Behaviour as result of no confidence in a young horse

Hi I have brought a young mare 5 year old very green think only been back this summer taken her out first time and kicked the horse behind but not that close though and second time car went pass slow and kicked side of the three times what should I do thanks becky

Melanie’s Response:

Hi Rebecca.

Thank you for your email.

KICKING OUT AT ANYTHING TOO CLOSE….This is quite a problem and is sometimes hard to fix. She cannot cope with being hemmed in and as such kicks to distance herself from what she considers is too close for comfort.

To kick out at company horses whilst out riding or cars that are too close will inevitably lead to injuries and no friends!

Try a hormone settling product as this may just be a mare-ish trait and her body may need some help to become less reactive. This can make a huge difference…HORMONISE is good. (liquid Chaste Berry) by the Animal health Company.

In extreme cases I have gone down intensive de-sensitising programmes……where eventually  we can lunge horses with huge plastic bags/weighted blankets/plastic bottles on top, which flap round their hind legs etc and they no longer feel the need to kick out. ( You must NOT try this at home because it is only as an end result  of a great deal of work prior. It is just that we slowly but surely invade the mares space with objects which touch and cause the same reaction….the lunging only comes after a lot of associated ground work.) We NEVER frighten them as this would compound the problem.

She  cannot have much confidence in herself and has an inability to make contact without feeling a need to protect herself. She may well have been badly bullied in her past or is simply naturally very dominant.

Is she aggressive out in the field and does she have a close friend who she lets come in close for mutual grooming? Probably not, or else only on her terms.

Build her confidence with other horses by familiarisation ….lots of riding with others but slightly apart. Make her want to keep up and catch up.

Keep a red ribbon on her tail so that it reminds others to give her space. Avoid the collecting ring as she is not safe enough to be put in that closed environment yet.

Join group lessons or a riding club where she becomes part of a gang! Bit by bit she will learn to relax as it all becomes more familiar and not so intimidating.

Good luck.
Kind regards

Melanie

This blog was posted on Friday, December 2nd, 2011