Other horses barging at gate?

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MB1201

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Hi,

How do you all get your horses from the field safely without having to worry about others trying to follow you or prat about near the gate. Where I am I can't put hay or anything out in the field currently however I don't feel safe going into a field to get my horse with others crowding me, one of them won't move away even if your flapping your arms about and shouting and I'm worried about him barging through the gate with me and the horse I'm getting out, any advice? :)
 
Is there much grass out there? If not are the other horses coming in for hay they sound like they are hungry I find most only hang/barge at the gate as they want in to eat.
 
There should be a penned off section with multiple horses. That way you can try and seperate. If you can't get the other annoying horse to respect you ask its owner can you have some..lessons sort of..to get it to listen. Failing that, carry a crop.
 
Pinkvboots said:
Is there much grass out there? If not are the other horses coming in for hay they sound like they are hungry I find most only hang/barge at the gate as they want in to eat.
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Native ponies are always hungry! Can they really do things other than eat? I feel the OP's pain. We have one here who just wants to be with humans and not miss out. At the moment, I flap my hat as her, but one day....one day....
 
If you have electric fencing, can you tape off a small section around the gate to get your horse into before you undo the gate? I've done it in the past and found the other horses will stay clear of the fencing. If that's not possible I would wear a hat and take lunge whip and crack it if anyone gets too close (done this in the past too but this assumes your horse won't freak out at the whip!)
 
I enter the field with a flicky stick( I use a carrot stick and string) and walk away from the gate and the horses, telling them to move as I do it. My horse will follow me, so I can get a headcollar on him away from the crowding of the others, and hopefully they will move away from the gate. Then I lead him with myself between him and the other horses and the stick held out in my arm ,flicking it if necessary,so I get space to go through the gate. If I did not have a stick I would swing the lead rope of the headcollar at the other horses if they crowded me.The horses do crowd in the winter when they all want to come in ,but I do not have to deal with any nasty horses, if I did I may need help,
 
Take a schooling whip with you. Let them know you want respect and space and if they don't want to give that, you have a tool to let them know that you mean business. I wouldn't see this being an issue that couldn't be resolved quietly and peacefully without turning it into a drama.
 
Ditto - carry a stick. Obviously penning off a section in front of the gate would be ideal - but not all YOs allow for that. Also - sorry to be a safety bore... but wear a hat, correct boots and gloves and hold your lead rope correctly. Accidents happen in a split second and correct safety wear can save your life.
 
Extra long Mr Blue Pipe.

Field accidents are so common, wasn't there a young woman found dead in the field with her horses recently ?

A taped off section works but not always possible in a livery situation, obviously no hand feeding or heaven forbid no buckets and if a horse is barging you don't hesitate to make contact with Mr Blue Pipe, it will not hurt but it will make an impressive noise. For those who will tell you not to smack someone else's horse my thoughts are - tough, it barges me and pays the price.
 
I also pen off. You can let one in at a time. Much safer. If you need the least dominant one, you let dominant one into pen, catch the one you want then turn dominant back out.
Don't need a stick as horses all mine and I know them, and can read their demeanour.
However in a herd situation with others I didnt own or handle, I would definately take something stick like to remain safe if I needed to.
 
I currently have this at my yard as my horse is the newbie and they are all fascinated with her!

Body language is a brilliant thing. Also, turn off the fence incase you get shoved into it.. nothing worse!

I usually bring an extra leadrope, I don't usually need to use it though, they are learning my "GET OUT OF MY SPACE" look very quickly. The horse helps too, she will pull faces at them to move them away. Failing that, I will swing the leadrope about and whoever *dares* to barge me will only try it once as I take my safety very seriously.

Also, wear a hard hat :)
 
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