When horses fight !

Gingerwitch

Gingerwitch

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My 3 year old mare really laid into my 12 year old racer today - I was really really upset - so much so I think she will be up for sale over this weekend.

She was only brought as a companion for my racer after I lost big lad - now little lad is totally totally unsocialised - he is a sodding menace - so I have always had to pick his field friends very carefully - which is why i brought this little mare - whom was supposed to be as quiet as quiet could be.

The mare is very attached to me, and she chases him off me all the time - but today she would not stop backing up and booting him. Fortunatly she is not shood

I really really do not know what to do - yet they seamed as happy as larry again tonight - but she did put her ears back at him and did threaten to kick out again
 
my little mare is lethal as well, must be little mares! its only at coming in time. she's got tiny feet and is unshod. my lot move away quick! sometimes she doesn't even want to come in, just doesn't want them to come to me 1st! sorry no help, just my sympathies. she's fine the rest of the time and isn't hungry (though in winter I'm sure they want to come in for tea and she's being greedy). she does prefer if I have a large lead mare. when I do she's very well behaved and a flick of their ear and she behaves. without a big lead mare she takes on the role!
maybe an older companion on loan from a rescue would be better?
 
How horrible for you.....

Have you plenty of grass? I find my cob can get agressive with his companion if he is hungry, but is fine if he has plenty to forage on.
 
So sorry to hear that, why not wait a while, seems quite a number of mares are suffering from some extreme grumpy season behaviour at the moment.

Mine are 'handbags at dawn'. Its not nice to see them fight eh?
 
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Sidney said:
How horrible for you.....

Have you plenty of grass? I find my cob can get agressive with his companion if he is hungry, but is fine if he has plenty to forage on.
Click to expand...

A 4 and a half acre field - more grass than you can imagine - she just seams to loose it with him - and then does not know where to stop - in all fairness little lad is a pain but he does not have the brains to move out they way.
 
She's in season and the horse equivalent to a stroppy human teenager. If he isn't up for standing up to her and teaching her some manes then yes I would seek an older gelding companion. Plenty in charities would appreciate the chance.
 
I don't like mares and gelding together .
I have have has two big fights here two mares very nasty they went at it hammer and tongs and one ended with a broken leg.
The last one was the cob and my KWPN , cob is a **** in the field and attacked the other one the KWPN was having non of it and beat him up big time cob was on box rest for three months he's kept alone now .
Your mare is probally feeling hormonal you might try regumate if the behaviour continues.
 
I have just introduced a 4 yr old mare to my 20yr old mare and companion gelding (he's 10hh so no trouble). The old mare really went at the filly with both barrels ( and she is shod :eek: ) there seemed to be no let up for 3 days so I separated them. Then after a week filly broke thorugh and they groom each other. Interesting thing is that the filly is now the alpha - really surprised me and I feel for the old mare. Old mare is squirting at young mare though so very strange indeed.
 
What is she like with him when you aren't around or she can't see you? Knobberpony is very jealous of me and would attack any pony in her field who so much as neighed at me.It didn't matter if it was a mare or a gelding,she'd go for either.If I spied on her and she didn't know I was there,she'd graze happily alongside,the trouble only started when I approached the other pony or it acknowledged me.Strangely enough,she is in with a 7 year old gelding and has not done the same thing with him,no idea why.She'll chase him off if she thinks he is getting better grass than she is and keep him in his place,but no jealousy.:confused:
 
Sounds like shes in season...

When I bought Peggy, even whe seperated by an electric fence my old mare Lucy made it quite plain that given half a chance she'd make mince meat out of Peggy (who is the quitest, sweetest thing ever tto exist) any way a week later they ge in together and are inseperable, Lucy followed Peggy everywhere:rolleyes:
 
me and my friend had to separate my boy and her mare! most of the time they were best mates but he could be annoying and she booted him a few times but were he's so young and sensitive I ended up with 3 separate vet bills, massive swollen legs etc!!

but he's fine with my old lady mare! some horses just don't mix ay!
 
I know nothing about mares as never owned one but would suggest she's in seasona nd is telling him to bog off! If he's not listening then he needs to! With 4 acres and (I assume) just these two then he is ableto get out the way and maybe he will just have to learn.

I have a 27 yo pony who I have owned since he was 8. He is 14.2hh and has always been the boss of the herd. I have had him tested for being a rig as his behaviour can be extremely stallion like at time, the way he 'organises' his herd. He tested negative (although I don't actually believe it!). Anyway, he can have his moments when he has evidently fallen out with one of his bunch and decides they need telling - to be honest the others these days just normaly get out of his way (they've learnt) and he will have a little hissy fit in the middle of the field screaming, reversing, double-barrelling (at nothing a lot of the time!). He will reverse and double barrell his mates, or attempt to anyway and sometimes it is like he holds a grudge as his tantrum can last a couple of days against a particular individual.

Take last year for example, he decided for one reason or another,his 2nd in command was enemy number one (god knows why). He wouldn't let him near any of the others, charged him, spun and lashed out. This went on for about 3 weeks! It was like the other horse was a newcomer but no, they have been in the field together for 17 years!!!!

All I could think was the other horse (also mine) upset boss pony somehow and blimey did he remember.

On another occasion, our old TB was excited at dinner one night and bit boss pony (by accident i assume). This resulted in pony throwing a fit and going hell for leather for old TB. he was in a strop with him for a looong time all because of this little incident! Some horses are just like this - they need to ensure the others are kept in line.

If yours in unshod then she should be ok and really the gelding needs to learn about personal space maybe!
 
My little gelding just has not got a clue - its almost like a satalite delay - he does not fight back - he just stand there andt takes it.... but if she were a he it would be a blood bath

:(
 
I would think the penny would drop eventually. Although, to be honest if he is used to being with other horses and coping with a hierarchy maybe she just isn't being aggressive as you think? Does she actually contact him or is it a lot of noise and show? Like my pony (he still does it now, it's bonkers!), he does this whole show of screaming, busking, reversing whilst bucking and sometimeswill charge and spin and kick. But you can almost see the others thinking "oh, here he goes again" and they just move away and let him get on with it.

I would hope that horses can read each other better than us. Maybe yours is justa bit bewildered if he's not seen this behaviour before. Mares are generally dominant though so you'd think he'd cotton on eventually!
 
My mares live quite happily with the little rescue gelding... He soon learnt when they are in season he has to back off. Give her chance, she is only doing what comes natural. But I also agree that the rescue centres are full to bursting with geldingsm so if you did decide to get another it'll very worth lolkibh around a few x
 
In our big field there are 3 mares (2 little ponies and a 15 2 horse) in with 5 geldings (all ponies).

Last year there were no problems at all but at the moment it is a nightmare with the big mare. She is very obviously in season and goes around with her tail in the air and won't leave the geldings alone.

But 2 of the geldings have started fighting over her. It's not nice to watch. My pony always wins but he comes in with battle scars every day and I'm worried that one if them is going to get badly injured. My other pony that's in there is the leader of the herd and although he isn't interested in the mare he gets involved to stop the fighting between the other 2.

Only thing to do is to separate them!
 
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