Greentchr
12th May 2006, 01:24 AM
How do you get a horse to quit being so aggressive to other horses when being ridden? It is pretty embarrassing (not to mention nerve-racking) to be the only one on a ride with 'the red ribbon' (red ribbon tied to tail to warn others of a kicker).
She (8yo QH named Kona) does this to her own buddies as well as strange horses. She gets nervous with strange horses, though I am trying to get her around other horses to help her over that (our 3 horses live in our isolated hillside, with just a couple of horses within earshot, and we usually ride just with each other).
She is an 'alpha mare' in every grouping, and although is very respectful to me and humans in general, and has turned out to be very level headed when ridden, she just has this thing about other horses too near her, especially on her rear. It does not have anything to do with 'time of month', and she doesn't discriminate as to who she kicks. She kicked at me once in two and 1/2years, and that was last spring when i first started riding after a winter's break. I chased her around the corral when she did it and made her turn and back, and move, and be very respectful before I quit- she has never tried kicking people again and I think that was just high spirits and an aberation.
I have to watch her like a hawk when we are around other horses, and am always having to turn her, pivot her, move away... and definitely be in the rear on a ride. I just want to be able to be in the front some day! (pout)
What I have done is just to turn her if she threatens, whack her on the neck with my hand and tell her to quit if she pins her ears; the 3 or 4 times when she actually has kicked, I did not get any warning, she just kicked out while she was still walking forward. The horse just got a bit too close. One horse reached out and bit her and she responded by kicking it.
Speaking of biting, we have another horse (14yo arab named Neeka)that I have actually never ridden before today (she is my son's horse), and I discovered that she is a biter- more horse agression!:eek: She does not bite people, but she reached out to the horse in front of her (a pasture mate) and just about got her before i realized what she was doing and pulled her back. This may take another tack all together to fix, but just in case you think they can be handled the same, I bring it up here. Neeka is a strange horse in that she does not hang out with any other horse, and is chased away by everyone- even the mini donkey. Exact opposite temperament of Kona. When she is ridden too close to the other horses (and especially if she is in the middle when we try and ride alongside each other) she pins her ears and raises her head.
BUT, I digress. It is the kicker that i am most concerned about. She really limits what we can do with others. I'm afraid she isn't the type to be invited to the neighbors birthday parties:p .
Help, help, help:) and thanks!
She (8yo QH named Kona) does this to her own buddies as well as strange horses. She gets nervous with strange horses, though I am trying to get her around other horses to help her over that (our 3 horses live in our isolated hillside, with just a couple of horses within earshot, and we usually ride just with each other).
She is an 'alpha mare' in every grouping, and although is very respectful to me and humans in general, and has turned out to be very level headed when ridden, she just has this thing about other horses too near her, especially on her rear. It does not have anything to do with 'time of month', and she doesn't discriminate as to who she kicks. She kicked at me once in two and 1/2years, and that was last spring when i first started riding after a winter's break. I chased her around the corral when she did it and made her turn and back, and move, and be very respectful before I quit- she has never tried kicking people again and I think that was just high spirits and an aberation.
I have to watch her like a hawk when we are around other horses, and am always having to turn her, pivot her, move away... and definitely be in the rear on a ride. I just want to be able to be in the front some day! (pout)
What I have done is just to turn her if she threatens, whack her on the neck with my hand and tell her to quit if she pins her ears; the 3 or 4 times when she actually has kicked, I did not get any warning, she just kicked out while she was still walking forward. The horse just got a bit too close. One horse reached out and bit her and she responded by kicking it.
Speaking of biting, we have another horse (14yo arab named Neeka)that I have actually never ridden before today (she is my son's horse), and I discovered that she is a biter- more horse agression!:eek: She does not bite people, but she reached out to the horse in front of her (a pasture mate) and just about got her before i realized what she was doing and pulled her back. This may take another tack all together to fix, but just in case you think they can be handled the same, I bring it up here. Neeka is a strange horse in that she does not hang out with any other horse, and is chased away by everyone- even the mini donkey. Exact opposite temperament of Kona. When she is ridden too close to the other horses (and especially if she is in the middle when we try and ride alongside each other) she pins her ears and raises her head.
BUT, I digress. It is the kicker that i am most concerned about. She really limits what we can do with others. I'm afraid she isn't the type to be invited to the neighbors birthday parties:p .
Help, help, help:) and thanks!