Alpha Mare kicking

[Ellesan]

Hello! I am new here. I have a 10 year old mare that I got six months ago. She is amazing with people (therapy work, birthday parties, etc) but not so great with other horses. She always wants to kick my gelding (normal size 15.1 hand horse). I would love to pony her on trail rides or put them in turn out together but I can't trust her not to randomly turn and try to kick him. He is so sweet and gentle and runs away.

Is this fixable? When I see it I try to catch her and reprimand her when she is pinning her ears so it doesn't get to the kick stage but sometimes she is too fast. I don't think she has made contact with him either, but he stays clear.

Thanks!

 

[FurstPlaceMiniatures]

She's a boss mare. That's what they do. Unless she is doing it in hand etc it's not a problem. It's natural horse behavior.

If she kicks out at other horses while you are working her, discipline, but as far as in the field and at liberty, that's her time to be a horse. She's just being a boss mare. Boss mares are a whole nother ball game from any other horse.

I had a big mare that would literally try to eat other horses. If she didn't strike out under saddle we called it good. However we did not set her up to fail. You couldn't pony other horses off her, and a crowded warm up arena was sheer heck of just trying to constantly diffuse her from a blow out. She was a jumper though so in the arena was never an issue, just couldn't have a kid on a pony up her butt or a big warmblood screening her from the judge (in the case of people trying to screen, her sass was invaluable!)

 

[chandab]

I wouldn't put her out with your full-size gelding, he might run from her now, but one day he might get sick of her boss mare attitude and realize he is bigger than her and let her have it, which could have dire consequences for the mare. They'll be fine for companionship with just a shared fence line and both will feel safe in their own paddock. I know it's not convenient, but it's safe.

 

[rabbitsfizz]

If your gelding gets fed up with her he will kill her. May not mean to, but a kick form a BH will kill a Mini so it is never worth risking. Separating them would also solve all your problems!

 

[JMS Miniatures]

Yep agree with above. You cannot just go and catch her and then reprimend her, you only have a 5 second window. I agree if she is doing this on lead then its totally different. I also agree she is not one that you can just stick with anybody much less a BH. Now with that being said some minis and BH's get along great, and some are best buddies, but in this situation its an accident waiting to happen.

 

[Little ones]

I have a mini horse like that (doesn't "play well with others"). When I am with them I AM the "alpha mare" and there are no problems. But they have to be separated by a fence when turned out. I don't need or want vet bills, not to mention an injured horse.

 

[rabbitsfizz]

BH and LH get along just fine right up to the moment when they don't, or when the BH kicks up and out just with the joys of spring, and then it is the LH that is seriously injured or dead. They can get on for a few years, even, it has NOTHING to do with whether they get on or not and everything to do with the size difference.

 

[wingnut]

Was she with bigger horses previously? In addition to possibly putting her alpha mare skills to good use, she may simply be protecting herself proactively. We had two minis who were with big horses and a large pony from the they were 6 months until they were 2+ and came to our place. They were so used to having to protect themselves from the larger animals that they were constantly on alert even after they came here and lived with only fellow minis. *I* had to be very careful all the time around them, and more than once didn't quite get it right, because they were so reactive. I finally had to re-home them to a place where they were alone together with no other animals.

 

[Ellesan]

Thanks for the replies and info. They don't live together but they do share a fence. LH lived with 3 other minis her whole life ( one being her mom) until I got her. She never lived with a BH.

I have never left them alone together and never will. I have only had them in turn out with me twice but I ended it before there was an incident.

The problem is that she HAS tried to turn and kick him in hand and I got after her. She hasn't done it since though. I guess I was wanting them to be "friends" but I realize it can't work out that way all the time.

 

[FurstPlaceMiniatures]

don't take this the wrog way, but temple grandin writes wonderful books to help you understand your livestocks psychological needs. Horses don't socialize the way we do, and trying to force them too will literally drive them crazy .

I feel you would benefit from reading them - I sure did! I highly reccomend 'animals make us human.' It describes dominance, and specific species needs psychologically. I own all of her books and read them each at least once a year. They are dirt cheap on amazon.