Pony Kicking out in field

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Hi all i got some really useful advice previously about my horse so thought I would ask again. We have a 5yr old welsh C - he's an absolute darling of a pony, and when he has his headcollar on a toddler could lead him about, really not your typical spicy welshie, well apart from this... We have a little issue we are dealing with in that when you enter his field with food, bucket feed or hay he turns round and kicks out, in a high jinx type of way, excited for his food, he's caught me a couple of times which is obviously really naughty and something I want to nip in the bud immediately. I have started to put his head collar on when I go in his field and ask him to move backwards while I put his food down, rewarding the good behaviour. Anything else I should be doing? Experience of this?
 
Don’t feed him in the field at all? If you have a stable, take him out of the field and feed him in the stable. If no stable, then catch him up and take him out of the field to feed.

I never carry feed or hay into a field of horses. I was badly kicked as a youngster in the middle of milling horses and I won’t risk it.
 
I would tape off a small pen with electric tape, pop pony in the pen and feed once in. I’d stand on the other side of the tape and ask him to wait nicely before putting the feed in.

I always separate mine like that for feeds because I want them to get the correct supplements and they insist on swapping buckets but it would work just as well to keep you safe.
 
Tiddlypom said:
Don’t feed him in the field at all? If you have a stable, take him out of the field and feed him in the stable. If no stable, then catch him up and take him out of the field to feed.

I never carry feed or hay into a field of horses. I was badly kicked as a youngster in the middle of milling horses and I won’t risk it.
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This, it can be very dangerous taking feed into a field especially with a horse like this.
 
If being able to take hay/feed into the field is important for your set up, and the only horses in the field are yours, I would first with out food, loose in a field and arena get him/them used to respecting a lunging whip (lash held) or other long stick as demarcation of your space that he doesn't enter till invited. I use whip held upright next to me as neutral, you can approach.

Once he gets the idea. I would go in to the field holding a bucket and use the whip to keep him away/out of your space. He can be excited about food, but not near you, and he can't approach the bucket till you've moved away its out of your personal space or you've said he can, whip to neutral.
You may need to give him a wack/slap with the whip to get him respect you when you have feed. I don't mean beat him, just a well timed NO, akin to a more dominant horse saying back off. Use your body language as well when saying 'back off' - head up, shoulders back, stand tall and look straight at him.

Does that make sense? How safe it will be to do/teach depends on the horse, hard without seeing him. Definitely don't let any children into his field with food.

Hopefully you will be able to progress to just having a lead rope or similar that you wave as a stay away, and with time he learns to just respect you body language. Will depend how food oriented he is though. Sometimes food will always trump manners in the field, particularly if there is competition for it.
 
Just don't put food in the field for him or any others that might or might not be in there. If he needs to be separated for a feed for some reason then bring him in, or make a corral as suggested. Even feeding hay to horse's kept out 24/7 I would always chuck a couple of small armfuls over the fence to distract, before venturing in myself to distribute more generous piles with surplus feeding points to cater for any timid herd members.

Please do NOT even attempt all the whip and bucket nonsense in the field, ridiculous and very risky suggestion that will do nothing to improve his field manners but will probably just make him more defensive and aggressive actually.
 
Mrs. Jingle said:
Just don't put food in the field for him or any others that might or might not be in there. If he needs to be separated for a feed for some reason then bring him in, or make a corral as suggested. Even feeding hay to horse's kept out 24/7 I would always chuck a couple of small armfuls over the fence to distract, before venturing in myself to distribute more generous piles with surplus feeding points to cater for any timid herd members.

Please do NOT even attempt all the whip and bucket nonsense in the field, ridiculous and very risky suggestion that will do nothing to improve his field manners but will probably just make him more defensive and aggressive actually.
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I would agree had I not worked on a yard where the owner had taught her horses this way. I could walk into the field with 3 big geldings carrying hay and they would keep a polite distance, if they got to close a grumble and raised arm was enough to back them up a bit.
I should add that they all had excellent ground manners in general. It wasn't 100% perfect, I did once have to drop the hay so I had 2 arms free to wave and shout at them and stamp a foot to remind them I was boss and they didn't come near they hay till I said. But I never once felt at risk.

I have since repeated this with one of my own who was inclined to be in your face in the field.

Teaching them to respect your personal space before trying with food in the field is key and part of good ground manners / work.

There are lots of ways of doing this, I liked the idea of a lunging whip with the lash held/tied to the whip because it is a good distance and easy to be consistent on how far away you want them to be. It's also easy to wave as a warning if they get to close and then drop/lower when not needed.

That they don't step into your personal space, however defined, until you let them is valuable for doing so many tasks. Want them to wait at a door while you lean in to grab the hat/coat/brush you've forgotten? or wait while you step on the ramp to adjust something? Stand back while untangling electric tape etc? If you've taught them to respect your space and stay back untill asked forward led, it's easy enough to recreate loose in the field, and generally makes for an easier to handle horse.

I have worked with loads of other horses, who while they led politely enough and tied up were far more bargy/ in your space which made doing things so much harder because I was constantly trying to keep the horse out of the way while also doing a gate, moving an in the way wheelbarrow etc. And I always think back to how easy the 3 big geldings were and their ground manners.

But like any advice given online I hope the OP considers it in the light of her experience and her horse and situation on the ground before trying.
 
YourValentine said:
I would agree had I not worked on a yard where the owner had taught her horses this way. I could walk into the field with 3 big geldings carrying hay and they would keep a polite distance, if they got to close a grumble and raised arm was enough to back them up a bit.
I should add that they all had excellent ground manners in general. It wasn't 100% perfect, I did once have to drop the hay so I had 2 arms free to wave and shout at them and stamp a foot to remind them I was boss and they didn't come near they hay till I said. But I never once felt at risk.

I have since repeated this with one of my own who was inclined to be in your face in the field.

Teaching them to respect your personal space before trying with food in the field is key and part of good ground manners / work.

There are lots of ways of doing this, I liked the idea of a lunging whip with the lash held/tied to the whip because it is a good distance and easy to be consistent on how far away you want them to be. It's also easy to wave as a warning if they get to close and then drop/lower when not needed.

That they don't step into your personal space, however defined, until you let them is valuable for doing so many tasks. Want them to wait at a door while you lean in to grab the hat/coat/brush you've forgotten? or wait while you step on the ramp to adjust something? Stand back while untangling electric tape etc? If you've taught them to respect your space and stay back untill asked forward led, it's easy enough to recreate loose in the field, and generally makes for an easier to handle horse.

I have worked with loads of other horses, who while they led politely enough and tied up were far more bargy/ in your space which made doing things so much harder because I was constantly trying to keep the horse out of the way while also doing a gate, moving an in the way wheelbarrow etc. And I always think back to how easy the 3 big geldings were and their ground manners.

But like any advice given online I hope the OP considers it in the light of her experience and her horse and situation on the ground before trying.
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Ok, work away. :) 🥱
 
Mrs. Jingle said:
Ok, work away. :) 🥱
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It wasn't a nonsense or ridiculous suggestion and does work very well indeed, if you know how to do it properly.

A horse kicking out in the vicinity of a human is dangerous. Full stop.
A good friend of mine has a life altering traumatic brain injury and a reconstructed ear from this exact scenario. Her mare wasnt nasty, just excited and didn't respect personal space.

In the advice given, the lunge whip was being used as an extention of a person's arm to create a safe distance. The goal is to keep every one safe, not walk in determined to beat the horse to death!
Stick, spur, bit, noseband, hand, foot, they're all tools capable of communicating in a positive manner or an abusive one. It's down to the person using them.

If I'm carrying a whip my yearling will stay 3 feet away because she knows thats my space, she'll still follow me round the field until I stop and scratch her belly with it and give her a cuddle.
She isn't defensive or aggressive because she's never been attacked with it. Its just neutral furniture that helps me communicate, and occasionally gets to the tricky itchy bits.

Good maners make horses and humans, safer and happier.

Well done for addressing it OP and best of luck with whatever method you decide to go with, you know your horse and your situation best. Just please wear a hat and be safe!
 
Does he do it if you go in without food?

I have a naughty welsh C who will push boundaries if allowed too. He kicked my OH in the face and put him in hospital while fighting with my other youngster over food/treats. It can be dangerous to have a horse allowed to behave like this.

MY OH doesn't feed from the hand now and only gives them any treats in a treat ball thrown in the field from behind a fence.

I doubt your pony 'needs' a bucket feed and I would be tempted to stop it and in crease the hay rations instead (he'll feel less 'hungry'). Maybe give a bucket feed after work as a treat.

In the meantime get into the habit of sending your pony away from you on entering the field. Growl, make yourself big, hands in the air, step into his space, what ever is needed to move him away from you. The way a matriarch mare would do when a new pony is introduced. Keep him away until you ask him in to your space. My youngster know that i am top dog when I'm in the field and what I say goes, you need to have the same status in your field. I expect them to stand while check rugs and pick out feet and most importantly they don't mess about with each other, if I'm doing something with one the others keep their distance. The distance is what ever makes you feel comfortable. If I feel any of them getting to close they get a very firm loud 'I'm here' and they stop.

You may never get over a food aggression issue if he does need a bucket feed. You might need to change your routine and bring him out of the field to feed. weather that is the other side of the gate, a small pen in the field or a stable depends on you set up.
 
Thank you for all the replies I appreciate the simple solution is to not feed in the field but we do feed hay in the field and to be honest I want to nip any sort of bad behaviour in the bud, he is a childs pony I don't want there to be a situation where a child has food or walks past with food and he thinks this is acceptable. I also want to be able to poo pick while he's eating his hay and feel safe. @YourValentine thank you I have been working with him to ask him to move backwards with a schooling whip by my side, in a head collar at first and having someone else bring his food ensuring he is always facing me. He's so quick to learn he's got that if he moves back gives me space he gets his dinner we are now able to do this without a headcollar. Although I still have my schooling whip just in case I need to defend my space.
 
dorsetladette said:
Does he do it if you go in without food?

I have a naughty welsh C who will push boundaries if allowed too. He kicked my OH in the face and put him in hospital while fighting with my other youngster over food/treats. It can be dangerous to have a horse allowed to behave like this.

MY OH doesn't feed from the hand now and only gives them any treats in a treat ball thrown in the field from behind a fence.

I doubt your pony 'needs' a bucket feed and I would be tempted to stop it and in crease the hay rations instead (he'll feel less 'hungry'). Maybe give a bucket feed after work as a treat.

In the meantime get into the habit of sending your pony away from you on entering the field. Growl, make yourself big, hands in the air, step into his space, what ever is needed to move him away from you. The way a matriarch mare would do when a new pony is introduced. Keep him away until you ask him in to your space. My youngster know that i am top dog when I'm in the field and what I say goes, you need to have the same status in your field. I expect them to stand while check rugs and pick out feet and most importantly they don't mess about with each other, if I'm doing something with one the others keep their distance. The distance is what ever makes you feel comfortable. If I feel any of them getting to close they get a very firm loud 'I'm here' and they stop.

You may never get over a food aggression issue if he does need a bucket feed. You might need to change your routine and bring him out of the field to feed. weather that is the other side of the gate, a small pen in the field or a stable depends on you set up.
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No he doesn't but he's extremely inquisitive and knows no personal space boundaries, which if he is coming for a cuddle is very sweet. He only has a handful of chaff as my daughters horse (not in his field) gets fed.
 
I've had a natural horsemanship guy out to my pushy/uneducated/mothered youngster. I was skeptical as I'm bit of a traditionalist but he has worked wonders with Reggie.

The guy worked with Reggie and then taught us to work with him in the same way. Reggie now backs up away from the gate on command and respects space. Reggie is a different horse to work around. It's just about changing their mind set and then correct any undesirable behaviour.

I would really recommend getting some support from a professional.
 
We feed all ours in the field - hay/haylage and bucket feeds. Totally isn’t an issue, from the moment the ex-ferals are tame enough to be let out into the herd. Various visitors, long and short term were here over the summer and wasn’t an issue with them either - so not my handling making magical ponies for sure!

We space buckets out from head of the herd downwards, stand in there with a whip to swish/crack if needed (usually if there is a new pony who doesn’t know the ‘only eat your own dinner’ rules) to protect any pony who needs it from someone else trying to take their dinner.

I would get someone out to show you what to do but basically, no it’s not normal behaviour and yes you should be able to safely feed your own pony in a field with only yours/other ponies you own. When looking for a trainer you want someone who will not cost a bomb in visit fees so they can come as often as you need to help you to start with, and who is well recommended. Shouldn’t take long to fix but it really helps to have someone in person to show you timing and techniques. I could fix it, but could I explain it well enough in writing? Probably not! Also…many roads lead to Rome. I can think of at least three approaches that would be effective - so go with someone you feel has techniques you would be happy using.
 
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