It sounds like you have a "sassy" one on your hands. Some would say spoiled? Have you done more brushing, petting, coddling, treat giving than you have instilling manners? They need to learn respect. Always consider what the other herd members would do. There is a pecking order in all herds and we need to establish ourselves, especially as a human who can be seriously hurt, as someone who needs to be seen as a leader. It does sound like you may be in a little over your head with this youngster. If you really do want to keep her, you probably should seek some in person help to get her headed in the right direction sooner rather than later. She may well do better under someone else's guidance if, as you stated, you're scared of her. Not all horse dispositions will work for everyone. Sorry you're going through this.
What to do about my Aggressive 18 month old Filly
For context, this is an 800 lb TWH.
Okay, so I’m stumped and need help figuring out what to do with my yearling. I’ve had her since she was 5 months old, and she will be 2 years old in September. She was my sweet, lil baby who listened to the most minimal pressure and was just as sweet as could be. Suddenly, about three months ago, she started getting pushy and even a bit aggressive towards me, especially in the pasture. She is sweet in the stall and for brushings, but has become bad when being lead, even turning in to tear and strike at me, or turn and kick when I ask her to move away from grass. So, I stopped leading her for my own safety until I can get her to training later this month. Everything seemed fine but she was still being aggressive towards me (and not my boyfriend who is not horse savvy at all) in the pasture. She will even charge at me, but I started to carry a lunge whip to keep her off of me. It doesn’t always work though, so I have minimized my need to get into the pasture with her by separating her from our other two that we handle often.
Well that was all fine and dandy until I decided to let her go out with the boys for a bit last night since she was clinging to the gate that separated them for weeks now. My young gelding and she ran around together and got uncomfortably close a few times as I was walking towards the gate to get out of the pasture (which is waaaay too far from the last gate). I stuck close to the older gelding who was walking with me towards the barn when suddenly Bambi (the filly) made a beeline for me. I didn’t have my whip, and she did a drive by kick, injuring my lower leg. I suddenly couldn’t walk, and the older gelding fled, leaving me stranded. I screamed for my boyfriend who was in the barn and he ran out to help me. The entire time he was trying to get me out to safety, Bambi was circling back for me. He had to leave me leaning against the barn’s side as he was trying to open the gate to get out, when suddenly the filly came around the corner and charged me. He had to jump in front of me and scare her off. I thought for sure she was going to finish the job. Now I’m unsure how to separate her again because I can’t get back out there due to my injury, and honestly I’m scared of her at this point.
I’m going to the hospital today because I’m non-weight bearing still. What should I do with this horse? Is this normal for her age, or do I need to forego sending her to the trainer and just sell her to someone that can handle her? I have no idea what I did to get her so aggressive towards me. Any clues or tips would be a great help.
Okay, so I’m stumped and need help figuring out what to do with my yearling. I’ve had her since she was 5 months old, and she will be 2 years old in September. She was my sweet, lil baby who listened to the most minimal pressure and was just as sweet as could be. Suddenly, about three months ago, she started getting pushy and even a bit aggressive towards me, especially in the pasture. She is sweet in the stall and for brushings, but has become bad when being lead, even turning in to tear and strike at me, or turn and kick when I ask her to move away from grass. So, I stopped leading her for my own safety until I can get her to training later this month. Everything seemed fine but she was still being aggressive towards me (and not my boyfriend who is not horse savvy at all) in the pasture. She will even charge at me, but I started to carry a lunge whip to keep her off of me. It doesn’t always work though, so I have minimized my need to get into the pasture with her by separating her from our other two that we handle often.
Well that was all fine and dandy until I decided to let her go out with the boys for a bit last night since she was clinging to the gate that separated them for weeks now. My young gelding and she ran around together and got uncomfortably close a few times as I was walking towards the gate to get out of the pasture (which is waaaay too far from the last gate). I stuck close to the older gelding who was walking with me towards the barn when suddenly Bambi (the filly) made a beeline for me. I didn’t have my whip, and she did a drive by kick, injuring my lower leg. I suddenly couldn’t walk, and the older gelding fled, leaving me stranded. I screamed for my boyfriend who was in the barn and he ran out to help me. The entire time he was trying to get me out to safety, Bambi was circling back for me. He had to leave me leaning against the barn’s side as he was trying to open the gate to get out, when suddenly the filly came around the corner and charged me. He had to jump in front of me and scare her off. I thought for sure she was going to finish the job. Now I’m unsure how to separate her again because I can’t get back out there due to my injury, and honestly I’m scared of her at this point.
I’m going to the hospital today because I’m non-weight bearing still. What should I do with this horse? Is this normal for her age, or do I need to forego sending her to the trainer and just sell her to someone that can handle her? I have no idea what I did to get her so aggressive towards me. Any clues or tips would be a great help.
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I agree. Sounds like you took her sweet nature as compliance and she's turned the tables. At this point I'd say safest for you is for domeone else to put a handle on her then work with the two of you until it is firmly established in her mind you are in charge. Sounds like you've already taken steps for that.
Sorry you were injured. Hopefully nothing serious when you have it checked out.
Sorry you were injured. Hopefully nothing serious when you have it checked out.
Agree with the above. This sounds like a spoiled little brat that’s turning into a bully. What would the lead mare do to her if she went at her like that? She’d double barrel her and put her on her butt. That’s what she needs from a human and eventually from you. Hopefully just severe enough from someone else but make no mistake, you will have to get tough with her at least once even after she’s been worked with by someone else.
I have a 2yo filly that has been very opinionated right from the birth. I have had to get tough with her a couple of times because she tests me every so often. Usually she will now respond to a firm growling voice and occasionally I will have to swat her along with the voice. This spring she actually reared at me and acted like she would strike. I let her have it with the lunge whip that I had in my hand and drove her back off me. Then she turned to kick at me so she got the whip on her butt too. Sound too tough? How would a double barrel from lead mare have felt? I’m sure my lunge whip was nothing compared to lead mare‘s hooves. The point I’m trying to make is, you have to deal with a horse in a way that they understand. Human is higher that lead mare and should be respected as such. Doesn’t mean you have to be rough all of the time and once may be enough.
Hope your leg is just sore. Please let us know after your ER visit.
I have a 2yo filly that has been very opinionated right from the birth. I have had to get tough with her a couple of times because she tests me every so often. Usually she will now respond to a firm growling voice and occasionally I will have to swat her along with the voice. This spring she actually reared at me and acted like she would strike. I let her have it with the lunge whip that I had in my hand and drove her back off me. Then she turned to kick at me so she got the whip on her butt too. Sound too tough? How would a double barrel from lead mare have felt? I’m sure my lunge whip was nothing compared to lead mare‘s hooves. The point I’m trying to make is, you have to deal with a horse in a way that they understand. Human is higher that lead mare and should be respected as such. Doesn’t mean you have to be rough all of the time and once may be enough.
Hope your leg is just sore. Please let us know after your ER visit.
Oh boy, sounds like a bratty filly who needs to learn respect and who is in charge
Ouch, please let us know that you are ok, or patched up!
Teenage brain can be a pain, and her behaviour sounds very scary, I agree with the others that I would stay away from her until someone else has a chance to change her attitude.
There is of course always the outside chance of a case of brain injury, or faulty wiring that says she is just ‘bad’ because of reasons beyond her control. The ‘circling back to finish the job’ does not sounds like a pushy youngster, but something else!
Teenage brain can be a pain, and her behaviour sounds very scary, I agree with the others that I would stay away from her until someone else has a chance to change her attitude.
There is of course always the outside chance of a case of brain injury, or faulty wiring that says she is just ‘bad’ because of reasons beyond her control. The ‘circling back to finish the job’ does not sounds like a pushy youngster, but something else!
She has run head long into a wooden fence line and taken two posts and four boards out of the ground, laying there for like 10 minutes before getting back up, and who knows what happened to her prior to me getting her.Ouch, please let us know that you are ok, or patched up!
Teenage brain can be a pain, and her behaviour sounds very scary, I agree with the others that I would stay away from her until someone else has a chance to change her attitude.
There is of course always the outside chance of a case of brain injury, or faulty wiring that says she is just ‘bad’ because of reasons beyond her control. The ‘circling back to finish the job’ does not sounds like a pushy youngster, but something else!
If she was mine, and thats all anyone can tell you is what they would do themselves, I would get her in a corral, and whip break her. Now don't freak out, poor name for a very good process.
I have whip broke a good many horses, and love the result.
Get the horse in a smallish pen. You need room to work, but not a huge area, just a normal size corral.
You are in the middle with a buggy whip. I prefer a stock whip as it's a little longer. Don't use a gyp whip, they are too long. You guys call them lunge whip. Strange name.
Anyway any time she turns her rump to you, she gets touched with the whip. Get her to always face up to you. IF she kicks at you, that's when you use the whip as a whip, get that offending foot GOOD! She learns real quick if she kicks, there's a price to be paid for that!
This also gets her to watching YOU, instead of you watching her. She's looking for direction. You can start, stop, change directions, change speeds, all with just the whip, and not touching her. but if she gets out of line, you can quickly and effectively get her back in line.
I have broke horses to lead with just a stock whip, and have never touched them except to rub their face. Its a good effective tool, you just have to know how to use it, when to use it.
When she's more advanced, you can draw her in to you, and if you back up, she will come all the way to you. This teaches a horse to stay out of your space unless invited in.
Important to remember, the whip is an extension of your own hand and arm. You can be as gentle as you need to be, or you can get after them in a no nonsense way if you need to.
Like I said, I've done a good many horses with this process and it's a good well proven one.
I have whip broke a good many horses, and love the result.
Get the horse in a smallish pen. You need room to work, but not a huge area, just a normal size corral.
You are in the middle with a buggy whip. I prefer a stock whip as it's a little longer. Don't use a gyp whip, they are too long. You guys call them lunge whip. Strange name.
Anyway any time she turns her rump to you, she gets touched with the whip. Get her to always face up to you. IF she kicks at you, that's when you use the whip as a whip, get that offending foot GOOD! She learns real quick if she kicks, there's a price to be paid for that!
This also gets her to watching YOU, instead of you watching her. She's looking for direction. You can start, stop, change directions, change speeds, all with just the whip, and not touching her. but if she gets out of line, you can quickly and effectively get her back in line.
I have broke horses to lead with just a stock whip, and have never touched them except to rub their face. Its a good effective tool, you just have to know how to use it, when to use it.
When she's more advanced, you can draw her in to you, and if you back up, she will come all the way to you. This teaches a horse to stay out of your space unless invited in.
Important to remember, the whip is an extension of your own hand and arm. You can be as gentle as you need to be, or you can get after them in a no nonsense way if you need to.
Like I said, I've done a good many horses with this process and it's a good well proven one.
I just think shes got your number!!!
I just think shes got your number!!!
I have to disagree. This is more than a bratty filly, more than just 'got your number'. A horse that will circle back and try to take you out, when you have moved away, are not in between them and their food or companions, are not leading or driving them or making them do ANYTHING the don't want to do, well, that's not just simple brattiness.
That is out and out dangerous and MEAN behavior. I agree that this will take the level of training that only a skilled professional should take on. Having her not stop coming at you when you use a whip at her?? (unless you are not using it with REALLY believeable energy). I mean, if I was out there, and I used my level of energy on the whip, and that did not keep the horse from considering a charge on me, then I would think that something was a bit whacked up in that horse's brain. Could be that she has some kind of hormonal issues, but I do not think this is just her being a simple brat.
I stand by what I said!!!!I have to disagree. This is more than a bratty filly, more than just 'got your number'. A horse that will circle back and try to take you out, when you have moved away, are not in between them and their food or companions, are not leading or driving them or making them do ANYTHING the don't want to do, well, that's not just simple brattiness.
That is out and out dangerous and MEAN behavior. I agree that this will take the level of training that only a skilled professional should take on. Having her not stop coming at you when you use a whip at her?? (unless you are not using it with REALLY believeable energy). I mean, if I was out there, and I used my level of energy on the whip, and that did not keep the horse from considering a charge on me, then I would think that something was a bit whacked up in that horse's brain. Could be that she has some kind of hormonal issues, but I do not think this is just her being a simple brat.
This filly thinks its a game and sounds like shes never been taught to respect and knows the OP is scared of her, since reading she is not aggressive towards the boyfriend only to the OP I say this filly has her number. I dont blame the OP for being scared of her, what this filly is doing is scary and bad and needs someone to make her learn how to respect all humans.. The filly only picks on the OP not boyfriend..And yes this is very dangerous and hope the OP takes care not to get hurt any worst..
First of all, I am sorry you got hurt and I hope nothing is broken.
Secondly, let this be a hard lesson learned.
This "monster" that is your current horse is something that YOU have created. I'm sorry to be so blunt and come off harsh, but it's the truth. And you got injured over it. Which is why this is something I personally take extremely seriously; hence my tone.
Perhaps your description wasn't complete but sounds like you didn't do anything to address it.
So she learned (as you trained her) that the aggressive behavior is acceptable and so she has gotten bolder and stronger with it.
And just FYI, things rarely happen "suddenly". There were probably signs well before that 3 month mark, that you missed, that her manners were starting to slide in this direction. If you aren't paying attention, or don't know what to look for, it will get missed and feel like a switch was flipped overnight (even though it wasn't).
It just spelling disaster and that's what happened.
She is 1,000% spoiled with zero manners and zero respect for humans. That is learned.
Is this trainer you were sending her to aware of the situation? I would make them aware, as they may or may not want a dangerous filly like this (depends on the trainer).
Anything .... including this .... can be fixed with training. But you need someone who knows what they are doing. And I would send this horse for no less than 120 days.
It will take time to overcome, and then you will need lessons yourself. Because if she ran you over once, she'll learn to do it again if you go back to doing the same things you did before. Not only does the horse need to be trained, but so does the handler/rider.
Secondly, let this be a hard lesson learned.
What do you mean, prior to you getting her? She was a baby. There's really not much for "baggage" at that age.She has run head long into a wooden fence line and taken two posts and four boards out of the ground, laying there for like 10 minutes before getting back up, and who knows what happened to her prior to me getting her.
I’ve had her since she was 5 months old
This "monster" that is your current horse is something that YOU have created. I'm sorry to be so blunt and come off harsh, but it's the truth. And you got injured over it. Which is why this is something I personally take extremely seriously; hence my tone.
So for 3 months, what did you do about the behavior?and she will be 2 years old in September. She was my sweet, lil baby who listened to the most minimal pressure and was just as sweet as could be. Suddenly, about three months ago, she started getting pushy and even a bit aggressive towards me,
Perhaps your description wasn't complete but sounds like you didn't do anything to address it.
So she learned (as you trained her) that the aggressive behavior is acceptable and so she has gotten bolder and stronger with it.
And just FYI, things rarely happen "suddenly". There were probably signs well before that 3 month mark, that you missed, that her manners were starting to slide in this direction. If you aren't paying attention, or don't know what to look for, it will get missed and feel like a switch was flipped overnight (even though it wasn't).
Wow. You can't even keep her away from you with a whip in your hand? Not good.....She will even charge at me, but I started to carry a lunge whip to keep her off of me. It doesn’t always work though,
So this is your lesson learned that I hope you will never do again. You put yourself into a dangerous position. You didn't bring your whip. You allowed her into the same space where you were located with no way for you to escape. There were other horses running around.Well that was all fine and dandy until I decided to let her go out with the boys for a bit last night since she was clinging to the gate that separated them for weeks now. My young gelding and she ran around together and got uncomfortably close a few times as I was walking towards the gate to get out of the pasture (which is waaaay too far from the last gate). I stuck close to the older gelding who was walking with me towards the barn when suddenly Bambi (the filly) made a beeline for me. I didn’t have my whip, and she did a drive by kick, injuring my lower leg. I suddenly couldn’t walk, and the older gelding fled, leaving me stranded.
It just spelling disaster and that's what happened.
No, it is not normal for her age. Charging you? Kicking you? She seriously could have killed you. That is NOT normal. Had you gotten a kick to the head, it would have been over.What should I do with this horse? Is this normal for her age,
She is 1,000% spoiled with zero manners and zero respect for humans. That is learned.
You allowed the aggressive behavior to happen. That's what you did. (Or perhaps didn't do.) And it escalated and she has taken full advantage.do I need to forego sending her to the trainer and just sell her to someone that can handle her?
I have no idea what I did to get her so aggressive towards me.
Is this trainer you were sending her to aware of the situation? I would make them aware, as they may or may not want a dangerous filly like this (depends on the trainer).
Anything .... including this .... can be fixed with training. But you need someone who knows what they are doing. And I would send this horse for no less than 120 days.
It will take time to overcome, and then you will need lessons yourself. Because if she ran you over once, she'll learn to do it again if you go back to doing the same things you did before. Not only does the horse need to be trained, but so does the handler/rider.
I'm a firm believer in "Be as soft as you can be but be as firm as you MUST be.". This filly is demanding someone to step in and take charge so that she can quit being pressured to try to take over. It's way past time to have someone (yes, a pro trainer at this point) step in and show her how it's got to be. Here at my place we say, "Me and Insert Filly's name here, are going down to the stockpond and gonna have us a little CTJ meeting. She's going to have a little duckin' and come up singin' 'Glory Hallelujah! I Saw the Light' and we'll do it until she truly has seen The Light! and has got some religion.".
I suspect that your trainer, if they're any good at all, will have this filly standing up at attention and saying, "Yes Ma'am, No Ma'am, Yes Sir & No Sir, in less than a week.", simply by having a strict routine and by being firm, fair & consistant. Once they have the filly over herself and learning how life really is supposed to be lived, then they can add you back into the mix, assuming you didn't get anything broken by her little drive by kicking, and you can learn how to lead and teach this filly how it's going to be from now on.
Until you can get her to the trainer I would absolutely never go around without a good long whip in my hand, just in case. I'd contact the trainer and see if I could push up the date to get her off my property and out to the trainer's, can't start getting her in boot camp soon enough. If you are still afraid of her after she's been in training for 120 - 180 days, then I'd tell the trainer to sell her. There are too many sweet, biddable horses out there who would LOVE to have a nice home to deal with one who scares you spitless.
I also hope you come out of this with no more than a good, deep bruising.
I suspect that your trainer, if they're any good at all, will have this filly standing up at attention and saying, "Yes Ma'am, No Ma'am, Yes Sir & No Sir, in less than a week.", simply by having a strict routine and by being firm, fair & consistant. Once they have the filly over herself and learning how life really is supposed to be lived, then they can add you back into the mix, assuming you didn't get anything broken by her little drive by kicking, and you can learn how to lead and teach this filly how it's going to be from now on.
Until you can get her to the trainer I would absolutely never go around without a good long whip in my hand, just in case. I'd contact the trainer and see if I could push up the date to get her off my property and out to the trainer's, can't start getting her in boot camp soon enough. If you are still afraid of her after she's been in training for 120 - 180 days, then I'd tell the trainer to sell her. There are too many sweet, biddable horses out there who would LOVE to have a nice home to deal with one who scares you spitless.
I also hope you come out of this with no more than a good, deep bruising.
Try not to let this offend you too badly but if it's a leading issue, it's you that's the problem. She's learning bad lessons from the way you are leading her. Horses do not deserve pet names like "bratty" "sassy" horses are just horses and that's all they know how to be.
They know to be what you teach them to be. Good, bad, indifferent.
Wow!!! I have seen some bratty horses but coming back and attacking you is very unusual behavior. She may have some neurological issue but whatever, I would get her to an experienced trainer and see if there are changes. If this behavior continues, I would get rid of her in whatever ethical way I could. Is this your first experience with a baby? If it is, then maybe you could learn from the trainer how to handle her. I don't hand feed horses unless they are always respectful and careful and never start getting nippy--searching your pockets with their lips is a bad first step. If they are at all pushy,I correct them IMMEDIATELY with whatever force it takes. Last night, my 23 year old rescue horse, started to charge the gate--with me standing there. I instantly cracked him in the face with my lead rope and drove him back. Then when he stood quietly, I led him back and forth thru the gate--whoaing each time. It was my fault it happened as a few times, I let him run in on his own. I am 81 and can not let them hurt me. I have been with horses since I was 8, and I have never had one attack me the way your filly did. So I don't know what to think.
I agree this is a spoiled filly.
Experience eventually teaches you how to read signs in horses quickly, what horse you can give a treat to, which one you cannot, what their intentions are and how to treat them accordingly. Say you have a timid sensitive colt who is the type to get scared over anything and everything, and he in turn takes a lot of desensitizing and kindness. There are so many different personalities.
Then you have the type who would like to be spoiled. They are meaner natured, less worried and more confident, with a bossy streak. Those colts are never pets. It takes a lot of handling and getting them broke before they can be treated as a pet, and some never can be.
That said, any horse, especially young horse, who treats me with aggression is going to be treated right back the same way, only bigger and meaner than he started. Of course, the nervous nelly takes the correction of a small correction and believes it is big. The punishment fits the crime, but also the personality.
I am not good at that with humans, but many are, so you can relate it to that. You react to humans based upon what they need, your boundaries are upheld to the level of the personality you are dealing with. Horses, in my opinion, are just as complex as that.
Now, I have a filly currently who would have liked to have acted like what you have. Her nature is mean spirited and she’s a bully, and I love her! However, she didn’t get to be a pet. I didn’t let anyone handle her who didn’t know how to, because they’d have gotten hurt and ruined my filly. My boundaries were clear.
Yet, whenever I felt her going in that direction, I took her for a trip down to the round corral and did much of what @Zimalia22 mentioned, although I simply think of it as running a horse in the round corral. Rarely did we make the trip (because I don’t have one at my house), but on occasion I ponied her down the road to where one is, and she remembered I could make her move, and thereby was the boss of her.
I am not exactly sure what I would do had she been spoiled, because I had full intentions of not letting her become so, because as you can see it is a big problem once it begins. I am afraid you are going to have to be very clear in your lines and intentions, and it’s going to take being aggressive right back, yet still having excellent release and not being mean to simply be mean. I think that will take someone else, simply because you seem to have lacked the experience to read the end result of small things. This person is going to need to be good, but a good person is rarely going to want to deal with something spoiled. Once you find that person, and make sure they are good because bad training will ruin any chance you have, tell them the situation. They can deal with the horse and then watch you, and make an honest opinion of your capability of handling the animal. If they say you can’t, let them sell her for you on commission.
Experience eventually teaches you how to read signs in horses quickly, what horse you can give a treat to, which one you cannot, what their intentions are and how to treat them accordingly. Say you have a timid sensitive colt who is the type to get scared over anything and everything, and he in turn takes a lot of desensitizing and kindness. There are so many different personalities.
Then you have the type who would like to be spoiled. They are meaner natured, less worried and more confident, with a bossy streak. Those colts are never pets. It takes a lot of handling and getting them broke before they can be treated as a pet, and some never can be.
That said, any horse, especially young horse, who treats me with aggression is going to be treated right back the same way, only bigger and meaner than he started. Of course, the nervous nelly takes the correction of a small correction and believes it is big. The punishment fits the crime, but also the personality.
I am not good at that with humans, but many are, so you can relate it to that. You react to humans based upon what they need, your boundaries are upheld to the level of the personality you are dealing with. Horses, in my opinion, are just as complex as that.
Now, I have a filly currently who would have liked to have acted like what you have. Her nature is mean spirited and she’s a bully, and I love her! However, she didn’t get to be a pet. I didn’t let anyone handle her who didn’t know how to, because they’d have gotten hurt and ruined my filly. My boundaries were clear.
Yet, whenever I felt her going in that direction, I took her for a trip down to the round corral and did much of what @Zimalia22 mentioned, although I simply think of it as running a horse in the round corral. Rarely did we make the trip (because I don’t have one at my house), but on occasion I ponied her down the road to where one is, and she remembered I could make her move, and thereby was the boss of her.
I am not exactly sure what I would do had she been spoiled, because I had full intentions of not letting her become so, because as you can see it is a big problem once it begins. I am afraid you are going to have to be very clear in your lines and intentions, and it’s going to take being aggressive right back, yet still having excellent release and not being mean to simply be mean. I think that will take someone else, simply because you seem to have lacked the experience to read the end result of small things. This person is going to need to be good, but a good person is rarely going to want to deal with something spoiled. Once you find that person, and make sure they are good because bad training will ruin any chance you have, tell them the situation. They can deal with the horse and then watch you, and make an honest opinion of your capability of handling the animal. If they say you can’t, let them sell her for you on commission.
I think people have a tendency to treat baby horses like puppies and kittens , the difference is huge, a foal turns into a 1000 pound animal and horses are constantly jockeying for upwards positions in their herd . I was guilty of this with the first horse I ever bred and raised, but thankfully she never was aggressive but rather obnoxious and clingy, screaming when i would put her in her stall and leave, ow when loose she would walk around the house looking in the windows to find me. It was ridiculous. I have since treated my subsequent foals like horses, you can love them just as much, but they need to learn respect , I never let that line be crossed.
I would put this filly in a bullpen and do some basic round pen work letting her know you run the show and determine when she comes forward or away from you. I would not feed her by hand and just reestablish ground manners, don't take an inch, at 8 months she's reaching the bratty yearling stage, I have a 9 month old colt, believe me I know what you're dealing with , but my colt knows the danger to him if he even so much as nips at me . I love on him when he does something good and quickly discipline him when he doesn't , every time we handle horses we are teaching them , both good and bad . I am a fan of Tom Dorrance more than Clinton Anderson , I like to read horses and react as such . If you don't think you're safe maybe a trainer to help you learn how to assert yourself with her would be a good move , it shouldn't be a long term problem , she's still a baby just learning her place in the world, unfortunately, she thinks it's over you .
I would put this filly in a bullpen and do some basic round pen work letting her know you run the show and determine when she comes forward or away from you. I would not feed her by hand and just reestablish ground manners, don't take an inch, at 8 months she's reaching the bratty yearling stage, I have a 9 month old colt, believe me I know what you're dealing with , but my colt knows the danger to him if he even so much as nips at me . I love on him when he does something good and quickly discipline him when he doesn't , every time we handle horses we are teaching them , both good and bad . I am a fan of Tom Dorrance more than Clinton Anderson , I like to read horses and react as such . If you don't think you're safe maybe a trainer to help you learn how to assert yourself with her would be a good move , it shouldn't be a long term problem , she's still a baby just learning her place in the world, unfortunately, she thinks it's over you .
She sounds spoiled to me. Carry a carrot stick with you, its just an extension of you arm so you can control what goes on in your space.For context, this is an 800 lb TWH.
Okay, so I’m stumped and need help figuring out what to do with my yearling. I’ve had her since she was 5 months old, and she will be 2 years old in September. She was my sweet, lil baby who listened to the most minimal pressure and was just as sweet as could be. Suddenly, about three months ago, she started getting pushy and even a bit aggressive towards me, especially in the pasture. She is sweet in the stall and for brushings, but has become bad when being lead, even turning in to tear and strike at me, or turn and kick when I ask her to move away from grass. So, I stopped leading her for my own safety until I can get her to training later this month. Everything seemed fine but she was still being aggressive towards me (and not my boyfriend who is not horse savvy at all) in the pasture. She will even charge at me, but I started to carry a lunge whip to keep her off of me. It doesn’t always work though, so I have minimized my need to get into the pasture with her by separating her from our other two that we handle often.
Well that was all fine and dandy until I decided to let her go out with the boys for a bit last night since she was clinging to the gate that separated them for weeks now. My young gelding and she ran around together and got uncomfortably close a few times as I was walking towards the gate to get out of the pasture (which is waaaay too far from the last gate). I stuck close to the older gelding who was walking with me towards the barn when suddenly Bambi (the filly) made a beeline for me. I didn’t have my whip, and she did a drive by kick, injuring my lower leg. I suddenly couldn’t walk, and the older gelding fled, leaving me stranded. I screamed for my boyfriend who was in the barn and he ran out to help me. The entire time he was trying to get me out to safety, Bambi was circling back for me. He had to leave me leaning against the barn’s side as he was trying to open the gate to get out, when suddenly the filly came around the corner and charged me. He had to jump in front of me and scare her off. I thought for sure she was going to finish the job. Now I’m unsure how to separate her again because I can’t get back out there due to my injury, and honestly I’m scared of her at this point.
I’m going to the hospital today because I’m non-weight bearing still. What should I do with this horse? Is this normal for her age, or do I need to forego sending her to the trainer and just sell her to someone that can handle her? I have no idea what I did to get her so aggressive towards me. Any clues or tips would be a great help.
Mmm, I think I would want a chunk of 4x2 rather than a carrot stick in this case 
Seriously if you NEED to protect your space you need something solid that you can use. My go to if you have any, a lovely chunk of 1 or 2” plastic water pipe, it’s rigid, but light, makes a wonderful noise when it contacts, but very unlikely to injure.!
Seriously if you NEED to protect your space you need something solid that you can use. My go to if you have any, a lovely chunk of 1 or 2” plastic water pipe, it’s rigid, but light, makes a wonderful noise when it contacts, but very unlikely to injure.!
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