Anywho, this is concerning my 11 year old gelding Evo. He’s currently away getting training and loving every moment of it. He’s a complete and utter dream to ride so I’m constantly told, however out in the paddock, he is diabolical. Evo loves his mares. I own two and so he’s always grazed with them with no hassles. Before he left for his training, I was having difficult time catching him. This has been sorted now. He also had become very attached to my mare Honey and would “go” the gelding they were grazing beside over the fence. He hadn’t really been doing it much but got worse towards the end of his last week at home. Honey wasn’t even allowed to graze by the dividing fence without Evo’s hawk eyes on her every move.
When he left and went to my mates for his training, he was okay for a couple of days and then became attached to the two mares grazing in the paddock next to him. He was grazing with one gelding who he proceeded to beat up every time he went near them… this is not like my horse. He used to be the big shy guy who couldn’t defend himself against any horse without almost falling on his face. I actually didn’t believe it until I saw it for myself. My mate then moved him into a paddock right up the front away from the mares. He began pinging the fence with his foot and mouth; fencing was something he was completely scared of. He got over it after awhile to a point where he stopped fence walking and being so obsessed about the mares. However since there’s no grass up the front, Evo was put down the back of the property with one gelding who used to be his best friend when I used to graze there myself. Spider, one of the mares was put down there as she needed the grass too. He has now turned Fred, his companion, into a complete nervous wreck. He has destroyed his own summer rug, as well as Fred’s and even Kosak’s, another horse who he went through a fence to get to. He eventually ended up in a paddock with another gelding who “taught him a lesson” for being such a big bully and sulked in a corner until my friend got home.
My friend has exhausted her mind for ideas as to where this unusual behaviour has come from. She’s separated him again from the mares, but believed he was heading to get Aeon, the other mare to come join him down the back or something. He has never been the aggressive type of horse and I’m really shocked to hear my pleasant big man has turned into a monster. My friend believes he may have a hormonal imbalance or something, as this is not his usual personality. I also have thought as he’s very dependant on myself, that he’s acting this way cos I’m not there. However he was doing it before he left, so I’m not sure if that could be the cause. He is otherwise a gentleman to handle, when leading, grooming etc. He has not touched the mares at all, and I did think maybe put him in with them, but my friend said he’d most likely go any horse that tried to come near the fence.
What we’re after is any advice people can give us. Is there a herb or remedy we can try for him? He has access to good grass, water and mineral/salt blocks. His worming and teeth are up to date and he is very healthy and fit.
This big man is up for sale and I cannot feel comfortable selling him on until this behaviour has been sorted and/or been understood by us and on its way out the door! Please, any thoughts would be much appreciated.
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