Food aggressive

Samantha1980

New Member
Mar 14, 2005
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North Aberdeenshire
Does anyone have any advice about what to do about this.
I hung up a net of haylage then weny into my yearlings stable to top up her water. She turned her bum at me and kicked out. Luckily for me I was still near the door so backed out, any further in I would of been trapped.
This was the first time she had haylage shes usually on hay. She has been known to do this with her hard feed but never with nets. I got a broom and used the handle end to rub her with. She lashed out several time each time I said "NO" after a few times she just lifted her leg and swung it about then stopped bothering after a few more times. I praised her when she never reacted. Is this an ok way to deal with things? Any advice
The broom was only an extension of my hand. She is well used to being rubbed by things. She is extremely confident and bold. Prehaps to much so:confused:
 
My horse was neglected as a baby, found in emaciated condition, kept inside, there were worries he wouldn't mature etc. etc. Was rescued by prev owner as a yearling and I bought him as a 3yo. Thankfully no physical side effects except major aggression over food. Mainly bucket feed but can be difficult with hay if particularly hungry. Initially I took a whip with me and made him stand back whilst I put in feed (whatever it was) brandishing this whip while he pulled the most evil faces at me. He learnt pretty quick that aggression got him nowwhere and he only got his feed when he backed right off. 3 years on and I just have to say back and show him my finger, but I never take my eyes off him as I don't trust him where feed is concerned.
 
I too would have a massive hissy fit with lots of bellowing and roaring , plunging and bounding, and tell her once and for all it is MY food, NOT hers and she can have it when I ALLOW it.

You don't have to hit her, just plpunge and bound and make your feelings quite clear. If she does have a go give her the bristle end of the broom to swing into, they generally don't like that.!
 
Thanks I will try that. Sorry if this sounds think but how do I go about it? If she backs up to the door do I just shout untill she turns round then back her up? The only thing she has ever been wary of is a tape measure! Should I rattle this?
I have had her since birth so know she has never gone hungry. She always had big hay bales in the field over winter so I dont understand why shes like this. She goes for other horses when they come near her if I feed them in the field. She is only 21months and sees off older horses/ponies is this unusual?
I had an emergancy and had to move yards a week ago. She had to go into a stable for 2 and a half days with no other horses in sight then into a field on her own. (shes not been stabled before) She was fine and never bothered in the slightest. She will also go into trailers/lorries and travel on her own. Is this boldness normal in youngsters?
 
I would wipe the floor with her! Sudden movements are likely to make her back off so as soon as she did it I would leap into action (literally :p ) lunge into her space, waving your arms around and tell her in no uncertain terms to get away from you right away!!! :eek::mad: As soon as she backs off ignore her and then let her approach you in her own time and give her a pat for approaching you nicely then leave her. She'll probably only need telling once, she's a baby and bound to be pushing the boundaries.. it sounds like the older horses are not putting her in her place so she's more likely to try it on with you as well - is there not a more dominant mare in her herd? That's usually their job :p
 
Hi
She is obvoiusly climbing up the social ladder with her 'herd' and sees you as one of them.
Correct (above) re dominant mare, but we dont all have access to one of those.
Ditto Wally comment on the broom (bristle end) factor.
As she was so quick to lash out I would be extremely careful plunging into her space and leaping about - you may well get doubled barrelled.
This is respect - none for you at the moment! sorry! But she would NEVER turn her bum let alone kick out at any horse higher up the ladder than her.
I see she is very young but leadership needs to be switched to you before she realises her own strength.
I would do some simple groundwork - she doesnt need to run around etc she just needs to learn her place.
In the stable, for your safety, put a headcollar on so you have head control, then lift net (which you have left outside the door) Go in keeping her on a rope and therefore head to you. Tie up net. Let her have a mouthful and then take her to the door with you. You can in time keep her there until you decide she can eat. Keep the rubbing going cos she wants to learn its not a punishment but actually nice being with you too.
 
Most horses - if not all - are aggressive around their food because, at some pointing their life, they have been denied food or had it taken away from them; hence why she feels the need to defend herslef and her food.
Punishing this behaviour or approaching it negatively will not help whatsoever.

xx
 
ummm why does my 6 month old colt wavehis hind leg at me when he's got his grub then puzzles?

none of the things you state have ever happened to him?

be interested to read your reply.
 
I disagree puzzles that that's the reason in this case. Although it can be true for some horses it sounds like this filly is simply trying to push the boundaries and show her dominance. It's inacceptable and could potentially become dangerous. I would have a massive hissy fit, stomp around and shout. You don't have to be near her, infact it is better to keep yourself at a safe distance. For most this will should give them a bit of a fright and make them back off. If not and she squares up to you, like Wally says, use the bristle end of a brush. I'd then back her away from the food and only allow her access to it when you feel you want her to. Take the attitude that it is your food and she is only allowed it when you say so. I would then do lots of groundwork with her too.
 
puzzles She has never been without food. How would you deal with it?

I should of made it more clear that it was a double barrelled kick she done then walked backwards to do it again. I will definatly do some more groundwork with her. She is pretty good. She will walk without pulling, stop when asked, stand for a while, pick feet up and go back its just with food all that goes out the window. I will be putting her head collar on when entering her stable from now on. If I got trapped in the corner it would be very dangerous.
She has 2 feeds a day, unlimited hay when in and out during the day with hay in her field. So far she has not done this with her hay only when I tried haylage but it needs nipped in the bud.
I will put a lot of effort into sorting this out and will try the advice suggested.
 
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I've got one that was aggressive around her food. At one point before i got her she had been left without food. She's also a dominant little madam. She still got a right telling off for waving feet at me. I don't care what has happened in the past, nothing makes waving feet at me acceptable. She now has really good manners, the worst she ever does at feed time now is give someone the 'ears' occasionally. No matter how starved a horse has been in the past they aren't going to be double barrelling a dominant horse off their food, and trying to do that to you tells you something about where in the herd they think you are.

The biggest stroppers around food I've ever known haven't ever been starved or had their food taken away, generally just a simple case of dominant little b*gger.
 
I'm not saying that horses who become very protective/defensive around food have been starved - not at all! :) - just that, say, they have been stabled without food/rub out after a couple of hours, or have had other horses (say, in the field) steal their food at some point in their lives - often without anyone even realising.

I agree that some quality groundwork would be of great benefit - good luck!
xxxxx
 
Sam. Keep going with the good work you've done on the ground so far. Do you know the 'yo yo' game? The one where you get them to back up and then come towards you?
Get her good at that and then introduce a bucket of food. She still must obey your command to back up until you say otherwise, without making any faces! She must respect you! You can introduce food during other games too with the same principle!
 
"Punishing this behaviour or approaching it negatively will not help whatsoever."

Maybe not, but it is not acceptable either. One display of this kind and allowing the horse to get away with it only leads to the horse trying it on in different situations.
I wont tolerate it, at the same time, I will allow a horse to eat in peace.
 
Punishing this behaviour or approaching it negatively will not help whatsoever.

Want a bet?

I went to see Brodie this weekend - he has been starved in the past and is agressive to other horses at dinner time. He however was never ever agressive towards me or any other human at mealtimes. Since then he's spent a year at a trekking centre and his manners are rather lacking with some people. He had gained a reputuaion of being dangerous when eating.

I brought him in and gave him his dinner and continued to brush him like I always did. Up came his back leg and waved it around and bit. 'Oi!' made him put it back on the ground again, twice. ears back, tail swishing and general bad temper ensued. 10secs later his foot whizzed past my leg. The little $*(%&*£&.:mad:. Boy did he get his ass properly smacked for that! :mad:

10mins later I was standing behind him, brushing his tail, his ears forwards, still munching away, but stopping to make itchy faces when I scratched his itchy spot on his bum.:D Just like before he went away. One of the yard girls came around the corner and was horrifed that I was even near him, never mind touching him, whilst he was eating. When I asked why she said he was dangerous and agressive when eating and had tried to kick her a couple of times. When asked if she'd smacked him for it she gave the exact same answer as you puzzle 'ooo, I couldn't possibly smack a horse' .:rolleyes: Go figure.

It's rather naive to say you should never punish a horse. That leads down the road of young horses like the OP's learning that being agrressive towards humans pays off - I know a lot of horses who are agressive over their dinner, mostly because their owners have let them away with it. A horse would not even consider putting their ears back to one more dominate, never mind lift a foot to them.:eek: Like MelanieD, I don't gie a flying fig what's happened before with feeding - it is never acceptable to lash out at a human.

So what exactly would you do about a young horse like the OP's pushing the boundries way too far? Sit her down, hold her hoof and explain that that's Bad and makes mummy sad?

Samantha1980 - in your case I would have done exactly as others said - make her think the world has just collapsed for trying to kick a humans. Saftey is paramount and it's important to stay out of the way of hind feet whilst doing it. In her case, as she kept coming at you, I would have smacked her too, and hard, if I'd had something to hand (head collar/leadrope etc) but not if in danger of being booted.

Then gone on to do what you are doing now - desensitisation and a hell of a lot of respect ground work.
 
Pink's lady.........I have no wish to start a war here, but I am very keen to know if your theories pertaining to physical punishment will follow you into your chosen profession when you qualify.

You will find, I am sure, as a vet, that some of your clientelle will put great faith in your beliefs regarding such subjects as horse behaviour and training. I would give you short shrift if you were to offer me, as your client, any of that sort of advice. I would also leave your employer in no doubt as to why you were no longer welcome as my vet.
 
ok another way at looking at smacking a horse.... isnt it like the herd leader putting them back in their place??

Samantha1980 have a read of my thread.. update new mare, she has major issues about food, she has been beaten and starved in the past and getting to know her if i did punish her at this moment in time she would come back at me, so im using... other ways to get over it!
 
As a vet you need to asses the owner and their ability and beliefs. The advice you give to one owner is not what you give to another. It is also not a vets place to advise on behaviour and training of a horse past medical conditions.

How I deal with other peoples horses is not how I treat my own - I am not there to train your horse for you. My horses are well mannered and very well behaved - they have been well trained. That takes time - you cannot train a horse in one 15min visit so there is no point in trying. Any vet will do just enough to get the visit done safely. If that involves a smack, so be it, although generally it's the owner you want to smack:rolleyes:

I think you would be horrified at how the horses are treated at big vet practises, by the groom and by the vets. They are never delibereratly frightened or hurt but no nonsense is accepted - it's too dangerous. They will get a smack if they try to walk over the top of you/bite/kick. They are not there to be trained - they are there to be treated and they need to do as they are told.
 
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