Yesterday when I was at the barn, one of the horses made me feel uncomfortable.  I'll give a bit of background...

She (Jill) is a Standardbred broodmare, supposedly pregnant (although she is due this spring, she doesn't look pregnant at all to me...but I've never been with a horse for her entire gestation period until now). 

She is the alpha in the little herd of four. 

Jill had questionable treatment prior to arriving at "my" barn (it's where I board my mare).  She was passed from barn to barn by the breeder, because people didn't trust her, due to her "meanness".  My barn owner is a wonderful, calm, retired gentleman who has years of horse experience.  Since being at his barn, Jill has transformed for the better, but she still doesn't trust humans, and she still has some fears (she will, for example, not walk calmly through her stall door opening, but will race across, either going in or out).

When we first arrived at our barn, Jill had a filly at her side.  I didn't know anything about Jill then, so of course I had no 'fear' of her.  She was fine with me touching her filly, and I was able to pet her too, but she was very wary.  However, whenever she was in heat she was VERY friendly, and would present herself to anyone who touched her.

The only warning I got about Jill was to avoid being caught between her and another horse, because she will kick out at other horses.

I have been very gentle with any interactions with Jill, and after a year she is slowly accepting me. There are days when I can rub her forehead or stroke her neck, yet other days she won't let me get too close.  Last fall I inadvertently found myself between her and another horse, and sure enough she turned to kick.  I was near her hip when that happened, and got bumped by it...but she noticed me there and didn't kick out at the other horse!

I have been approaching her and giving her a treat every once in a while, for months - which she takes gently, but is hesitant and stretches her neck to reach it.  Most times, when I go to see my mare, Jill and the other horses don't pay any attention to me.  That wasn't the case up until the summer, so I don't know what changed...but I like it  :o)

In the last few weeks, when I go see my mare, Jill will sometimes come trotting over to me as well.  It's like she wants attention, but is afraid to get too close.

As far as "normal" body language goes with the other horses, Jill does a lot of ear pinning, teeth baring, and biting - driving the others away.  As I mentioned, she will also turn and kick at them.  As well, she does a lot of head swinging and neck twisting.  And snort!  It's like the only sound she makes!  There is always a long snorting sound coming from her, whether she is happy or mad.

Yesterday, when my mare started to come to me, Jill trotted past her and came right to me.  I offered her a dried apple ring and she gently took it.  By this time, my mare had come up to me and was quietly standing behind me, waiting for her treat.  I wiggled my dressage whip to ask Jill to back up, because with my mare behind me, I didn't want Jill too close.  She stood her ground and wasn't eager to move off.  Raising my hands and "pushing" her space didn't move her either, so I lightly tapped her chest with the whip and she moved off, but not far.

I kept moving with Jill, driving her gently while swaying the whip, because if I turned my back she would be right back behind me.  The whole time I was driving Jil, my mare was following behind me like a shadow  :o)

If Jill moved off a nice distance away from me, she'd turn around and start swinging her head as she tried to make her way back to me.  Then she began rearing!  She'd swing her head and lift her front feet a bit off the ground, and then she was lifting them higher and higher!  When she did this, she was standing perpendicular to me.  I didn't know if she was being playful (which you rarely see), or if she was being threatening.

By then the big Friesian gelding came on the scene and was practically on me.  Jill turned toward him and he quickly left.  My mare, expecting our normal routine of me taking her out into the hayfield, had walked over to the gate and was mouthing the chain that holds the gate closed, waiting for me to come and let her out. 

I had been calm through all of this, but was starting to feel like I should be getting out of there.  I headed to the fence, making sure that Jill was always in front of me, because I didn't want any surprises behind me.  Once I crawled through the fence, Jill and the gelding left.  My mare remained at the gate, hopeful  :o)

After reading Imke Spilker's book, I wondered if Jill was just expressing herself in her own way, and didn't mean any harm.  Is there anything I could/should do when she does that?  I'd love for her to trust me enough to play with me, but I also don't want to put myself in danger.  I am hoping to be able to create a small work space within the pasture, where I can allow a horse to enter in if they want to, but only one at a time, so I don't have to worry about two of them competing for attention.  I wonder if Jill would come in there with me on her own.

Any ideas about her behaviour?