my horse tried to double barrell me

[muffy32]

I went to get my lad in from the field today, everything was fine and as normal, I approached him, gave him a scratch on his withers and then suddenly he span and tried to double barrell me! he was so close I had mud near my ear from his hoof . I thought I would give him the benifit of the doubt and that maybe something had scared him but as I approached again..wham! two feet came flying towards me.
I wasnt sure what to do so I just drove him round the field until he was so knackered he gave up, stood near the gate and waited for me. Did I do the right thing?
I usually have a great relationship with him and he has very good manners on the whole so today really shocked and upset me. I wondered if the recent change of fields could of had something to do with it as the grass is really really rich.
Any ideas anyone?

 

[AmyMay]

Never trust them!!! Naughty horse.

 

[Blizzard]

OMG thank god he didnt hit you!

ahd another horse been bullying him before you went over?

did he only do it when you touched one particular place or just when you touched him in general?

 

[Parkranger]

That is strange if he normally doesn't do that sort of thing......I take it you shouted at him, or were you too shocked....think I might have been.

 

[muffy32]

I dont think he is being bullied, we have only been on our yard for a month and his group seem to be fairly settled. I didnt do anything different today it was just when I touched him in general he tried to boot me. Once I took him out of the field I touched him all over and he was fine.
I thought I would have a go at lunging him before I took him into his stable and he kicked out at the whip but soon settled down. He just seemed like an angry teenager today ( he is 9 btw) he is usually a fairly soppy fellow unless prevoked.

 

[Kelly1982]

Last time my pony did that to me i hit him hard across the a*se with a pitch fork as it was the closest thing to me.

He never tried anything again after that, even when i was clipping him!!! He went for everyone else though LOL.

Probably gonna get shot down for that!! I am NOT a horse beater i just wont tolerate kicking

 

[WallisM]

Did you have a hat on

? Just to be on the safe side start and wear one and after reading that post about the 13 year old that got brain damaged getting kicked off a horse in the field.

My horse went through a phase of kicking, He caught me a few times then one day he missed and I lost my temper

and booted him back, Must say he ain't done it since.

 

[Robynsteward]

My horse used to do that...i just boot them back, or make them work until they learn......they learn bloody quickly! My little shetland went up on me the other day.....such a high blooded mammal at the moment!

 

[evsj]

My mare does this to me - occasionally - when she is in season and doesn't fancy being caught. I am usually so incensed by her rudeness that I hurl her headcollar at her (taking care that it hits her on the arse, not near her feet)! I then do the Monty Roberts thing and keep her moving around the field with confrontational body language and voice which works a treat. She's worked out that she might as well wait by the gate for mummy or she's gonna get very tired!!

Sounds like your chap 'forgot his manners' for moment there too! He might just have been feeling a bit 'wahey' with the nice grass and I'm sure that he will settle down.

 

[Sal_E]

Does sound strange & there's certainly likely to be a cause - could the change of field & weather just generally have unsettled him?

To answer whether you did the right thing, I think you did EXACTLY the right thing! Far better than hitting him - you sent him away as the alpha horse in the pack would have done. Sounds like you dealt with him exactly as his mother would have done!

 

[Doublethyme]

[ QUOTE ]
My mare does this to me - occasionally - when she is in season and doesn't fancy being caught. I am usually so incensed by her rudeness that I hurl her headcollar at her (taking care that it hits her on the arse, not near her feet)! I then do the Monty Roberts thing and keep her moving around the field with confrontational body language and voice which works a treat. She's worked out that she might as well wait by the gate for mummy or she's gonna get very tired!!

[/ QUOTE ]

Yep mine does too and I do exactly the same as above. She used to be a really naughty kicker in her younger days - not anymore with me, as she knows it is unacceptable and has had headcollars/haynets whatever was in my hand thrown at her bum quite a few times in the past and then sent away until she remembers her manners. Nowadays I get very clear, polite early warning signs of her displeasure instead of a hoof in the face! Mind you, if you dare to ignore and not take into consideration her point of view, wo betide!! Whilst she will do what I want her, she does like her opinion to at least be considered, even it is then overrriden!

Not trying to excuse it, but as it is out of character could it be that whilst he seems settled in his new yard, he is still a bit unsettled and it has made him a bit tetchy. Some horses take a while to settle into a new environment and herd.

 

[muffy32]

hmmmmmm I wonder if he is pushing his luck with me as he will do with his field mates? or is he having a hard time with his field mates and he is just really p*ss*d off and slightly explosive? if he is at the bottom of the pecking order in the field and everyone is horrible to him he might wanna take that out on me?
I have an idea that he just doesnt want to be caught and just wants to stay out and eat more grass as he is a really really greedy horse but I wished he had been a little more subtle instead of trying to cave my skull in.

thanks for your replies everyone, I feel better knowing Im not alone with this.

 

[evsj]

Key thing is not to let it worry you next time you get him in - i.e. if he threatens when you go to catch him, stand your ground and prepare to MR him (but don't chase him away if he wants to be caught). Might be an idea to wear a hat if u think he might do it again but one or two MR sessions should get the message home.

Hope you and him regain normal harmony soon!

My girl approaches me with ears back virtually every day but I know I'm ok so long as hind quarters don't swing round to greet me! Sure she loves me really...

 

[Blackhawk]

J was acting up with me today too. He tried to barge through me in the stable. Maybe they're feeling a bit fresh now the weather's closing in!?

Does he know you're the boss? If one of mine acts up they get shouted at and shooed away until they act properly. Usually they become very apologetic!

 

[bellgave]

All of my horses have been acting very out of sorts for the last week, I have decided there must be something in the air!!! Stallion has gone from being as quiet as a lamb to a demented sex pest, the 4 year old who is equally quiet has decided that galloping around the field at 100 miles an hour and then refuses to be caught and then when he is prances around like I dont know what, and the ohers are all acting very out of character. So glad its not just my lot!!! Lets hope things settle down soon!!!!