Protective horse - over humans

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Christmas Crumpet

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Just wondered whether anyone else's horses behave like this.

My 5 year old can make grumpy faces at me in the stable but never takes it any further and is very affectionate and always coming to see me in the field for a scratch and quick chat. In fact, he is like a puppy at times and is clearly pretty fond of me.

He hates my OH and puts his ears back and bares his teeth at him whenever OH goes close. Bog went to a friend to hunt for 6 weeks whilst I was recovering from a broken ankle and he was very good with her and her groom yet anyone else who was in the yard, who he didn't know, he would go for and be very aggressive. It wouldn't matter if they were male or female. He even went for OH's dad who is a real old horseman when we both went in his stable. It was like 2 different horses - he bared his teeth, ears back, swished his tail and snaked his head at OH's dad but when I went over to him he let me cuddle him and scratch his head and half closed his eyes in a very relaxed way.

He went for my dog today and chased her round the field - she goes everywhere with me and its almost as though he resents me and her spending so much time together.

We were scratching our heads about why he did this and came to the conclusion that perhaps he did it because he was being protective over us - i.e the people who cared for him, rode him and fed him etc. He was being aggressive because we were his friends and he didn't want to share us. Does this make sense?

He's good as gold with farrier and physio - almost as if he knows they are there to do a quick job and he has to be sensible with them.

Does any of this make sense? Could there be another reason for his aggressiveness. I must add that Bog sees OH nearly every day so its not as though he's a stranger.

I'd be interested to hear anyone else's views!!
 
carolineb said:
If he's just a grumpy old sod why doesn't he behave like that with me or Rosie and her groom? It would make sense if he did it to everyone.
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The horse stabled next to me is like this. They are very particular about who can and can't approach them. She hates me :eek::rolleyes::D

But actually, joking aside - this type of behaviour is really dangerous, and it would be interesting to get to the bottom of it, if you can.
 
Coco is hostile towards strangers, but that's just inexperience on his part rather than any higher motive. He just puts his ears back & won't accept titbits from them.

Sienna is protective and jealous but that's quite different I think. She is alpha and so nothing comes near you when she is there & she will get grumpy and upset if I pay too much attention to other horses. She would never in a million years put her ears back at a person or be aggressive but then she's only ever had good experiences around people.

I'd suggest your horse is suspicious of strangers & comfortable with you more than anything.
 
I know - I was going to turn him out for the summer at work (my boss's office is at his house) and it would have been ideal but I just don't trust him with small children that he doesn't know.
 
My share horse was never aggressive with me but we'd known each other over 6mnths before he'd do the relaxed head down for ear-scratch and mutual grooming thing. You should be flattered that your horse isn't a total tart being loving with everyone!

Seriously though, it could be that your horse is naturally suspicious of strangers - makes sense if you think of 'new' or 'strange' horses in herd situations. Millions of years of evolution have designed him to live in relatively stable groupings so asking him to get used to being friendly (or at least accepting) with everyone, whilst sensible, is a bigger thing than we might initially think.
 
My horse is not aggressive, he's a big softy- but when he was on a yard with other horses in the field....if I went in there to poo-pick or whatever and other horses approached me......he would chase them away and circle around me and the wheelbarrow so they couldnt get near me. Quite sweet really....until I realised that I was 'his mare':eek::o:D
 
no not the only one. My old horse once lunged teeth bared at someone who raised their voice to me while waving arms about. If I hadn't shouted at him I really think he would have attacked them:eek: He was also the sort that was very nervous of strangers but the boss in the field
 
He's brilliant with people but I've never been in a situation where he might feel that I am being threatened by someone, thankfully, however I was poo picking last summer, I was near the fence between his field & another gelding who was also quite close to the fence on teh other side and my boy came over & quite deliberately placed himself between me & the fence. He didn't try to usher me along or anything just put himself between me & the other gelding! What was quite off-putting is that it was a certain 'time of the month' and it did make me feel a bit odd!!!!!
Then this morning I've discovered he suddenly appears to be petrified of canadian geese! I think one might have tried to attack him in his field as it's quite a new phobia. If one flaps or skwarks he just about has a heart attack & runs away bucking & farting!
Anyway I was poo picking (again, I know, I am obsessed!!!!) and was near them - they don't have young so are more scared of me than I am of them at the mo - and even tho he's obviously quite worried about them he came over & placed himself between me & the geese! He didn't take his eyes off them & so I shooed them off so he could eat his hay in peace - he looked so relieved but there was no way he was going to have me fending them off on my own if they decided to attack me!
Bless him, he's a big soft lump!
ETS - he only displays this behaviour with me, he'll happily have a scratch & treat from OH but he's on his own if anything scary is going down & I've not seen him be that protective over my niece who also rides him fairly regularly!
 
My cob is massively protective.

Last winter he was in a field with a other geldings on our yard. all were fine and friendly except one. one night I was trying to catch hooves and he wouldnt come in (playing silly buggers - is his favourite game!!) when the nasty one started following me, I tried to shoe him away (nasty one that is) and he turned on me, ears back, teeth out and lashed out!! I shouted at the nasty one, and all of a sudden hooves turned, and tanked across the field and bit a massive chunk out of the stroppy other horse, gave him a right royal telling off, and then just walked very calmy over to me and stood totally still whilst I put his headcollar on, hes done a few other very protective things, like when I came off he stay with me and wouldnt let anyone other than YO and OH near me, but he is not at all aggressive towards people, hes never kicked or bitten a person and is fine with strangers, its almost like he knows when Im vunerable and will defend me. hes particularly suspicious of my new horse and doesnt really like me riding other horse on the yard, in fact he has never got on with his best field buddy since I rode him - i'm sure I read too much into these things, but we do have a very very strong bond, I trust him completely - hes my boy!! :)
 
My mare is very protective of my 7 year old daughter, if she can here her at the yard she makes sure she is watching at all times. In the field or if there are other horses around she keeps them away from her. If my daughter is upset the horse is straight there nuzzling into her neck. She is very affectionate with me also but not protective like she is with my daughter, its obviously her maternal instincts (she hasnt had a foal) kicking in. She also lets my daughter lead her to the field, she walks like a lamb behind her and if Katie rides her in the arena again she is like a lamb, bearing in mind she is a 16.1 TB who can be a typical TB with me. Its lovely to see.
 
my old wb used to do this no other horse could go near me in the field. and would only let certain people near him did come in handy when a guy got out of his car to have ago saying we shouldn't be on the road a 16.3hh tank flying at you snorting and bearing teeth he soon got back in his car :) .
My mare is soft with people hates other horses and she has only gone for two people with ears back and teeth bared but i just think she must be a good judge of character as these wernt nice people
 
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