# My mare doesn't like other horses?



## Desy2002 (Apr 16, 2016)

Sorry I wasn't sure where to post this.


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## Foxhunter (Feb 5, 2012)

I will not allow any horse to behave as she is with strange horses. The moment she laid her ears back and made a face at another horse she would get a couple of hard whacks behind my leg amd a good hard kick with both legs. 

You should be in control and she should trust you to 'protect' her from strange horses being ridden around her. 

I followed hounds for years and a horse that behaves as yours is not only a pain to rode with others is can be dangerous to other horses. She must be stopped.


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## gigem88 (May 10, 2011)

My mare will pin her ears back and squeal at other horses, she is such a diva! Never kicks, though. That's never tolerated. The more she's in heat the louder she squeals. It's her quirk and she isn't dangerous towards the other horses. My friend's Fresian stallion has learned not to even look at her, even when she bats her eyes at him, he just stands and looks straight ahead. If she kicks at other horses, then a "come to Jesus meeting" is in order.....move her feet and make her work.


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## carshon (Apr 7, 2015)

I did not have a mare like this - but a gelding. When we rode with other people and my daughter and husband rode he was very agrressive towards other horses - turning his butt, pinning his ears and disrespectful to me. It eventually led to me getting bucked off once when another horse got between his mares and him. A lot of ground work and a lot of reprimands were in order. I would move his hind quarters, side pass him or just pull his head to the side to make him remember who is boss. The behavior never stopped completely - he would still pin his ears or get jiggy but I was working on it every time we rode. 

If you have ever been kicked in the knee by a horse when you are riding another horse - it is a pain you will not soon forget - so I took that behavior seriously and worked on stopping it.


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## Smilie (Oct 4, 2010)

Do not allow her to behave in such a manner, when she is being handled or ridden
She can be marish all she wants, out in the pasture, just with other horses, but NONE of that behavior is allowed when being handled
She can no more express her behavior towards other horses, then a stallion is allowed to attack another stallion, a gelding, or try to breed a mare when handled or ridden


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## Smilie (Oct 4, 2010)

I got run over a steep bank, by such a mare as yours, never mannered, far a behavior towards other horses when ridden.
I was riding with a group, which included two horses from the same place, that were mentally joined at the hip. They were separated by several horses, while we were riding along a narrow trail. The one further back, bolted ahead, and when she was passing me, kicked out, making my horse instinctively jump sideways, which was over that bank. luckily, she kept her feet, and we scrambled back up, no worse for wear, but could have been a wreak
No squealing, no threatening with either pinned ears or swishing tail, let alone acting out by kicking, ect!!!!
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## SorrelHorse (Apr 9, 2009)

I have had a lot of nasty mares. I find cowhorse mares tend to be particularly stingy. 

My Selena is a great example because she can be flat out mean. When I first started hauling her to barrel races, she had to learn that the time we spent hanging outside the arena and in the holding pens was OUR time, and it was not acceptable to be mean to other horses. If she did, she would get reprimanded pretty hard with my whip or by spurring her belly and making her work and get in a tight circle. 

Since then and years down the road, she still isn't perfect - But she would never dare kick, strike, bite, etc with me near her. The worst she will do is pin her ears which I really don't care about to be frank. She has also established a relationship with all the "regular" horses we hang out with and has decided she actually enjoys their company now.


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## Roux (Aug 23, 2013)

I agree with what others have said. My gelding is normally very sweet with all other horses but he does not like my new mule. When I am riding the horse and ponying the mule my horse likes to pin his ears and show his teeth. He is such a jerk. I don't let him get away with this at all. As soon as he flicks his ear back and gives the side eye to my mule he gets a spur on the side. One time of that (usually at the beginning of each ride) and he cuts it out. If I let him get away with pinning his ears I am sure it would escalate. 

I've never had mares but isn't there a supplement you can give them to make them calmer?


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## BlindHorseEnthusiast4582 (Apr 11, 2016)

I agree with the above, particularly SorrelHorse's post. 

My gelding can be very temperamental with other horses in the pasture, I guess because he's the boss of his herd. He will kick or bite another horse in the pasture seemingly for no reason. 

With that said, he WILL NOT under any circumstances do those things once I am around him. No matter how annoying the horse beside him may be, or how the others are acting, he doesn't dare kick or bite near me. Like stated above, the worst he will do is pin his ears, and usually not even that. That applies both in the pasture and when I take him out to work. 

Me around = no kicking, no biting, and no aggressiveness toward ANY horse. He isn't aggressive toward people in any way, and usually just keeps to himself with anybody but me. With that said though, he knows that even if he wants to bite that horse beside him or go after an "unruly" mare, it's a big no-no, regardless if I'm handling him or somebody else is. If after I put him back in the pasture he wants to "settle his score" then that's fine, as long as I am not in his vicinity.


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