Kicked by someone elses horse

Jenna1406 said:
I shouldnt have to take my horses in to feed them tbh! I let the other mare come into my paddock so I could help them out but this hasnt really worked due to them, not telling me when they are up and when they are not up etc.

I was feeding this mare along side mine before but because there was confusion as to when they were up and riding, It had to be stopped to do feeding then riding issues.

My other issue is that this mare has gone to kick me whilst taking my youngster in, without food in the mix.
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Ah, more useful information. If you have the option of removing this horse from "your" paddock then problem solved. If they stay then you'll need to work around. If you've got problems at other times then you need to learn how to get some distance between you and yours and other horses. Different ways to do that. I've always use longer lines and spin them around me and mine to keep others away. They soon stop taking notice of us.
 
Take a big stick, lunge whip, whatever works, and make sure mare is properly out of the way before you catch your horse, and if you are feeding, try to do it out of sight somewhere.
I'm sure the other horses' owner would much rather you did that, than end up being injured, I know I would.
Or just ask them to move mare back out as its not working for you, thats surely the best option. :)
 
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thanks for all the replies. The first time that this mare in question went to kick me, was before they were getting fed on a daily basis, the only one that was getting fed was darcy after been ridden and that was out of sight.

I am needing to speak to the YO to see if we can make arrangements, where as I am happy to feed this mare at the same time, I dont want it left on me like ive gained a third horse - plus I already feed another horse in a paddock just a bit away from mine wed, thurs and fri.

I can see where everyone is coming from and I know that last nights trigger was the feed and this horse is only like this towards my youngster, not my older mare as she is the BOSS!
 
hollybear said:
Take a big stick, lunge whip, whatever works, and make sure mare is properly out of the way before you catch your horse, and if you are feeding, try to do it out of sight somewhere.
I'm sure the other horses' owner would much rather you did that, than end up being injured, I know I would.
Or just ask them to move mare back out as its not working for you, thats surely the best option. :)
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I think I will be taking a whip in with me tonight, just in case.
 
Everyone should have to take their horses away out of sight to feed them, it should be common sense that it will start fights/issues, and these issues will still arise when you go to catch the horse that gets fed whether its feed time or not. The dominant horse simply thinks your filly is getting spoiled and she isn't...

As for the yard owner, I can sympathise with them a bit - if you haven't got another winter field you haven't got another winter field.. However, if I had someone struggling on my yard and accidents happening I would probably be down there assessing what is happening and seeing what can be done.

There has to be sense applied all round.
 
Jenna1406 said:
I shouldnt have to take my horses in to feed them tbh! I let the other mare come into my paddock so I could help them out but this hasnt really worked due to them, not telling me when they are up and when they are not up etc.

I was feeding this mare along side mine before but because there was confusion as to when they were up and riding, It had to be stopped to do feeding then riding issues.

My other issue is that this mare has gone to kick me whilst taking my youngster in, without food in the mix.
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Then I can only suggest that you offer to pay YO the equivalent of another horse's livery in order to have an exclusive field for your horses. It isn't actually your paddock, it belongs to YO, who earns a living from a livery business. When dealing with horses we need to be realistic and expect them to behave like horses, which is what the 3 in this paddock are doing.
And if you have fed this horse in the past and now don't but put a bucket within sight of her - how did you expect her to behave?
 
No there is no other fields that we can use, sometime (not very often) we get to turn them out into one of the farmers big fields to rest ours and then I would most def take my horses in away from the other horses but since I have been in that paddock, the routine has pretty much been the same that they get fed in the paddock most nights but need to speak to owner of horse to sort something out.

The owner of the horse also, at weekends only feeds this mare outside the paddock and then mine get fed later. Its all complicated.
 
Pearlsasinger said:
Then I can only suggest that you offer to pay YO the equivalent of another horse's livery in order to have an exclusive field for your horses. It isn't actually your paddock, it belongs to YO, who earns a living from a livery business. When dealing with horses we need to be realistic and expect them to behave like horses, which is what the 3 in this paddock are doing.
And if you have fed this horse in the past and now don't but put a bucket within sight of her - how did you expect her to behave?
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The paddock is only roughly just bigger than an acre which really isnt big enough for three horses. I wouldnt dream of paying more money to keep this field when I made the repairs to go into the paddock in the first place and maintain it myself - not getting on at you but this is how it stands at the moment.

Did i expect to be double barrelled for taking my youngster out of the field in the dark....NO! I expect to have a pleasant time at my horses and not get kicked for looking after them.

I would have continued feeding this mare if the owners were more reliable in what they are doing at nights, they sometimes dont come up but never tell me this and the horse goes hungry - which is NOT my fault - I make sure there is a bale of hay in the field at all times but for that mare its all I can do at the moment.

I am going to feed this mare the next couple of nights to make sure this doesnt happen but I will be having a word with the YO that I dont feel safe even taking Breagha out of the paddock for other reasons.
 
It all sounds rather disorganised and unsafe, different people feeding in sight at different times.

I would buy a length of electric fence tape, tie it on the fence so that it diagonally separates off an area in front of the gate, so you can bring your horse into that area before you have to deal with opening gates etc.
 
awilliams said:
Lunge whip! Also feed out of sight.

Knowing the mare kicks please wear a hat for your own safety :(
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^^this^^
Wouldn't start feeding the other mare, she's not your responsibility. If you don't ever go to the field with food and just take yours away out of sight to feed, the other mare will get used to that and (hopefully) not come near.
 
Honey08 said:
It all sounds rather disorganised and unsafe, different people feeding in sight at different times.

I would buy a length of electric fence tape, tie it on the fence so that it diagonally separates off an area in front of the gate, so you can bring your horse into that area before you have to deal with opening gates etc.
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I have a small bit like that up at the moment but that was more to make sure the whole field was electic but will make it bigger to fit horses into.

Buddy'sMum said:
^^this^^
Wouldn't start feeding the other mare, she's not your responsibility. If you don't ever go to the field with food and just take yours away out of sight to feed, the other mare will get used to that and (hopefully) not come near.
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This is sounding like what I need to do.

I will also speak to the owner to see what should be done.
 
1. Feed all 3 (and wear a hat and carry a big stick/whip as you one eats more slowly than the others)

2. Better to catch and remove your horse from the field to feed her, again hat and stick to keep the others at bay. Food out of sight, not within sight on other side of gate as you'll have all 3 trampling you in the gateway.

3. Best solution of all, if you want a really EASY life, chuck a section of hay over the field for the 2 biguns to distract them. Then you're free to easily catch your one and lead her out of the field (hat and stick) to her food which you leave OUT OF SIGHT of the others, so that they don't rush the gateway.

Easy solutions so no need to put yourself at risk for the sake of feeding taking 2 mins longer each day cos of catching and taking out of field.

(I sussed this out last winter, when I kept my 2 geldings in an established herd of 12 other geldings, one of whom was recently castrated and very dominant).
 
whip and small paddock....


i used to have to separate my 2 at feeding time - the younger one used to kick if challenged but the older one but batter her in turn for her food....

a whip and separating them is probably the answer...or move...
 
I'm sorry, if horses are going to be kept in a field together and they are out 24/7 and fed in the field, I think it's only right they are all fed at the same time otherwise of course there is going to be upset!

Do thet get hayed in the field (I assume so). If so I would put some hay out first, away from the gate and therefore the horses have some food and are not getting agitated about waitifing for/competing for feed.

You can then bring your youngster in and feed it but I would suggest, if you are then feeding your other horse, you give the remaining horse something too - even if just a token handful of nuts. It is unfair to not feed all the horses as of course this will cause issue if one doesn't understand why she's not getting anything! Horses are horses and can only act as horses. They do not understand that "it's ok, my person will be coming to feed me later on". The only other way to resolve it is for them to be in separate paddocks.

We have fed our horses this way for years. 2 come in over night, the old one is let in to the stable area to eat his tea as otherwise the other two will steal it (he gets more so takes more time to eat). The remaining two are fed outside in the field. They know their routine and who does what and, in general it is all relatively calm. Ok, sometimes my youngster can be a bit of a bully with a couple of the others and even last night he was blocking the gate as I was bringing my sister's horse in and he was pulling some threatening faces at the horse I was leading.

My youngster can be fly with his feet (he's low in the pecking order, it's his defence mechanism) so, I am aware of this and if I want him to move away I will ensure i am not within the 'danger zone'! He does not do it so often now (hasn't for ages) but I still respect he may do it so am firm and will use my voice and or a rope/whip directed at his front end/side. I will not try and move his quarters if I am behind him, that's just asking for trouble!
 
This is pretty normal kind of horse behaviour up and down the country.

Dominant and slighty rude horse see's food. Dominant horse wants food. Submissive horse and slightly nervous owner get into trouble.

Some horses are are just tricky around food.

Easiest solution is to bring your horse in, away from sight of the dominant one for feed. Speak with dominant horses owner and just say you may need to chase her horse off to start with. Go into field with schooling whip and use it if needs be. Once there isn't food around and dominant horse realises it's not worth their effort you should find things calm down.
 
ihatework said:
This is pretty normal kind of horse behaviour up and down the country.

Dominant and slighty rude horse see's food. Dominant horse wants food. Submissive horse and slightly nervous owner get into trouble.

Some horses are are just tricky around food.

Easiest solution is to bring your horse in, away from sight of the dominant one for feed. Speak with dominant horses owner and just say you may need to chase her horse off to start with. Go into field with schooling whip and use it if needs be. Once there isn't food around and dominant horse realises it's not worth their effort you should find things calm down.
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Im not at all a nervous horse owner - believe me! I have never been kicked like this before in that situation as have always had horses in the field that respect your space.

Goldenstar said:
Would it not work to feed the two older ones together and feed the youngster in a little pen.
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I was feeding all 3 of the horses, the two older ones in the field and my youngster just outside the gate but obviously this has been complicated by the other horses owner wanting to ride at nights etc.
 
Small paddock, one horse left without a bucket feed.

Sometimes owners come and feed later, sometimes they don't come at all.

Not blooming surprised the poor animal is stressed.

Feed the two adults in the field and take the baby out to feed.
 
Its not your fault that the owners want to ride and feed later. It is their fault if their management puts you at risk. Tell them to leave the mare's feed ready and give it to her. She can still be ridden later.
 
dogatemysalad said:
Small paddock, one horse left without a bucket feed.

Sometimes owners come and feed later, sometimes they don't come at all.

Not blooming surprised the poor animal is stressed.

Feed the two adults in the field and take the baby out to feed.
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This ^^. It's not rocket science. Just give the other horse a token feed in its bucket if there's uncertainty about whether owners will come up to ride or not.
 
amymay said:
What would I do?

I'd carry on as normal and tell the other livery to feed her own horse.

You also need to take your horse out of the sight of others when you feed it.
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This really!

Don't get drawn into doing this, or at some point in the future you will find you can't make it, and other owner gets arsey because you 'let her down'...been there, it happens...
 
I don't see why the other person possibly riding the horse Is an issue really. As long as the horses are going to be kept in this way they need to be fed at the same time. If the owners aren’t there then that’s tough, it’s not fair on the horse. Unless they are doing some real strenuous work, a bit of food will do her no harm but will keep the peace and make things easier for you.
 
So am i right in that the owner wants you to feed her horse, but you dont always know when theyre riding, so dont know if you should be feeding or not ? I wouldnt have a problem feeding, better all done together , baby in pen, adults in field, but always fed together to stop other horses frustration and aggression because of their poor routine ?? Horse is fed as asked for by them so theyre all fed together, time fed is put up on a whiteboard somewhere for them to check, then if theyve to wait an hour or so to ride its their problem, leaving the other horse out at feeding time is another accident in the making i would also carry a stick and wear a hat since youve been on the receiving end of its feet already, and would use it if neccessary
 
Marydoll said:
So am i right in that the owner wants you to feed her horse, but you dont always know when theyre riding, so dont know if you should be feeding or not ? I wouldnt have a problem feeding, better all done together , baby in pen, adults in field, but always fed together to stop other horses frustration and aggression because of their poor routine ?? Horse is fed as asked for by them so theyre all fed together, time fed is put up on a whiteboard somewhere for them to check, then if theyve to wait an hour or so to ride its their problem, leaving the other horse out at feeding time is another accident in the making i would also carry a stick and wear a hat since youve been on the receiving end of its feet already, and would use it if neccessary
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Yes, at the moment the owners what me to feed their horse every night, to save the hassle which I was doing before hand but because they were never telling what they were doing at night or coming up at all.

So, last night, I took my yearling in and fed the two outside which worked well (as I was doing before). Hopefully, she will get another paddock soon as she tried to kick the owner last night after been fed and she was just speaking to her.
 
Feeding multiple horses in or right next to the field is always going to result in squabbling.

If you must do it then give them all something, if the kicker eats up quickly then maybe pad its feed out with chaff. Or just section it off so its out of the way. That's what I'd do, what I wouldn't do is go into a field with more than 2 horses whilst clutching feed buckets. I fed a friends horses a few years ago and got a good kick for my trouble, so I wouldn't do it at all now.
If you just want to take the baby out then take a whip and use it. I have a young cob that gets picked on, the other horses have rapidly learnt not to harass him when I'm leading him...
The horse that keeps kicking sounds a delightful piece of work.
 
lastchancer said:
Feeding multiple horses in or right next to the field is always going to result in squabbling.

If you must do it then give them all something, if the kicker eats up quickly then maybe pad its feed out with chaff. Or just section it off so its out of the way. That's what I'd do, what I wouldn't do is go into a field with more than 2 horses whilst clutching feed buckets. I fed a friends horses a few years ago and got a good kick for my trouble, so I wouldn't do it at all now.
If you just want to take the baby out then take a whip and use it. I have a young cob that gets picked on, the other horses have rapidly learnt not to harass him when I'm leading him...
The horse that keeps kicking sounds a delightful piece of work.
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I never enter the field with a bucket, even my mare would mug me.

There is other paddocks around mine and they all get fed in the field, so maybe this is also setting the other horse off but she is known to kick out for no apparent reason, so been hungry would make it 10x worse.
 
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