Violently kicking out whilst eating.

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Laura-Jayne

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Since I've had my TB gelding he's had a major problem with fidgeting and striking out with his back legs when eating his feed.

When he's in the stable he'll kick the back walls (which are brick) and kicks holes in the side wood.

When he's in the field he turns circles around his food, paces, kicks and paws the bucket and floor with his front legs and then violently strikes out with his back legs :confused:

I'm worried because he catches his legs when kicking, and has developed a few cuts and bumps on his legs where he's caught himself. I don't want it to get any worse i.e fractures.

He also gets very head shy and jumpy if anybody goes near him when he's eating. Without food he's a big softy and loves attention.

I'd like to add that he rarely ever has any horses around him so there's no need to defend it?

Does anyone else have this problem?

Thanks :)
 
_CJ_ said:
To me it sounds like either dominance thing or a pain issue, has he had teeth checked recently? Ulcers?
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He's the alpha male in the field, so dominance makes me think this probably plays a big role.

He's had his teeth checked twice since I've had him, they're fine.

He's recently developed ulcers around his mouth, which I'm treating. But it wouldn't explain his behaviour before he got them? :confused:
 
el_Snowflakes said:
Have u tried feeding him away from his stable (supervised of course) to take him away from 'his' territory?
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No, he only gets fed in his stable or his field.
To be honest I don't have many other places to feed him!
But I can always try find somewhere.
Maybe this would stop the possible dominant, defend his feed behaviour? :)
 
slightlyconfused said:
Our tb does this when his stomach ulcers are playing up. I would get vet out.
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I once thought he had these as he dropped weight, but I realised I wasn't feeding him what he needed. (he has put on weight now due to a new feeding regime)

He doesn't have any of the common symptoms either.

But thanks, the vet is out next week for his vaccinations, so I'll ask about them then just to be on the safe side! :)
 
I know another Tb that does this both in his field and in his stable. He is now 20 never had an ulcer either. He is the alpha, it does not matter were the owner feeds him. We just all keep out if his way.

My TB did not like to be touched when eating but now I can all but change his rugs. I just give him a minute or two to settle then stand by his head, next stand by head and stroke worked up to rug changing. It took a while but now his is 99% OK.
 
Contrary to what has been said I would suspect this horse is way down in the pecking order. An alpha has no need to defend its food the others know it is boss and would not attempt to take it.

I have had a few horses like this and they were not alpha's.

Line his kicking sides with some cheap plastic cow mattress sheets.
 
The only symptoms our tb had was the kicking out and no energy and loosing weight but another horse on the yard had repeated bouts of mild spasmodic colic and she had ulcers.

Just because he isn't showing all the signs doesn't means its not there just like us they deal with things in different ways.

A vet check would be the best thing, let us know how it goes.
 
Sounds like a pain issue. Could his poll or anything be out? Have you had chiro/mctimoney check?

How is he when grazing/eating hay?
 
My mare is the same when she has her breakfast or dinner .. You have to be very careful putting it in.. She has a corner manager so i put her feed bucket in the manger she now pulls horrible faces which is normal but used to kick out with her back leg.. When other people feed her they just put it on the floor because they cant get near the manger because she likes to block it and pull horrible faces.. But i do second the manger if you can get him to eat out of it
 
I had a TB about 20yrs ago that used to do this. I got him when he was 12 and the previous owner told me he had always been like it. Was a pain at pony camp ( yes it was a long time ago!) because i had to stand and hold him while he ate because he would have destroyed those flimsy stables. I always assumed it was because he had had his food taken away when he was younger before he had properly finished
 
My horse used to do that I tried everything but it just took time letting him freak out in a safe area so he wont hurt himself/others

now my horse is fine !!! :D

good luck
 
How can it be dominance if there are no other horses around (or humans pretending to be horses)? :confused:

With such abnormal behaviour, I'd consider a vet check too.
 
Before going down the lines of getting a vet ,you could try a week of adding some Sodium Bicarbinate to cut down the acid.

This week I have had a new Osteopath come and treat my horse. He did a very interesting thing. He took a strip of litmus paper and tested my boy (My boy was always a bit grumpy,scoped but no ulcers) although not Acid he felt that he would benifit from making it more alkaline, so he now get some Sodium Bicarb in his feed. In three days he is less grumpy so it must be working.
 
When you feed him in the field can you put him so he can't reach anything when he kicks out?
My youngster kicks like mad, mainly with his fronts, he is bottom of the pecking order and the others chase him off if they finish first. (Well, they can't as I am there but they would if they could).
 
My old ISH used to do the same - nothing physical and purely to protect his feed.

We moved/fixed his manger to a corner of the stable so there was no wall directly behind for him to strike. I did consider lining the walls with rubber matting to take some of the impact, but fortunately the re-positioning of his manger did the trick.

In the field we just made sure he was fed well away from other horses and obstacles so was just kicking out at fresh air.

Good luck as know how worrying a habit it can be.
 
I think it is insecurity, my girl is quite insecure and babyish, as a result can be a bit OTT towards other horses only at food time/when people are around and when eating her food, but that is mainly because she has a field companion (who is tiny and very mild mannered but a bit curious and nosey!). I suppose this with your boy could just be an extension of that behaviour even though there are no horses actually able to get to him.

If you can feed your chap with no other horses around in the field so he doesn't kick things, I'd hope that after a while of doing that undisturbed he will settle down?
 
Foxhunter49 said:
Contrary to what has been said I would suspect this horse is way down in the pecking order. An alpha has no need to defend its food the others know it is boss and would not attempt to take it.

I have had a few horses like this and they were not alpha's.

Line his kicking sides with some cheap plastic cow mattress sheets.
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He's definitely the alfa, none of the horses dare touch his food. Everyone at the yard- horse and human know he's the boss! Hence why I'm confused on his behaviour!
 
paulineh said:
Before going down the lines of getting a vet ,you could try a week of adding some Sodium Bicarbinate to cut down the acid.

This week I have had a new Osteopath come and treat my horse. He did a very interesting thing. He took a strip of litmus paper and tested my boy (My boy was always a bit grumpy,scoped but no ulcers) although not Acid he felt that he would benifit from making it more alkaline, so he now get some Sodium Bicarb in his feed. In three days he is less grumpy so it must be working.
Click to expand...

Never heard of that before! No harm in trying if it works for yours.
Must admit, when I read this I imagined turning up to my yard and finding my horse looking like a cake ;) :p
 
Clodagh said:
When you feed him in the field can you put him so he can't reach anything when he kicks out?
My youngster kicks like mad, mainly with his fronts, he is bottom of the pecking order and the others chase him off if they finish first. (Well, they can't as I am there but they would if they could).
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He's always fed away from the others (mainly for their safety!)
He just kicks air. And sometimes his legs, which worries me :(
 
I would just like to add that this morning he was much quieter and settled down in his field, and tonight when in his stable only kicked out a few times.
Maybe he just has bad grumpy days?
I also don't know what his feeding regime and general life was like before I had him, he's 10 now. So anything could of triggered this behaviour :confused:
 
Its quite possible he has learnt this behaviour from a previous stable mate.
My little Welsh Sec A does it and I know its because she was stabled next to a mare who pawed the ground and pushed her feed bucket around in much the same manner. She also picked up pooing only in one tidy corner of the stable.
My mare is most submissive until she's in her stable with her feed where she is best left for the short time it takes to eat it.
Bicarbonate sounds interesting though.
 
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