My horse is a very seasoned distance horse who is ridden with mixed groups frequently. Last weekend over 3 days he was ridden 40 miles. I gave him 3 days off and decided to ride with group of four horses- one very obviously in heat Friesan mare,another mare, a young mustang gelding that we ride with alone every week.
We start off and the Friesan is squirting like crazy and batting her eyelashes at everyone. I decide to move near my friends mustang gelding and my horse immediately lays his ears back and starts striking out and pawing with his front leg. I decide to back him up so they are farther apart. My horse rears up, flies backward and after 15 feet falls in his side. I didn’t pull back hard and his bit is mild, I’ve ridden in for years. Not a snaffle! I hop up off the ground, thank god I didn’t break my leg! He is still prancing around acting sturdy as if he is still thinking about going after my friends’ gelding( who is usually his good friend.)Anyone else have an out of the blue experience like this? I’m alittle shaken up, this is a horse that I have many, many miles on!
Sounds like an Arab gelding that my friend boarded - for only a short period.
After he tried to attack other gelding on the property and tried to jump fences to get to the mares, he had to be kept in a stall. Come to find out he was LATE gelded at like 3-4 yrs. old and we suspect he was bred before current owner bought him. But he kept the studdy behavior. Any chance this could be what happened to your gelding?
He probably was late gelded because they were hoping he’d get alittle taller. But after owning this horse for 10 years I’m surprised this behavior is coming out now! He’s been ridden around mares for years. Was this the perfect storm of extremely in-heat mare, mustang gelded less than 2 years and my 16 year old?
After owning him for 10 years, I think you’d know by now if he has a tendency to behave this way around mares. Personally, I wouldn’t overreact to what sounds like a kind-of unusual situation: mustang recently gelded and mare being allowed by her rider to misbehave in this way. My advice is to quit riding with mare until her rider demonstrates better control.
[QUOTE=Austin Rider;6864099]
mare being allowed by her rider to misbehave in this way. My advice is to quit riding with mare until her rider demonstrates better control.[/QUOTE]
How can you keep a mare from doing what comes naturally when in heat?? Put blinkers on her and cork her up tight?? It sounds like the two geldings were having a problem with each other and it could be the mustang did something threatening to cause your horse to fly backward and fall. Nothing in your horses behavior sounds stud - like to me.
I feel like the teeth baring ,ears and pawing in the air demonstrates atypical behavior for this horse. He seemed to be telling the mustang that that was"his girl".
A friend told me to use lavender oil on his muzzle to block the scent of the mare in heat. I guess I’m just surprised that after 10 years of competing together this happened. I love this horse and will stick with him regardless.I’m just lucky that I didn’t break my leg- my husband is having surgery tomorrow and needs me!
