Dealing with an aggressive horse ?

Question

When i bought my QH gelding, he was not aggressive at all, you could pet him anywhere, play with him all day, and ride him with no problem except his usual spunky-ness when you rode him. A few weeks ago we bought a new horse that seemed to be a very gentle horse and was friendly to other horses, we were even told he was turned out with other horses and was the lowest on in the herd. We got him home and gave him some alone time, but he was able to see the other horses and smell noses with them, after a few days we turned him out with them and they were fine. During feeding time we decided to see how he would do and he was perfect and walked away with no problem, but then when my QH (who WAS the dominant one in the pasture) went to l**k the pans like he always does when the others leave, the new Paint horse ran up to him and started kicking him and would not stop. Now we have to separate both of them to feed them.

Anyways to the point, ever since we bought the new Paint horse, my QH has turned on me, like when i go out in the pasture to pet them, he gives me hateful looks and puts his ears back at me. When i have him in the barn petting him or brushing him, he trys to bite me and has accomplished that a few times. Today i gave him a treat cause he was really good when i was cleaning his wounds from being kicked and right after he ate the treat he bit me really hard on the side of my rib cage. It wasnt like a "i want another treat bite" he had his ears pinned back and an evil look on his face. I popped him on his shoulder and yelled at him for doing it cause i had enough, usually i just yell at him and he'll give me an innocent look, cause i dont like hitting him.

My mom can mess with him all she wants and he will not act that way to her but when it comes to me petting him, he acts like he hates me.

Could it be that i am petting the new horse and my horse is getting jealous? Cause my mom doesnt really spend that much time with my horse, but she spends time with the new one alot. Does he think that i am on the Paint horse's side and not his side?

I really need some good advice on this and how to get him to stop, cause he's starting to get really bad and threatening to kick at me when i touch his stomach (which had never happened until we got the new horse)

I dont want to hear any answers like "give him treats" or "you should spend more time with him" or anything like that either

cause i do, he gets treats all the time and i spend every day with him, sometimes i just go out in the pasture just to pet him and not ride him and he's still hateful acting

Answer 1

If you are petting, brushing or bumping the areas where he was kicked, I don't doubt that you are getting this reaction.  Let him heal up and keep the treats to yourself until he changes his attitude, you are only reinforcing his behavior with them.  I would keep them separate until he heals up (at least at feeding time) before I would try that again.  It wouldn't be the end of the world if you had to continue to separate them during feeding time.

Answer 2

Hello,

My input:

Sounds like your QH liked moving up on the "totem pole"....  NOW he has decided that he is ranked also above you.

Be careful, he is testing you to see if he is boss now.  YOU can get HURT!  He needs to be put into his place!  You should NOT be feeding him ANYTHING any time from your hands!  

I suggest working his butt off in the round pen lunging.  CHANGE directions a lot and make him sweat!  HE needs to know that he is to do what YOU say....

BE VERY careful!  I don't want you hurt in the process...if he turns his butt at you lunging him, or runs at you, pop him a good one with the lunge whip....  HE is going to hurt you if you don't set things straight soon...  DON'T whip the snot out of him and don't do anything unless he threatens you in that round pen....

WORK on his ground work, and work him hard....

STAY safe!

EDIT>>>>  We keep all of our horses in herds out in pastures about 5-10 acres big...  BUT, we have certain ones we will never turn out with other ones because of the pecking order...  OURs are turned out 24/7 all year long!  

We use to keep ours in 20X30 pens when we had a small ranch in S. CA...  and now all are turned out all the time and they are all better minded and easier to get along with.

Answer 3

Well he could just be sore. And not liked to be touched. Horses do get grudges if you spend more time with another horse. But i would give him less treats till he behaves. Actully i wouldnt give him any at all untill he does. If you keep giving him treats when he does this, then he may think that its ok, i will still get love and treats. But dont stop spending time with him.

Im not sure why is acting like this. Maybe you are giving off a vibe that you are afraid that that will happen. Or your just waiting for it to happen knowing that it will, and in the end he relazies that and does do it.

best of luck, and i hope all turns out well!

Answer 4

Just a suggestion, if your QH is getting jealous of you that means he doesn't see you as the herd leader, so to speak. Horses will be territorial of their herd, but they understand that the herd leader will come and go as they please. I would suggest you work with your QH a lot and show him who's boss. You don't have to abuse him, but make him keep his distance  and never let him get away with biting you. Hitting your horse sharply on the shoulder is much kinder than how typical herds interact and it is a quick reminder saying, "NO, you don't do that, I'M in charge". In order to interact safely with multiple horses you need to be the herd leader, work on getting that status. When you have a horse's respect, you can do anything.  

Answer 5

First, you ought never to keep a bunch of horses together unless you are talking about several acres... horses in close quarters tend to set up a pecking order, and if one of these is your riding horse or show horse, then it has been my experience that that horse does best if kept by itself... that is, it may certainly share a fence, but to allow squabbles to be had over food and your attention is a mis-match.

Horses are by definition herd animals, and establish alphas and betas in their social structure.  If you are going to ride one of these, you are competing for a place in that structure, which appears to have happened here.  If all they are is a bunch of brood mares, this isn't much of a problem.

Advise.

Separate your horses, at least by a fence.... all you need is for one to get really angry with the other, and land a kick in the knee.... you'd have to put that injured animal down... knee fractures aren't fixable in the horse, as you likely well know.

Answer 6

if he is actually turning on you you may need a pro to help-he is in an adjustment period. was he  kicked enough to hurt him? Is he tender about the ribs or back end? they are herd animals and need to spend time together to learn the new pecking order-but- do not place yourself in danger-horses must not be allowed to be boss over their owners-ever-it may take time and aditional training to snap him out of it-i would talk to a professional if possible good luck