Wow! Bea. It is so magical when everything works as it should isn't it! Well done and welcome to the uni and forum. Good luck with Fanny - it will be so exciting to have her near you in two weeks but it sounds as if your Sunday drive was certainly worth it!

Hi I have done join up with my Jack a 4 year old Arab x. He had very little done with him till I got him so a clean sheet so to speak lovely nature, did a really nice join up and follow up and works well on the dually, finding the sweat spot, however as we have progressed he has started to put his ears back when I work with him in the school and tried the occasional bite, I schooled him, backing him up, but he seems to really resent this although it did stop him trying again. But still ears back, he was also not as cooperative when working on the long lines today and tried for a few moments to toss his head and put his ears back, but did eventually walk very well, I am a little worried as he has never shown any aggression Before, is he just beginning to get bored with the work and showing me his dislike or could he be in pain, I would add that we were only working in a dually halter no bit as yet. Be interested if anyone has had similar experience

Hi Viv
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My rescue horse Renacer did this to me for a while. And he still does every now and then. But when I insist he do what I ask, he does. I don't know what this is either, and its a good idea to check for pain. I know pain is not Renacer's problem because I have had him checked recently.
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I came to the conclusion that he was challenging my leadership. One reason for this is that he is at the bottom of the heard in the paddock, and around the same time he started to challenge me, he was challenging the other horses for a higher rank in the heard. Poor fellow, he is still at the bottom :-/ The other reason I thought he was challenging me was that when I insited he do what I asked by making his incorrect choice more work, he did.
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I too would be very interested in what other people have to say about this kind of behaviour.
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Kind regards,
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Gen

Viv and Gen,
I don't know if it's something in the air or what but for a few days now STAR is giving me a hard time as well.
Instead of coming to me when I come into her paddock she goes away, doesn't want a halter on and is reluctant to go for walks.
This is unsual for her when she is not in heat, she's usually real good and wants to be with me.
I'm going to call the vet tommarrow to see if something is up. Ever since she flipped this summer she has not been herself.
Also the last time I had her teeth done I don't think it was a very good job, so I'll have those checked as well.
I think she is challenging me as well because of her reaction to what I ask, it's like, no I don't want to.
I'll see how she is in the morning.
Have a good day,
Ronda

Fingers crossed for Star!
I hope it will work out fine, Ronda. Young horses do have their "stubborn periods" - just like any kid - so I hope it is that rather than a physical problem.

Thank you Kicki,
I'm concerned more with her inconsistancy. One day great the next not.
I've never had a mare before and I never will get another again, they're too moody, just like we females. lol.
My husband is away most of the day today and he doesn't like me outside alone and my housekeeper is also away, so this testing I was planing may have to wait until tomarrow.
I can't remember, do you have a mare? If so how is she? And how do you handle it?
Ronda

hi
I was reading your comments and do not know if this will make any sense but i have a 16yr mare whom also does this thing of being calm and happy one day and then turns into a moody mare the next, for a long time i have asked myself why,had all the usual checks done,vet, farrier,dentist, chiropractor,they all found nothing and said she was perfectly healthy so, studying her closely for a long while i have come to the conclusion that for her it is the wind,she is an outdoor pony and everything runs fine until we get a really windy day,then she really does become a mare,on these days i find it best to do very little with her,and sure enough as soon as the wind dies down back comes the placid pony.
karin

Hi thanks for the feed back it really helps, and that's real interesting that Jack to is at the bottom of the pack and he is starting to challenge me but if I insist he works he goes on really well think it is just a young horse reaction and quite normal.

I got my mare two months ago. she started off really sweet, but then we started feeding her and as she gained condition she got rather piggy. various people have said that me and Alli (my horse)have a bond and that she trusts me. i havent particularly noticed this. she seems to hate being groomed and often pins her eyes back at me when i have her tied up or walk near her. The strange thing is that she doesnt seem to want to hurt me. twice shes had me bailed up against the shed wall at feeding time but shes just threatened and then walked away. has anyone else had something like this and how did you deal with it?

Cati.jane,
May I ask, what are you feeding her?
Dominant horses can have a real problem with grain being feed to them. It can make them more aggressive.
I swithced to a non grain feed with my mare and it helped a great deal.
Her vet recommended this as well as a horse natural path.
I'm a little nervous of her nature for you, pinning you is not a good sign. She needs schooling with the dually halter, backing her up several times will help a great deal.
My filly is not allowed to eat without my permission. I use my eyes to let her know I mean business and keep my hand over her food and say, back.
I then remove my hand and lower my eyes and say, OK. And allow her to eat.
It doesn't matter what the feed is, her feed or her hay. I still do this even after two years. She now waits patiently until I give her permission.
Keep safe,
Ronda
PS: It's not that she hasn't hurt you, it is a lack of respect that is her problem.

It seems we all share similar challenges with young spirited mares who are still working our their position with us. On average I believe mares are much more moody than geldings but some seem so much worse than others. Tricka's Mum, Pie, was shocking but so horrifically mistreated when she was young that she had fair reason for her bad behaviour. She still gets moody with me when she is cycling although she is so trusting and gentle at other times. Unfortunately Tricka has some of her mother's aggressive traits despite the fact that she has never been mistreated. At times she puts her ears back at me and comes at me on the dually in an aggressive manner. At these times I have to be very quick to discipline her with the dually and back her up and then do some training work with the dually. I continue with fairly forceful discipline with the dually until she is submissive and responsive and ready to do as I request. She has also occasionally put her ears back and said keep away when I have put her feed into her trough. If she does this I immediately chase her away with whatever I have - sometimes it is just the bucket. I only allow her to return when she comes forward meekly. In the paddock she usually comes up to me in a friendly manner for a rub but again occasionally she will put her ears back when she comes up. If her ears go back when she approaces me I immediately throw my arms in the air and send her away with my arms, eyes and voice until she is submissive and comes back nicely. I think these spirited mares are a real challenge but it is so important that they learn that we are in charge and to respect us even when they are feeling moody and cross. It is a hard one as Tricka has shown me time and again. Everything seems perfect for a few weeks and I am so proud of her and then the moodiness will reappear - usually when she is cycling. As I am hoping that someday she will be a Pony Club horse for my grand daughter this trait has to be controlled at all times - no excuses! My other two mares are incredibly docile, particularly Nicky. She does not have an aggressive thought in her head even when cycling. She has taught me what to aim for with Tricka as the perfectly mannered horse. I guess if all our mares were like Nicky life could be a bit boring!!!

I have a newly gelded boy who suddenly turns, he's wonderful and very tolerant of almost anything. He's very willing and seems to enjoy what I ask of him but when I'm in his stable. He suddenly has enough of whatever I'm doing, mostly grooming. He turns round, pins back his ears and eyeballs me, then strikes out with a back leg. Yesterday he wouldn't let me leave the stable until he'd finished eating, it really does frighten me, but he's not like it all the time, I think he's challenging me as a leader as we havnt yet done join up, its been 9 days since his op, anyone else have/had this problem?

Hi Uraeus,
From what I read above, I guess to essential problem is, that you are in his stable at feedingtime! Monty suggests feeding the stable, when the horse is not in and then bring the horse in. After that: leave the horse alone, until he has finished his meal. It is territorial to protect your food from others, don't get into a fight about that! He would show the same behavior to any horse that came into his space at feeding time.
There is a time for grooming and a time for feeding, keep them apart.
Hope this helps,
Miriam

Hi Uraeus,
One of my daughters young horses had a similar problem after he had been gelded.
That was about 7 years ago now. It was a terrible ordeal for him. He was swollen and even bleeding a bit for a time.
She just let him be for a while and he settled down again.
Giness is a wonderful boy now.

I agree with Miriam. It seems the main problem here is your timing. Leave him be while he is feeding and save the grooming for another time. Take him slowly and gently too as the gelding experience is pretty horrific and he may be holding some resentment towards humans because of it. He should get over it - he just needs some time.

Hi Uraeus!
You might find comfort in my 3,5 year old still displaying that very same behaviour! He's always had the greatest disposition - allowing for the usual youngster tricks of course - but the last year or so he has displayed a new side to him which includes being testy and aggressive in the stable, and you just never know when he is good or bad. Food doesn't have to be an issue in his case.
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I'm trying to stay calm and firm, saying no and push his head away. If I bet too firm he will get really mad and I really don't want to get into a physical fight with him. I'm hoping it is his "terrible threes"-period and that his good manners will return in time, but any other ideas on how to get his respect sooner rather than later are welcome!

I'm very new to horse ownership (I seem to start most answers like that!) but what I'm sure I've read Monty say and the trainer who came to help me also said is ... leave your horse alone when he eats - it's not a time to school, chase away etc

I don't know if I'm doing the right thing but whenever I feed my ponies I call them to the food and then walk away and leave them be when they are eating. Best wishes, Lizzie

Maybe these horses are testing you out asthey grow older. It is important to leave them alone while feeding but perhaps they have learnt that if they get aggressive when you hang around while they are feeding then you will back off and become wary of them. Hence this behaviour has now escalated in Kicki's case to bad stable manners even when food is not present. I don't need to stable my horses so my experience is limited but if these bad manners are occurring when food is not the issue then I would use the dually halter to help train them out of it. Take them into the stable with the dually halter and if there is any sign of aggression then quickly discipline them with the dually - you may need to move back out of the stable and then move them in again. Don't feed them until they have become submissive with the dually. Then feed and walk away as Lizzie says. You are learning so much Lizzie and your input is so valuable! Congratulations!