Is my pony being bullied??

[Gstar]

Hi I'm after some advice my children have a welsh pony she's been at her DIY yard for a few months now all has seemed well until the last few weeks I've noticed she seems jumpy around the other 2 (one a little welsh another 2 year old foal) when I put hay out they wont let her get any I've put separate piles out and they still don't let her near and keep swapping piles. She's kept in her own stable on a night but its worrying me and my pony seems unhappy I'm not sure if there's any thing I can do other than move yards ? will it sort its self out ? or am I worrying other nothing ? any advice will be greatly appreciated. Thanks

 

[jrp204]

Have they always been fed in the field or does your pony's behaviour coincide with them being fed. If she comes in at night and the others stay out can they be fed once she's in?

 

[Gstar]

Have they always been fed in the field or does your pony's behaviour coincide with them being fed. If she comes in at night and the others stay out can they be fed once she's in?

shes fed in her stable on a night so that's fine , its in the morning when I give them hay in the field due to not much grass in the field.
her behaviour seems to changed shes jumpy if others go near her , it sounds silly but I cant help worrying !!

 

[putasocinit]

You are not being silly at all, have pmd you

 

[Brightbay]

shes fed in her stable on a night so that's fine , its in the morning when I give them hay in the field due to not much grass in the field.
her behaviour seems to changed shes jumpy if others go near her , it sounds silly but I cant help worrying !!

Bullying isn't really something horses do. What they do (that may look like bullying to us) is protect resources that they believe are in short supply.

So you can have the same group of horses living together peacefully all summer - when grass is plentiful - who will suddenly become narky with each other in winter when grass is scarce and food is in neat piles that need to be defended.
Similarly, you can have a horse who's lived alone or with a companion they don't really like - if a new "desirable" horse arrives, there will be competition where before things have been quiet.

If your pony is not being chased *unless* she goes near a pile of hay, what you have is resource guarding. All you can do is ensure there are lots more hay piles than horses, and that they're spaced far enough apart that each horse can get fair access.
If your pony is being chased even when she's not near a hay pile, you have have an overcrowding issue, with horses feeling they need to defend personal space.
If your pony is being chased when she's near a particular other horse or horses, you have an issue with one or more horses having separation anxiety/resource guarding of companions. There's not much you can do there, other than separate them.