Weird timing of ear pinning

[BatataHead]

My horse has recently started pinning his ears at what seems to me an odd time - when I turn him out, after I shut the gate and latch it. I am on the other side of the gate when this happens. Wanting some opinions on what this could be in response to, as the timing of it doesn’t make sense to my human brain.

His routine, feed, work, stall, turnout situation etc has not changed in years, and in fact he is doing better than ever generally, including under saddle. He doesn’t pin his ears during handling, saddling, riding, working around him in his stall, etc. He doesn’t pin ears when I dump feed (and is in fact pretty respectful at meal time and gives me space when I go in to dump feed or put treats in his feed tub).

The first time it happened, I turned him out as usual, took off his halter, gave him a pat etc, stepped outside the gate, and was looking down to latch it and I heard this squealing commotion and noticed that he was right up against the gate looking at me with ears back tightly. I was looking down at the latch when it happened so I only saw movement in my peripheral vision, but it seemed like he actually jumped up and down / threw a fit. I was shocked as this is unlike him but just stood calmly and from the other side of the gate tossed the lead rope of his halter at him. He stepped away, circled back and rushed back to the gate with his head up and ears back (!). Again, I calmly tossed the lead rope at him and he backed away. Then I stood and studied him a bit, and he walked up again, but nicely, and stood with his head over the gate and a soft expression. So I stood with him and scratched his cheek a little, said good boy, and then left.

Then it happened again. The other day after the usual grooming, riding (great ride), bathing, hand grazing, fly spraying routine, during which he seemed his usual self (no grumpiness at all) I turned him out and same thing. I took him into his turnout, took off his halter, and he walked over to his trough for a drink. I then stepped outside, shut the gate, latched it and there he was again - right at the gate, ears pinned, head up, looking at me.

I did the same thing as last time (tossed rope at him) and he stopped the ear pinning and walked away from the gate. Then he wandered off.

My first thought is that he is frustrated at being turned out, although nothing has changed about his turn out in years. But I would think if he is upset about his turnout, he’d pin his ears going into the turnout.

How would you react, and what would you make of this, if anything? It is very uncharacteristic behavior, and I guess I’m surprised to see my horse look so angry.

[Ambitious_Kate]

The behaviour is territorial, and I would think of him saying, once he is on his own, “That’s right, yo, you move AWAY from me, I am in charge of this here pasture”. For horses, making the other one “move his feet” gives you (the horse) the upper hand. It means “I win”. when a horse stands his ground, he is challenging the one who wants him to move. When you walk away, your horse has chosen to use it as a test to see if he can be the upper hand in this one small matter, and he is saying “I got you to move away”. Its pretty clear that you have a good sense of being the boss with him elsewhere.

When you toss the lead at him, you are making him move HIS feet, and taking back the power, so to speak. He is backing down when he finally softens and walks away or comes to you for a scratch.

However, I would not be happy with my horse challenging me, whether from behind a fence or otherwise, so I would probably stay and work with him before you “release” him and he moves away nicely without “challenging” you. You mayt have to think up a way to require that he respects you as you turn away from him, because eventuallly I think you DO have to walk out of that pasture at some point, but if you allow him to usurp himself even in this small way, I would predict that he will begin to creep up with more and more direct challenges.

[SugarCubes]

I agree with ambitious kate, definitely sounds like he’s being territorial of “his” pasture. Maybe do some ground work with him in his turnout area to show him that the same rules apply there as everywhere else?

[Jungle_Monkey]

Just a thought but maybe he’s really tired after his rides and he can’t rest when he’s turned out, you said he is working the best he has and well behaved for everything else? Any way you could let him hang out in a stall for a few hours to rest before you turn him out and see if that makes a difference?

[BatataHead]

Thanks for your thoughtful answers. I think AmbitiousKate and SugarCubes are likely correct about the territorial behavior.

Jungle Monkey, I don’t think it is a lack of rest issue as he stretches out flat at noon and naps each day (and makes the snoring/groaning noises) in his turnout.

Now - I’m kind of surprised that the territorial thing didn’t occur to me, but sometimes when you are too close to the subject / situation / have emotional involvement the answers are obscured by other “stuff” in your head.

This is my plan -

1. don’t get upset (I was pretty shocked at the ear pinning)
2. next turnout, lead him in, shut the gate and leave his halter on, etc
3. quietly ask him to do a few “moves” - step back, step hind end over
4. if all good, praise him, remove halter, leave
5. if any ear pinning starts while I’m still walking off, or on the other side of the gate but still in the proximity, ask him to move and toss rope if necessary, then go back in with him, halter back on, and do step 3 and 4 again
6. repeat until I can turnout out, walk out the gate, latch the gate, and not have any ear pinning behavior directed at me

He is smart and sensitive, I think he’ll get it and it will be ok.

[HungarianHippo]

Great plan. I bet he’ll wise up quickly. I got a new mare in March, and she came with some territorial issues when it comes to grain. They’re fed in pans on the ground in the barnyard, and she’s 2nd in hierarchy. So Boss Mare gets her grain first, and then as I walk towards the other feedpan (that’s well away from Boss Mare), New Mare had a habit of pursing her lips and pinning ears back while walking with me. She never got in my space or anything, but regardless it’s just rude rude rude. All it took was me to insist she take 2 steps backwards once we got to the pan, and ears had to be forward with polite expression on her face before grain would be dumped. I think it took a week, tops. Now I don’t have to back her up, she stops 2 steps away on her own with her best polite face on display. Every now and then I’ll notice her flick her ears backwards out of habit as we walk, and I swear you can see a thought bubble above her that says “Oh crap, she saw me!!!” and she puts her “please and thank you” face back on. :lol:

She still tests Mr HH a little bit, but he’s learning how to insist on manners. He got spoiled / lazy due to years of handling very polite horses, so this is good for him to have one that needs a mild reminder.

[BatataHead]

@HungarianHippo

Every now and then I’ll notice her flick her ears backwards out of habit as we walk, and I swear you can see a thought bubble above her that says “Oh crap, she saw me!!!” and she puts her “please and thank you” face back on. :lol:

This is one of the things I love about being around horses. Being able to catch glimpses of those moments where their “wheels are turning” (no matter how tiny those wheels might be!) and you see the moment where they realize/remember/figure out something or make a decision (like the moment you describe above). I think it is so cool.