewhere. If he is clear can they not go out together again it should allow him to settle and learn how to behave.
Youngsters kept alone will start to get bored and want to play if a horse is taken through their field, it may be best to fence somewhere else for him or look to move to somewhere he can go out with others.

 

[Wednesday's child]

How horrid for you. It does seem wise for Ben to be kept on his own until he can be gelded. Can this happen very soon, or is there a medical reason to postpone this any longer? Whatever has changed his behaviour, there is absolutely no need for you to feel guilty for the situation. Ben is a horse, responding as a horse. Why does the gelding have to be brought through Ben's field to be turned out? Can a part be sectioned off with tape so that Ben has his own self contained turnout? I'm sure this would instantly alleviate some of your concerns, and give you some panic free thinking space.

 

[navaho]

If her horse was in with yours & yours got lice, the chances are so did hers, so not really any need to separate them....in fact i would be asking if yours picked the lice up from hers.

 

[Btomkins]

If her horse was in with yours & yours got lice, the chances are so did hers, so not really any need to separate them....in fact i would be asking if yours picked the lice up from hers.

I thought this might be the case but her horse is clipped and after extensive searching the other horse has no lic...it's a mystery as to where they came from

 

[Btomkins]

How horrid for you. It does seem wise for Ben to be kept on his own until he can be gelded. Can this happen very soon, or is there a medical reason to postpone this any longer? Whatever has changed his behaviour, there is absolutely no need for you to feel guilty for the situation. Ben is a horse, responding as a horse. Why does the gelding have to be brought through Ben's field to be turned out? Can a part be sectioned off with tape so that Ben has his own self contained turnout? I'm sure this would instantly alleviate some of your concerns, and give you some panic free thinking space.

There shouldn't be any complications, but unfortunately the first vet royally messed his castration up. Long story short they wanted to charge me £400 and then another £200 to finish the job. After pointing out how many guidelines they had broken and legally threatening them, they very quickly dropped all charges owed. I have another vet coming out to do an examination this Tuesday just to double check, but should be able to get it gone within the next few weeks.

Unfortunately the way the fields are set up it is difficult to do this :/ it was originally the plan to open all the fields up over the winter and let the horses have free roam, but if Ben acts like this with her, he could with others. I don't understand really, he's fine with me!

It might just be a jealousy thing as he is almost tring to stop her taking the other horse away :/ and because of the way he's been behaving she doesn't want him in with hers again until he's gelded. Would gelding actually sort he problem out though becauseim it so sure when he behaves like an angel with me now anyway...

 

[Btomkins]

*not so sure