New Neighbour

BlueberryPocket

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A new mare has just moved into the stable next door from my mare. To say they dont get on is an understatement, or maybe i should rephrase that - my girl DOES NOT like her. We have been in our current stable for about a year & the stable next door has always been empty.

There has been other horses in there for short periods & Vienna wasn't happy then so I dont think its the new mare, Latina, thats the problem just any horse being there!

Viena is really agressive, bucks, rears, spins, tries to jump over the stable to bite Latina, when feed times come it's unbelieveable!!

The problem is i'm nervous being in the stable, i'm not used to Vienna being so active. She can be standing fine one minute then the next she's running across the stable, ears back bucking & i'm scared i get caught one day - just close my eyes & hope i make it out in one piece!! My mum helps me with Vienna & is actually scared to go into the stable now!

The problem is Latina is leaving soon & another new horse is going in next door so i'm going to have to go through this again, I can move to another stable but dont really want to do that as feel V has to get used to someone being next to her - we've been spoiled for the last year!

Does anyone have any suggestions? or is it just something that i need to let run it's course? or put up with!?
 

AmyMay

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Moving may solve your problem actually - she will be the new horse, and in a different environment may be less aggressive.

However, the behaviour shouldn't be tollerated. If your in the stable with her tie her up at the very least.
 

Accy

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I had this problem with one of my geldings ended up putting a peice of board up along the side of the stable reducing the amount he could see of the other horse, this helped a little and stopped him rushing at the other stable
 

BlueberryPocket

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I have to tie her up now! If it can be avoided i would rather not move stables, really like my stable & have the end stable so plenty of storage, hpwever if this was the only option i would need to move!

I've tried putting rugs up but unfortunately LT keeps pulling them down!!

I knew i was going to have this problem with her, my brother suggested adding a bit to the stable (he built them) so they couldn't see each other & would move my rug rack to that side. At the time i thought i would wait & see how it went but now i think i have to do something, even if i just move the rug rack over, it means they cant see each other & LT cant pull the rugs down.
 

cazza

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I have done something similar to BouncyTigger, my mare hates in particular one horse which is next door to her, they have bars as the top half of their stables, so I have covered these with rugs, as she was charging at the bars, kicking out and generally being very unpredictable in the stable. This has eased her aggressiveness somewhat but I still need to take care and if I need to do anything in her stable I make sure she isn't in it at the time, the only thing I will do is change her rugs in there.

I hope you manage to get your horse sorted out, good luck I do feel for you as I have exactly the same problem.
 

Hippona

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My 3 horses are stabled in a row- half walls with wooden bars on top of that...my lad and new pony get on generally but there can be biting and charging esp at feedtimes...I have thrown a rug over- I put it there to dry actually, but I noticed they are more settled with it there so have kept it there.
 

BlueberryPocket

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Thanks Cazza, it's horrible!

Going to try move my rug rack & see how that goes.

The thing that bothers me is that in a way i cant blame V for being unsettled as there as been so many horses in there for short periods & at last i thought good an new DIY, will be here for a while & V will NEED to get used to it but now the girl is putting LT out on loan & bringing her other mare to the yard. I know it's no-ones fault but i just want V to settle down!!
 

trundle

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Just to add to Cazza's post, her mare is beginning to tolerate the other mare, although she still pulls evil faces and lunges at her if M (the other mare) tries to get a drink while her head is at that end of the stable. The horses have been next to each other since August, and Brooklyn is just beginning to tolerate M. As Cazza says, you do have to be very wary of her in the stable though.
 

chestnut cob

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Are your stables the type with bars between the horses? If so I would talk to your YO about putting something up against the bars (some sort of wood, anything like that) so your mare can't see the other horse. It's the same as putting rugs over except she can't pull it down. If she's kicking out at the other mare then she also won't be able to get her feet caught in a solid partition.

I would also say that she sounds like she could do with some manners training if she's running at you when you're in the stable (whether it's aimed at you or not). I know it's "her" place but she has to accept you being in there. She needs to respect your space and behave when you are in the stable. Why don't you take her out of the stable and tie her up somewhere else when you need to go in?
 

BlueberryPocket

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I'm arranging to have my rug rack moved tonight so hopefully that will help a bit, we'll get a wee break when the new horse comes as it will have to do isolation for 3/4 weeks, that'll be nice....

Might even just move her but surely I cant keep moving her everytime someone is next to her. I'm lucky that there is a free stable with an empty one next to it - currently being used a feed room but that could change at anytime.

I'll make sure & tie her up while i'm there, i dont really want to have to that but i have to be safe!
frown.gif
 

BlueberryPocket

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Thanks chestnut cob, she doesn't exactly run at me but can turn & launch towards the other mare at any time. She was being really bad last night when i was trying to tie her hay net up so i just took her out & tied her up while i finished what i was doing.

Should i shout at her & try discourage this behaviour? or is that wrong? is it her natural instinct? i've actually tried both shouting & ignoring but neither makes any differance!
 
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