Yes, I would bring this up with the BM. In a pasture board situation, the horse owners do bear some responsibility for their horses basic ground manners. There’s nothing you can do about a horse who is a butt head to other horses, but disrespecting humans is a training issue. Until this is resolved, carry a whip with you and don’t be afraid to pop that horse along the chest to keep him out of your space.
As a BM, I would want to know.
Inform BO that you will be enforcing a 10’ rule with the poopy brat.
Forget about a crop. It’s too short and you can get kicked or bitten if you are close enough to make contact. And you NEED to make contact.
Bring out a buggy whip. Make sure your horse is completely sacked out and unafraid of said whip before using it.
Fill your pockets with gravel.
NAIL the little turd with a small handful of the gravel on the chest before he gets within 12’. Don’t get close enough to get kicked. If the gravel doesn’t do the trick, use the whip. Mean it. Be a mean mare.
The possessive buddy will learn on three sessions that your horse is off limits when you are around. Done deal.
PSA: do NOT reach into your pocket and throw your phone at the horse instead of the gravel. It does not end well :winkgrin:
I would be LIVID if I found out another boarder was throwing rocks at my horse in the field. Lawsuit mad. DONT do that.
I never go out into a herd without a buggy whip or longe whip (or a long dressage whip in a pinch). A crop is too short and just dangerous to use that close to a loose horse imo.
It’s not about you “brandishing a whip at someone else’s horse”, it’s you protecting your own personal space.
I think there are two different issues here and that they are not necessarily related and the fact that the OP wants to say that because these people do not train right that is why this horse is rude in the herd.
Some horses are just rude in the herd. Perfectly fine trained horses even.
When you (the OP) talk to the barn owner about this horse being rude in the herd, leave off everything about how you think these owners are just wrong about everything they do.
[QUOTE=trubandloki;8748505]
I think there are two different issues here and that they are not necessarily related and the fact that the OP wants to say that because these people do not train right that is why this horse is rude in the herd.
Some horses are just rude in the herd. Perfectly fine trained horses even.
When you (the OP) talk to the barn owner about this horse being rude in the herd, leave off everything about how you think these owners are just wrong about everything they do.[/QUOTE]
This is true, too. My gelding wants to come up and say hello to everyone – it’s not that he’s attached to another horse, it’s just that he likes people and wants to come check everything out. I had a fellow boarder complain about it, and I asked them to just bring a whip into the field if he was bothering her. A different boarder said he did have the habit of coming right to them to say hello, but she was able to wave him away and then he stood back without following any further.
But yeah, I really can’t stop my horse from coming up to you if you walk into the paddock – he’s curious and friendly. Now that I have my own barn I don’t have to worry about it… except if my husband is in the paddock fixing something you can bet that horse is standing rightthere to watch whatever is going on.
I’d be pretty ticked if someone was throwing rocks at any horse in the pasture. Too easy to do damage.
I’m also not crazy about hitting one in the chest. It’s a sucker punch that he can’t see coming.
This is why I like a long lead rope that I can swing. Horses see it coming and back off and nobody has to get hurt. If horse chooses to come into the space where I’m swinging the rope then it’s easy to pop him where it’s not going to hurt him. But mostly you don’t have to make contact.
This thread is a good reminder of why I’m so thankful I no longer have to board. I don’t have to put up with other people’s horses and don’t have to worry about other people doing crazy things to my horse or damaging my stufff (which also happens although not the subject of this thread).
Thank you everyone for you replies. I mostly got the confirmation I needed that I am not going to say anything unless the galloping at me continues. Hopefully it was just a one time incident.
[QUOTE=trubandloki;8748505]
I think there are two different issues here and that they are not necessarily related and the fact that the OP wants to say that because these people do not train right that is why this horse is rude in the herd.
Some horses are just rude in the herd. Perfectly fine trained horses even.
When you (the OP) talk to the barn owner about this horse being rude in the herd, leave off everything about how you think these owners are just wrong about everything they do.[/QUOTE]
You are right that I don’t like the way they care for their horse. I brought it up only as information and I also suspect it has bearing on my feelings. But I do think that the way a horse is trained/treated by its owners will impact its behavior towards other people. I honestly don’t know how he does with other horses in the herd. I don’t care. Herd dynamics is none of my business or under my control. But I do care about my personal safety and space bubble when I am out there. I just need to be more spatially aware. The rest of the herd is very respectful to 2 legged creatures.
How they care for their horse is not your’s to correct. How their horse endangers you and yours is in your capacity to correct.
- Tell the BM. He/she may discuss this with the owners and make different arrangements for Horse B, solving the problem. Or, at least the BM will be in the position to discuss your apparent aggressive behavior in the field should they gawk and gander at it, wondering why you aren’t treating their horse more kindly. You can always fill them in if they ask.
Herd jealousies are a PITA. My horses have been in medium to large herds for 25 years. Every now and then a horse becomes possessive of another horse to the point of overriding the human owner, who is supposed to be at the top of the management chain, and this takes place. For most small issues the lounge/dressage whip idea works very well. Spinning a cotton lead rope to encourage healthy personal space works well. Even you end up having to thwack him with the cotton rope he won’t get hurt. The owner won’t be happy, but he’ll be fine and maybe they’ll start working under saddle with him again, which usually solves the problem in the field, as well.
Here’s another which will feel fierce, but will not connect. If you have a dedicated charger, and no whip at hand, take an addidtional halter out in the field with you and grasp it firmly in your hand. Once Horse B comes veering in at you for the charge, wait until he just gets close enough, and then swing it at his head without letting it go, but DO NOT CONNECT. He will veer off. After a few times of this, he will remember it, and quit for good. It is never anything I want to do, and I have only had to do it once or twice in 25 years, but when it’s you or him, you have to win without hurting him, and this does the trick. The owner may not be happy, but you have a right to your personal safety. Have them take up their grievance with the BM/BO, or give them an earful and then send them along that route.
[QUOTE=Foxglove6;8748747]
Herd dynamics is none of my business or under my control. But I do care about my personal safety and space bubble when I am out there. I just need to be more spatially aware. The rest of the herd is very respectful to 2 legged creatures.[/QUOTE]
Herd dynamics are the business of any who boards their horse (s ) in a group environment.
I had one self care experience (I needed the indoor but didn’t trust the BO to take appropriate care for full board) where I had 2 four year old sport ponies out with two POAs in a 2 acre lot with a round bale. All went well until some very amature owners brought in a very thin mare who they purchased for her color not her temperament or training. She was added to the pony pasture as she was horse sized, but deemed too underconditioned to join the horse herd.
One day I was out to catch both of my mares for routine dental work. As I halter ed the Alpha Pony, the New Mare took advantage of my other mare losing her ‘protector’ and attacked her.
As in knocked her to the ground, knees on neck, savaged my little mare. You’d better believe I laid in to her with the halter from 10’ ( though I think it was Alpha Pony trotting up behind me that really made New Mare flee).
The other owners were there and several people witnessed me beat that horse with a halter. Owners were livid, but when confronted with my swollen mare and destroyed heavy weight blanket (shout out to Schneider tack for saving me some vet bills!) They piped down.
I had both mares back home as soon as the sedation wore off. I could go a month without riding rather than risk my pony again.
