I kept my first horse at a private barn with no electricity and no running water. I trucked water to the barn in 5 gallon plastic gas cans for a couple of years. It wasn’t exactly easy, but it wasn’t impossible either. I wouldn’t want to have to do it for multiple horses, but for a singleton, it’s manageable.
@fordtraktor that is rough!
No, the OP has no obligation to interact with the horse. But here she is.
We’ve had horses in like the OP describes for training. They are young horses that have learned 100% to get their way with their owners (who are usually beginners), and don’t have any idea of personal space. This owner reinforces that she’s at the bottom of her herd of two and he can do whatever he wants. And he does. A flag goes a hell of a long way for most horses and it sounds like this one, too. I’ve never had a problem horse come at me when I’ve had a flag. They almost always back down because they’ve never been challenged a day in their lives and they don’t have the to skills to be alpha when challenged. Esp young horses.They are spoiled brats.
No, they aren’t my horses but I’m sure as hell going to keep them out of my space if I need to. Of course it is not the OPs job to interact with the horse but it sounds like the BO and owner are ignoring the situation. So the OP will have to carry a flag in the mean time or leave.
A horse that challenges someone with a flag is dangerous and mentally not-right and should be isolated, put into hard-core training, or put down. IME with lots of problem horses, it’s not a 50:50 chance that they will back down with a flag. It’s a 99:1 chance that they’ll back down if the person is firm and means it.
We get alot of these horses at the barn because the trainer specializes in starting horses and problem horses. 98% of the time it’s the owner. Or the handler at the time. I’ve never had a problem dealing with any of these problem horses using horsemanship. I did have a problem with a rescue horse who was in with my horse who literally bowled me over when I removed my horse from the pasture through the run-in. I immediately returned my horse and caught that horse, and used a flag to say Oh, no. OH NO. You don’t EVER get to do that. He steered clear of the shed door when I removed my horse but the BO was cognizant enough to immediately remove that horse from that pasture. He went back to the rescue. I know he bowled me over because of fear that his buddy was leaving the pasture and he didn’t know how to heal with that. He wasn’t being bad. I think I delivered the first real training session he ever had - I wasn’t unkind or mean, I was predictable. “You can do that but not this”. He had donated training at the rescue and found a home.
BTW, when my BO took the alpha mare out of their small herd for whatever reason, their gelding mounted the other mare. He’s definitely a gelding and was vying for a new spot in the herd. He was bottom of the herd but was working his way up without the dominant mare.
I’m just relaying my experience and advice. The OP should either a) get that horse out of her pasture b) move or c) always carry a flag and teach that horse that it can roll over the owner but not you. If the owner is OK with being pinned against the ground and hay bales and the BO is fine with that, the OP has to either move or teach the horse to stay away from her. There’s no other choice.
I personally would want a very long ground whip versus a flag for a horse who has learned to rear and strike. And I did have to protect my pony from the herd bully (not aggressive like this horse but definitely a bully) with my energy, awareness, and lead rope anytime I brought my pony in from the field as a kid. While it sounds like the OP and her mare have been dealing with it fine so far, it is an accident waiting to happen with escalating behavior.
Most BOs would have kicked this boarder out long ago. I would just worry about separating yourself and your horse from this horse in any way that is doable. Tell your BO about your concerns for you. Get your barn friend to do the same. Don’t worry about your concerns for the horse owner or the vet or others. Just speak about yourself. Maybe if enough people do that, the BO will realize they have to accommodate their good boarders somehow and make a change.
OP, please do not interact with the horse at all. With this type of “training” he is receiving from his owner, he will become more assertive and more dangerous as time progresses. One day he will very likely not back down. Don’t risk it, please. Just leave this place. Any BO that allows this is negligent and ignorant at best. Go knock on doors if you have to and ask if you can rent a field and make it into pasture. I’ve pastured horses alone in a pinch until I found a buddy - maybe your friend would bring their horse, too.
As for transporting water, I’ve found the best solution is to buy a used food grade IBC water tote and haul in the bed of a truck. 275 gallons with a hose attachment that gravity feeds into the trough. Expensive new but often under $100 used.
The plastic water containers that fit in the back of a pickup truck were popular where I used to live. A lot of the surrounding area had bad water and people had water tanks st their houses.
The city garage had a water filling station where you put in a quarter (or was it 50 cents?) and many gallons of water would come out of a hose.
A friend of mine here has the same situation; no running water at her house except from a tank that had to be filled.
This whole water discussion is how I know I am in a horse forum. 
And yes, a crocodile really did take a horse out of ‘our’ paddock. Did that dam get fenced off? Noooooo… Did we swim in another dam about 1km from the croc’s entry point? Yep.
And here I thought the dog-poop-compass over in the THW thread was The Sign.
Yikes. Of course, I lived in the land of alligators for five years. I never saw one near my horse; I don’t know what I would have done if he were threatened. Now, I’m happy to coexist with mountain lions, bears and coyotes. They are a familiar threat.
Rebecca
Whaaaaat? I’m slowly catching up on the board, but missed this one— please, enlighten me!
Here is a link to the northern lights! https://www.instagram.com/p/CrZ7O1DMJsf/?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA%3D%3D
I live south of the Canadian border, although close enough that farriers cross the border to do work up in the local province. Personally, I feel like I live in a really weird part of the country, especially in terms of horses, and more generally, people. If the apocalypse happened, no one up here would know.
So as a Canadian this is kind of hilarious. Because most of Canada’s population lives in Southern Canada aka within 200 miles of the American border. It is true that in many places along the border there is rural land on both sides. The Great Lakes and St Lawrence River make a huge natural barrier. I think the only place with twin cities on both sides of the border is Detroit/Windsor. In Vancouver you drive through prosperous suburban sprawl all the way to the border, then NW Washington State is very rural for 5 hours South to Seattle. Other places, the border is very rural but significant cities like Winnipeg Regina and Calgary are not that far North of the border. I know upstate NY gets very remote up towards the water divide but cross the St Lawrence and you are in the most populous and oldest part of Canada.
So, does that effectively POOF! OP’s “Nowhere to go” excuse?
We’re actually kind of near Winnipeg and, yep, it’s like that poof suddenly you’re in “no man’s land.” We have a cold cellar to store food, although we do at least have grocery stores, but if you need things, you have to go to the nearest cities. What’s really funny is that my great grandparents immigrated here and lived in basically a town that had 50 people and there’s nothing there but a PO Box. They farmed and it’s fun to drive to their homestead.
Living here has given a great love for remote locations and wildlife. We found a fox den with babies and I’ve seen lots of birds. But the winters are the worst.
I’ve contacted someone to see what feelers are out there. I have not spoken with my BO yet because I haven’t seen her. I don’t think text is quite the medium to discuss this situation.
Crossing my fingers. I’d rather keep my mare at this barn but maybe in a different pasture; however, if that’s not a possibility, then that’s okay.
If there is a different pasture available, why can’t you just move your mare there?
Agree, a text is not the best way to communicate.
Especially if BO is a Fogey (like me) & has turned off notifications.
P.S.
I had a friend from Winnipeg. His childhood home - circa 1950’s - was decidedly suburban.
Backyard swimming pool & all.
Because it’s not her property, that’s why. She has to talk with the BO.
And right now there isn’t another pasture.
BO doesn’t object to a mixed-sex herd that contains Asshat “gelding”.
IIWM, and another pasture was available, I’d move my mare & deal with any fallout from lackadaisical BO later.
2 Birds, 1 Stone.
Mare & OP safe from aggressive POS.
Posted above before I saw this.
So barn has a single pasture for his many horses?
How big is the pasture?
Even a drylot bests you having to deal with the nasty horse.
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