Very angry horse

[MissMay]

Are some horses just born bad tempered?

My rising 4 year old is the grumpiest horse that I know.
If your crossing the field not doing anything she comes for kisses and cuddles then next would try to chase you out. I stand my ground and make myself big shout and stamp to get her away.

In the stable I wouldn't go in without a lead rope on her because she would try kick you. If she is just loose in the paddock again she can be nice and then ears flat back and for no reason go for you..

She was broken last summer with no problems once mounted she seemed to really enjoy the work. At the moment she is just on a 6 month break.
Same home since birth no bad history. Stable herd of 4 living out, she shares a large arena pen in the evenings with her 3 friends with ad lib forage (as in the bales are stacked behind a fence in the shed and rhey can ear as much as they like)

She just doesn't seem to enjoy life, she isn't the boss I'd say she is middle of the herd. She has never had any health issues etc.

So, have you ever had a young horse who is just not a nice person and not the nicest to have on the yard?


Edit to add: I don't allow her to get away acting as she does she gets either chased away or a slap if she goes to bite, she is made to behave but she is so unreliable and inconsistent whether whether will be sweet or try to kick/bite you with intention

 

[bouncing_ball]

Doesn’t sound normal. Pain or bad manners?

 

[Sossigpoker]

Yes I had this and turned out he was very distressed due to being a wobbler.
I would get my vet out if this was my horse.

 

[Goldenstar]

I think you need to do a problems with performance type work up you need to chose the right vet .

 

[poiuytrewq]

There have been many bad tempered horses I’ve come across in my work as a racing groom.
2 stuck in my mind. One because he was just horrifically bad. We are all very used to dodging teeth and legs but this was on another level. However I know nothing of his back ground.
The other, a young mare. She was born at my work. I know she had no bad experiences or nasty handling. She was pretty nasty from day one, her mum was also Mrs Grouch!
It’s sad

 

[bouncing_ball]

There have been many bad tempered horses I’ve come across in my work as a racing groom.
2 stuck in my mind. One because he was just horrifically bad. We are all very used to dodging teeth and legs but this was on another level. However I know nothing of his back ground.
The other, a young mare. She was born at my work. I know she had no bad experiences or nasty handling. She was pretty nasty from day one, her mum was also Mrs Grouch!
It’s sad

I do think sometimes it can be behavioural eg see horses being nice to others in a group where aren’t high ranking. Change herd and become boss horse and behaviour changes, can become much more of a bully and grumpy to other horses.
But in terms of grumpy racing / competing horses. I think will typically be some form of pain or unhappiness causing grumpiness. Ulcers / wanting different lifestyle Etc. Don’t think all horses fit well into competing lifestyle.

 

[Ceifer]

We had a mare on livery like this. Turned out to be cysts on her ovaries. She had her ovaries out in the end which made her behaviour improve significantly but I’d still say she was a grumpy baggage most of the time.

 

[Cowpony]

My loan horse is like this. I'm having her scoped on Wednesday

 

[Cortez]

Horses, just like people, have different dispositions. I have come across grouchy horses in my time, several have had underlying conditions (pain, ovaries, brain tumours), but there have been many that were just plain bad tempered. Some of the worst were just horrifically spoiled by overindulgence.

 

[MissMay]

If I didn't know her history since birth I would swear she was beaten. It's like her defenses are up.
Did mention to my vet during vaccines in passing and she kind shrugged it off as just a stinker of an attitude. But something can definitely research to find a vet who deals more in hormones etc. It is all year not just certain times.

Part of me wonders is she bored maybe she would thrive on being mentally tiered she doesn't like no job.

It's quite draining having a miserable grumpy sod who isn't happy to see you or affectionate

 

[Frano]

I was thinking possibly ovarian cysts.

 

[Flowerofthefen]

My old lad is grumpy. Had him from 9yo, now 26. He has never bitten or kicked but threatens to when in the stable. I just completely ignore him. Unfortunately before I bought he was passed around a bit and is also a head shaker so those factors might contribute. He hS been retired for a number of years now and hasn't changed!

 

[Sleipnir]

I used to know a mare like this - she had ovarian cysts.

Aggression of this level is abnormal when for a horse who isn't naturally affectionate. If she was my horse, I'd get her checked out by a vet who specialises in equine gynaecology.

 

[CanteringCarrot]

Sounds like a cat got reincarnated into a horse.



On a more serious note, I'd also be inspecting those ovaries with a good repro vet.

 

[Pearlsacarolsinger]

I'm another who would want to investigate the cause. I have no experience of equine ovarian cysts but that would seem like a good place to start

 

[Xmasha]

I bought a mare in foal . Foal was supposed to be by a real lovely stallion . The minute she was born she was difficult and ‘suspicious’ I sent her and the dam off to a reputable stud for handling ( I normally do it myself but I needed another pair of hands with this one ) Even they struggled with her . Took her for grading and the DNA results came back .. she was by a completely different stallion . Others by this stallion also had the same attitude. So they can be born with attitude .

 

[Griffin]

I would definitely get a vet out to check everything and get a second opinion of needed. Some horses are grumpy but there is usually a reason for it (mine can be grumpy but has improved hugely since having a routine and daily turnout), I would investigate further.

 

[Rowreach]

I had a client whose horse was sent to me after her vet diagnosed it as being a "b*tch" - she agreed to let my own vet have a look. The horse had KS, ulcers, liver and intestinal damage from ragwort and worms ... extreme I know, but it's worth investigating properly to see if the problem is physical rather than just assuming it's a personality thing.

But yes, some are disposed to being more grumpy than others.

 

[rabatsa]

Many years ago I was thinking of buying a horse. Our local very up with it equine vet told me to tread carefully as every foal from the same stallion kicked. He was right.

 

[Highmileagecob]

Has she always had these issues, or has it slowly developed? Is she trying to work her way up the herd pecking order and establish dominance? Could be that she includes you in the herd unfortunately. If the health checks don't reveal anything, it may be something to consider, otherwise, perhaps she is bored and needs a job to do. Hopefully you find a solution before someone gets hurt! Good luck.

 

[CanteringCarrot]

I mean, I do know some horses, mostly mares, that are more workmanlike and don't care for or have time for lovey stuff or any "fluff" they rather get to work and/or get to the point. However, they're usually not nice one minute and then not nice the next minute. Usually they're a bit more consistent with it.

 

[Mule]

I bought a mare in foal . Foal was supposed to be by a real lovely stallion . The minute she was born she was difficult and ‘suspicious’ I sent her and the dam off to a reputable stud for handling ( I normally do it myself but I needed another pair of hands with this one ) Even they struggled with her . Took her for grading and the DNA results came back .. she was by a completely different stallion . Others by this stallion also had the same attitude. So they can be born with attitude .

I know a 2 year old who's been somewhat aggressive since birth. He's ok with careful handling. Even at a couple of months old, he was already very different. He was unusually confident even as a young foal.

His dam is easier but she can be aggressive in the field. She occasionally charges humans when they go in to a field she's in. She'll veer off if you are assertive but the aggression is there.

He is much harder to manage in general. In their case I do think his temperament is inherited.

 

[PurBee]

Worth having a workup done.
Its most interesting you say she’s lovely and cuddly one minute then suddenly turns on you and is aggressive.

My gelding when young, was mostly friendly, loved fuss, but would then try to nip, play/pull on my clothes, there was no aggression …it was lighthearted mouthing play for him at that age….also teething. So back then his mood was considered by me as somewhat unpredictable…was he feisty mood today, or chilled and fussy? But he would never flip suddenly aggressive.

Though not the same species, that sudden change in behaviour occurred in my elderly male cat, he had neuro issues, i *think* from toxiplasmosis, as he was an outdoor hunter type cat, mainly rodents.
His behaviour when nerves were affected was exactly like that, very fussy, then would suddenly really aggressively swipe a claw and try to bite. Not a warning “stop stroking me” bite, it was a real hard clamp down to draw blood bite. He would be purring the whole time! Whether fussy or being very aggressive/attacking….loud purring. They normally stop purring when attack-mode kicks in, in a healthy cat, so that alerted me to something else going on.
At first we thought it was his personality, when it was mild, but as he got older the behaviour worsened, then overt physical neuro symptoms presented when old, and he died not long after.

It enlightened me how neuro issues affect personality/behaviour….and can cause weird aggression.
A bit like we can see behaviour shift in dementia/alzheimers human elderly people, often aggression/irritability presents at some point.

I wonder if your horse has a trapped nerve or something? You could try physio? Sounds too young to be neuro tumour or serious stuff, but potentially nerve/muscle pain issue, is causing the bouts of mixed behaviour?

It doesnt sound right. You thankfully know the history of the horse, otherwise possible to think abuse/fear and gentle perseverance.

 

[Sir barnaby]

My mare was very much a sour puss I had her from 6 month old till in her twenties ok to ride but very grumpy in stable or if you wanted to do anything with her, didn’t like to be groomed, shod, clipped. It was just about tolerated with a pocket full of polo’s she did love having a bath though. She didn’t like my daughter, but was ok with me or my husband in her space.
didn’t know her dam or sire so I guess it was just down to her temperament. It was nice to get a totally different horse in Barney he is the most easy and loving horse I have ever met, yet he had a hard first few years.