Advice on some bad behavior.

[NickelsChram]

My little gelding is usually super friendly to other horses. He is a wonderful friend to his buddy a 4 month old colt, puts up with being climbed all over and all the little ones best attempt to remove his fly mask. he takes it all in stride, and if discipline is necessary for the little guy he never ever kicks at him only the gentlest nips to discourage him. The best part of showing for that little horse is all the new friends he gets to meet loves to be with others waiting at the gate for our class. Loves to meet mares and geldings(and runaway stallions). With him, being around other horses is the last thing I have to worry about usually.

But the other day I was holding my boy nicky and the colt while the colts owner put away mom so we could walk to the indoor for some play time away from mom. The colt on my left nicky on my right, and nicky flipped out pinned his ears swished his tail, then kicked at the colt. He missed but he still got in big trouble. Then on the way to the indoor he still kept up with pinning his ears and tail swishing, and they still weren't right next to each other I was between them. We closed the doors turned them loose and let them run and play in the indoor and he was fine never a tail swish or mean face. He got upset on the way back but he was fine when we turned them back out with mom. The only time he seems to get upset is when I am around. My mom thinks he is jealous, I kinda think he is being possessive of me. Telling every one im his person no one else can have my attention. But it really caught me off guard. He does the same thing out in the field when I come to get him none of the others can be near me.

Anybody have an idea on how to fix this? Showing both of them next year will be very hard if they cant stand next to each other with me since the little one will be in yearling gelding halter then nicky will be in sr. gelding halter I wont have time to run back to the trailer and get my other horse they both need to be ready at the gate and stand to wait to go in. I also don't want to let it go and have him get worse it needs to stop now.

 

[Riverrose28]

I have several horses that are possesive of me. I don't know how to fix it, only how to avoid the confrontations. I always take an extra person to help hold horses in the holding area waiting to be shown. In the field I take the bad horse out to groom, spend time with, etc. or he/she will run the others off. Maybe some one else can tell you how to fix this problem, as I just try to avoid the confrontations.

 

[Carolyn R]

Yes, he is being possessive of you. The best thing to do is to put him in his place so he knows that you are the alpha, the do all, say all, end all to all involved. You are in command and he does not have the right, as chivalrous as it may be, to defend or own you when it comes to other horses.

I have recently witnessed this amoung a few BH yearlings in a pasture at a farm I was visiting. Typically a very docile breed, one of the fillies lunged at me when she thought I was too close to her yearlings (eventhough she was a yearling herself). After a shout and some arm flailing, she hung her head as if to appologize and became submissive, knowing she was out of line . It is all about their perception of the pecking order (and what role we play in it).

 

[stormy]

I had two fillies..this years foals who would run up and attack another foal if they thought I was giving it too much attention. Generally I "pinch" them...kind of like biting with my fingers and tell them no.....I still get pinned ears and skrewed up noses but no more attacks!!

 

[Marsha Cassada]

A simple way to assert dominance, imo, is at feeding time. He cannot eat until I say he can. I put the food out and do not let him eat until I allow it. It may be as simple as putting yourself between him and the food. Or you may need to get vocal and do some foot stomping, or even carry your whip. This works on my boy for a week or so, then I have to do it all over.

I think it is very dangerous. Even though they are little, their unexpected panic movement away from an agressor can cause serious consequences. He is more than possessive--he is dominant.

 

[NickelsChram]

thank you all for the advice. ill start working on putting him in his place, and the idea with his food is great hes very pushy when it comes to his food anyway which is probably another sign of his dominance over me. i understand him being possessive like that is dangerous which is why its going to stop.