**long** Attacked by horse in the field

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kajabe

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My mare has been on the farm we are on for almost 2 years and has never had a problem with the other horses.

She suffered an injury at the end of August last year where she disloged the Superficial Digital Flexor Tendon from the hock and chipped the hock bone. After 3 1/2 - 4 months box rest she has been in a paddock by herself for the past few weeks.

She has been allowed out in the main field with the rest of the herd since the end of december but due to the weather I didnt want her slipping in the mud.

We put her out yesterday morning and she didnt move from the gate for about 3 hours. I then got a call from someone on the farm saying I had to come up as she was being chased and attacked in the field and she was walking a little stiff.

We brought her in and she wasnt stiff, just tired and a little shaken so we kept her in for the rest of the day as the herd were running round like mad.

She was put out this morning with her best friend and she just had a roll then walked off to meet the rest of the herd. Everything was fine until - once again - I got a call from the someone else on the farm saying a certain horse 'P' was chasing her and she was starting to stumble.

So we came up again to find her sweaty and worked up screeching at the gate to be let in away from P. There have been numerous complaints from other people on the farm about P cornering and attacking their horses and he was kicked off the previous farm he was on for being to boisterous and the other horses spent nearly all winter in the stable as P would attack them as soon as they went out into the field.

Someone at the farm suggested I complain to YO about him but i really dont want to make trouble there as it is such an ideal farm for me.

I really dont know where to go from here, as she cannot be turned out with him as he attacks her but her paddock she could normally go in is like a bog so is too slippery for her to be in.

Should I complain to the YO or just leave it and wait til summer when hopefully P would be more occupied with the grass? :confused:


Oh, and P was previously used as a stallion (thats what the owner suspects) until he was gelded at 5yo.



CHRISTMAS CAKE AND A GLASS OF MILK FOR ANYONE WHO GETS DOWN HERE!:D
 
No need to complain, just explain calmly to YO that P repeatedly attacks your mare and ask her what solution she can come up with.
 
*hic* said:
No need to complain, just explain calmly to YO that P repeatedly attacks your mare and ask her what solution she can come up with.
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I completely agree.

I would also add that you should stay and monitor your horse for a good hour or so if you intend to continue turning out with this horse.
 
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Poor mare, is P alright around the other horses, and have any new horses been introduced since he has been there?

I think you should have a word with the YO, maybe you could tape off an area for your horse or maybe her and a few other sensible ones, as it is not good enough for you not to be able to use all of the facilities in case your horse is attacked or otherwise injured from being chased!
 
Is there a time period where P is not out and yours could go out with another? Agree with hic that the YO should be made aware of the situation (doesn't need to be a complaint, just a problem requiring a solution) perhaps temporarily splitting the field of negotiating turnout times
 
mandwhy said:
Poor mare, is P alright around the other horses, and have any new horses been introduced since he has been there?

I think you should have a word with the YO, maybe you could tape off an area for your horse or maybe her and a few other sensible ones, as it is not good enough for you not to be able to use all of the facilities in case your horse is attacked or otherwise injured from being chased!
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There have been no other horses on since she came in on box rest and P was fine with her before the box rest- he never really payed any attention to her so I'm just confused to why all of a sudden he has turned on her. He has a reputation on the yard and when he is at the gate there is a general rule that no one goes in by them selves as he is dangerous
 
I think you do need to mention this to YO, it just isn't fair to expect your recovering mare to have to deal with this.

I had an old gelding who ruled with a firm but gentle hand, but the minute he started to go down hill a young filly decided to challenge him, daily and with a vicious determination. It unsettled the whole herd. Was your mare in with this particular horse before her injury?

I am just wondering if it is basic herd survival and instinct kicking in here (sorry about the pun). Over the years I have seen this before in a previously settled herd, if one shows sign of weakness or getting more feeble with age, sickness etc. there will often be one waiting in the wings to try and attempt to climb up the ladder of leadership.

In my case I put the stroppy young filly in a smaller field right next to the main herd and she remained there until I moved her back to her owners care a year later. She was quite happy as she could still groom etc. with the rest of the herd, but she couldn't bully the old chief.

Im not sure if any of the above might be of help in your case, but it isnt nice seeing your horse battered and bruised on a daily basis.
 
Oh well - I have just seen your post about 'having a reputation and not being able to go in with him as he is dangerous'? If that is the case then I would be complaining long and loud, why should anyone's horse be expected to go out with him, let alone one recovering from an injury?
 
YO must pull his/her finger out and get this situation sorted asap. It is not acceptable that people risk life and limb going into a field with a horse that is an accident waiting to happen.

P should be separated (either by himself or with some he does get on with) for the safety of himself and everyone (horse and human) else.

This does not sound like a very compatible herd, I do not stand anything like that at my yard, I am not one of these people who just shrug and say "Oh, they'll sort themselves out" sometimes they don't, sometimes it takes a tragedy (I lost a mare who was chased to exhaustion by a clodhopping ISH through a bog and the subsequent crippling injury to her leg led to her being pts) If I have horses that are too assertive/bully/just plain don't get on then I juggle groups until all is sweetness and light again.

This needs to happen immediately, not tomorrow, not next week, not next month, now. Do not just wait, just, as has been said, explain your concerns calmly to the YO and ask if perhaps there is a spare paddock where either P or yours can go.

What does the owner of P say about all this? Some owners are mortified, some are the "oh, he's just being a horse" type, I often wonder how the 'I'm all right Jack' types would react if it was their horse being harrassed?
 
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I too think that you cant wait for serious hazing to settle down as too much damage can be done. Speaks one who has been on the receiving end and had a horse out with a tendon injury as a result. I would expect a bit of silliness but if the horses don't settle then I would not force them.

YO matches ours up in 2's and will pull out horses who are being too OTT. My old mare can be a miserable old bag at times so it was a struggle to find a horse she WOULD go out with and my youngster just doesn't know when to stop. It took the YO a bit of time (and at one point, I stuck my 2 in together) but they both now have field mates they accept
 
Nadolig Llawen said:
YO must pull his/her finger out and get this situation sorted asap. It is not acceptable that people risk life and limb going into a field with a horse that is an accident waiting to happen.

P should be separated (either by himself or with some he does get on with) for the safety of himself and everyone (horse and human) else.

This does not sound like a very compatible herd, I do not stand anything like that at my yard, I am not one of these people who just shrug and say "Oh, they'll sort themselves out" sometimes they don't, sometimes it takes a tragedy (I lost a mare who was chased to exhaustion through a bog and the subsequent crippling injury to her leg led to her being pts) If I have horses that are too assertive/bully/just plain don't get on then I juggle groups until all is sweetness and light again.

This needs to happen immediately, not tomorrow, next week, or next month. Do not just wait, just, as has been said, explain your concerns calmly to the YO and ask if perhaps there is a spare paddock where either P or yours can go.

What does the owner of P say about all this? Some owners are mortified, some are the "oh, he's just being a horse" type, I often wonder how the 'I'm all right Jack' types would react if it was their horse being harrassed?
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Absolutely agree with this, my initial post was made without the knowledge of 'P's delightful nature and reputation.
 
Yard owner should deal with this. I had to ask someone to leave because their horse was chasing, cornering and kicking other horses (also a gelding beginning with P). Owner was lovely, and it was very regretful that I had to ask her to leave, but the other horses' safety is the responsibility of the yard owner. It is a problem that they must solve.
 
I think the horse should be removed from the herd if its chasing the others, I would be really worried turning my horse out with what could be a rig it should be turned out alone we had a thoroughbred at our yard he had to go out alone he was a real pain with the others, and as your horse is getting over a serious injury insist it come out of the field.
 
My horse was attacked in the summer, by a horse who had previous, but under initial observation had been fine turned out with my mare for a few months, and I wanted extra turnout.

When it happened, YO was immediately working out how to juggle things round, and now he's back on his own, and my mare has a lovely new friend.

Speak to the YO - if P is attacking many other liveries, presumably the YO will be happier moving him to another field?
 
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ridefast said:
P sounds like a rig, and if he is causing trouble to horses and liveries then he should be on his own for others safety
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Thats a huge leap IMO. Why would you assume that? The behavior described is just as likely from a mare, or a correctly gelded gedling. Like people, they all have totally different temperaments, based on breeding, handling, training, environment and a zillion other things. Assuming he is a rig based on nothing but the information given by the OP is rather pointless and rather unlikely IMO.
 
kajabe said:
My mare has been on the farm we are on for almost 2 years and has never had a problem with the other horses.

She suffered an injury at the end of August last year where she disloged the Superficial Digital Flexor Tendon from the hock and chipped the hock bone. After 3 1/2 - 4 months box rest she has been in a paddock by herself for the past few weeks.

She has been allowed out in the main field with the rest of the herd since the end of december but due to the weather I didnt want her slipping in the mud.

We put her out yesterday morning and she didnt move from the gate for about 3 hours. I then got a call from someone on the farm saying I had to come up as she was being chased and attacked in the field and she was walking a little stiff.

We brought her in and she wasnt stiff, just tired and a little shaken so we kept her in for the rest of the day as the herd were running round like mad.

She was put out this morning with her best friend and she just had a roll then walked off to meet the rest of the herd. Everything was fine until - once again - I got a call from the someone else on the farm saying a certain horse 'P' was chasing her and she was starting to stumble.

So we came up again to find her sweaty and worked up screeching at the gate to be let in away from P. There have been numerous complaints from other people on the farm about P cornering and attacking their horses and he was kicked off the previous farm he was on for being to boisterous and the other horses spent nearly all winter in the stable as P would attack them as soon as they went out into the field.

Someone at the farm suggested I complain to YO about him but i really dont want to make trouble there as it is such an ideal farm for me.

I really dont know where to go from here, as she cannot be turned out with him as he attacks her but her paddock she could normally go in is like a bog so is too slippery for her to be in.

Should I complain to the YO or just leave it and wait til summer when hopefully P would be more occupied with the grass? :confused:


Oh, and P was previously used as a stallion (thats what the owner suspects) until he was gelded at 5yo.



CHRISTMAS CAKE AND A GLASS OF MILK FOR ANYONE WHO GETS DOWN HERE!:D
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Sorry one answer MOVE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
my first mare of a life time was bullied so bad that one day the biotch mare tried to double barrel her and got me in stomac.this was 1992 ish


my mare of a lifetime no2 i just lost was attacked continuously and the biotch mare of this year shattered her splint bone in 19 pieces.


you must move for the sake of your mare or ask for individual turn out
 
kajabe said:
He has a reputation on the yard and when he is at the gate there is a general rule that no one goes in by them selves as he is dangerous
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:eek::eek::eek::eek:

That is totally unacceptable! He needs to be turned out on his own or with only the owners other horses, no way anyone else should be put in that position.
 
Geldings. They often times can be bigger pain in the arses than stallions and mares. And no, most actually are not rigs. It sounds good but not true. A few years ago I lived on the place where we were caretakers. There was a 10 acre gelding field with 4 geldings. I decided to add the only gelding I had to the herd. He had lived next to them alone when we first moved. So down I went with Frank. Turned him out. They all ran around which is normal. I'm standing in the middle of the field so I can gather my horse up if needed. And one of the geldings wouldn't let Frank near the group and that was fine. I kept standing there and out of the corner of my eye I see the boss gelding charging. But he's not charging at Frank, he's charging at me. Flat out, ears pinned. I happened to be near the feed pots so I picked one up and nailed him with it. I got Frank and he lived on his own next to others until we left. No problems in that field again.

Agree with others. This isn't you rocking the boat. This is keeping you and others safe. People tend to take these things personally. If I owned the gelding I'd have no issues in saying "no problem mine can stay on his own". It's the right thing to do.

Terri
 
As mrsjingle says I wouldnt think rig from that post.to be honest it sounds more like one of my mares who simply needed manners which the broodies took care of.
most riggy horses I've know have turned on the geldings when mares are in, not the mares.
 
I haven't read all the replies but it sounds like the upset has been caused because your horse was removed from the herd (on box rest) and this has upset the whole dynamics. My sister's horse was on similar box/paddock rest over the period of the last year. I have a very dominant pony who rules the herd of 5. My horse is 2nd in command and will normally be the one to be stabled with my sister's horse when needs be. This is what we did.

However, and cutting a long story short, my mum put dominant pony in the retsricted paddock next to sister's horse for all of 2 hours (to give my horse a bit more freedom form being paddokc/stable 'buddy'). Well, this 2 hours upset EVERYTHING and cue pony going ballistic with my horse. He was not allowed near any of the herd and my pony went in to full-blown attack mode. Pony actually ended up getting a nasty kick as a result but this just made him more mad!

Honestly, it was like there was a new horse in the field and weeventually had to separate them to avoid injury! These are two horses who have been together in the field (at that time) for 16 years!!! Horse psychology is a funny thing - my pony is not a rig (we've had him tested). However, sometimes some just have very strong herd instincts.

Personally I'd separate them with electric fencing if you can, let them get used to being back out together again and do re-introductions carefully. To be honest I would not mix geldings and mares anyway but if they've been ok before then no reason why it shouldn't work again.
 
Thanks everyone, we put her out again this morning and once again P chased her down. Ive had enough now. We spoke to YO and all he said was 'Bl**dy P!'

Were going to look at another yard on saturday that is split between DIY and Livery. There is only 1 other horse on DIY so it'd be just 2 people on there. There is about 15 horses in total and they only really mix for turnout. Theres also a menage too!! :D

really excited about it :)
 
kajabe said:
Thanks everyone, we put her out again this morning and once again P chased her down. Ive had enough now. We spoke to YO and all he said was 'Bl**dy P!'
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Going by this your YO sounds a waste of space :rolleyes:

Your gain, their loss if/when you go.

Hope the other yard suits your needs better. :)

I am still curious to know what P's owner has to say about it, because in your place I would be making darn sure that they knew all about it.

In the mean time, I wouldn't be risking your horse out with P again, I would rather walk/graze in hand. That 'one more time' could be the last time :(
 
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My gelding was a bit like P - but I was completely understanding that other liveries did get a bit fed up of having an 'M was here' hoof mark brands on their hindquarters etc. YO very anti keeping horses alone, as am I, but eventually we ran out of crash test dummies and said horse is MUCH happier on his own grooming over the fence with other horses than them being in his space.

Unless YO will deal with it to your satisfaction, then given that this isnt a new or unusual behaviour for P, I would advise her that if P isnt separated, then you are horse will be leaving.
 
Apparently the owner thinks his horse is brilliantly behaved :mad: If we tell him about it he refuses to accept it and just starts an argument.
Spoke to 2 other liveries this evening who also happen to be the YO's daughter and grandaughter, and they said they are going to speak to YO about P being put in the stable for a few days so mine can go out with the rest of the herd (P spends most of the time in his stable over summer as he gets too 'fizzy' in the field :confused:), so a couple of days in would do him no harm.

IMHO this wont do anything as he will still behave badly and attack her when he gets out but atleast that gives my mare a couple of days out before being brought back in the stable
 
YO politely asked P's owner to keep him in for a week while mine settles back into the herd. Cue the owner exploding in rage as to how P is not a dangerous horse, how it is everyone elses fault that he is being kept in and how P is the best behaved horse on the yard etc etc. He got right up in YO face shouting at him and pushing for an argument. Needless to say, when we came up this morning, the owners were packing up P's stuff and they were gone by 10:30am! YO had said that due to P's owners temper tantrums and rage, and how P was actually very dangerous (finally he realised!!), he advised them that the best thing would be was to leave.

so P's gone!!!!!!!!!!!!

My mare went out this morning happy as anything, and trotted off to meet the herd. We popped back up at 11am and she was walking around and then had a good roll in the mud. She is still not 'in' with the herd yet, and is not grazing neat to them but theres plenty of time yet for that.

The whole herd seemed more relaxed today with P gone :D:D
 
That's fantastic.
Always better business sense to get rid of one bad egg than lose a load of good ones :)
Wonder where they managed to move him at that speed!
 
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