What steps would you take with a horse who has no respect for people and often acts out dangerously? Have you ever been in a situation where you had to think fast?

There is a mare I know that often acts out, mostly I think because she has no consistency in her daily handling; different people with a vast array of experience with horses handle her every day, and unfortunately most are very inexperienced and let her get away with rude and dangerous behaviour.

What would you do?

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It depends on what she's doing how I'd respond. However if she acts up most with lesser experienced folks I would possibly limit who handled her until she was consistently obedient. Then teach the less experienced proper handling.
I have ridden a horse who was banned from horse show as he was labled a rogue horse & a blind runner. I got on well with him,never had an issue. I did witness his behaviour towards other who were rough handed. So proper handling is key.

I would first of all get a thorough vet check and farier/hoof trimmer to be sure there were not physical reasons for the dangerous behavior. Pain, past injury, sore feet, can all cause cranky uncooperative behavior. Then a very experienced, patient handler to isolate where the glitches are, what's triggering the behavior, fears of bad saddles, lack of daily handling, or consistent exercise and lessons? A structured program from the ground up, with correction or retraining. If after all, the horse just doesn't want to be ridden, or hates people, wherever they are retired, the handler still has to be prepared to face possible dangerous behavior if it is still evident. What it worth to risk a human injury or worse? 

I totally agree with both of these opinions!  There has to be a little more observation and thought in this as to why the behaviour is occuring.  Once medical issues are ruled out I would look at History, When does it usually occur?-before feeding? morning (it may feel like Always as an answer but it most likely isn't)  What types of strategies have been used so far and why didn't they work? Does the person carry a whip or use a chain?  Is there other horses around at the time?  So many factors that could be affecting her.  I do agree that consistency is the key to all behaviour management plans from horses to kids.

Thanks for your replies everyone!

This mare is only grumpy on the ground when she is at liberty. Once haltered she is slightly disrespectful in that she will attempt to drag a person off to eat grass, but her demeanor changes entirely. Under saddle she is polite as can be. All vet and farrier checks are good; she's "healthy as a horse!" 

My speculation is that she has been allowed to get away with this, and so she does it. I think it really is as simple as that.

How firmly they are handled, and what is done with each little instance of misbehavior, can make a big difference with certain horses. If they have learned in the past that acting naughty gets them peace and quiet, or they get what they want in spite of it, they are going to try that on the next handler (till they learn it doesn't work). On the other hand if someone has gone ballistic when they acted naughty, they may be prepared to meet any human interference with nasty or obstinate or just plain rude behavior (bordering on dangerous). Being unfarily strict, or punitive can cause just as much trouble as allowing them to get away with bad behavior. Letting a horse drag someone around is just bad practice. If my horse is getting a bit pushy, maybe because he is raring to get on with turn out, I must correct him. I drag him back, I make him walk nicely until i decide he gets released on turn out. You must make your point clearly, firmly, and without fail, but it doesn't require getting nasty. Just very deliberately insisting on civilized behavior and not being a dormat about it, and not letting these things just slide by.Spring "freshness", new grass, can suddenly bring out  more persistent problems which may really be inconsistent training magnified.

Jeeze, when I read the title, I thought well, I've seen three put down and two retired... But they were unpredictable and violent under saddle.  Not safe under saddle.  One at least was actually neurological as determined by the vet.  Rude on the ground, well, that's usually training.  I know one that has to go in a Chiffney if there's to be any hope of his owner handling him safely.  Of course she couldn't handle Maggie, who was an angel on the ground, and she spoiled the crap out of the horse.  He actually had to be in a stall with his lead rope through the rails, so that the vet can give him a shot...

Hmmm... sounds like I know some rude horses, doesn't it?!

We have a horse that is usually a really good boy under saddle at home, but when you're on the ground with him and he's in a bad mood, watch out!! He rears when he's lead, bites, tries to hit you with his front hoof. Yet when he's in a good mood there's none of this... Now he's not too bad, I'm not riding him everyday but he still can be tempremental. When I take another horse out on a trail ride, he runs around the paddock buck and rearing and galloping flat out, but when you ride in the ring, he ignores you. Weird...

Wow, what an interesting array of horses you all know!

Dealing with this particular horse has been... interesting... to say the least. Under saddle she has perfected a backwards shuffle at Mach I when she doesn't want to do something (ie go through a certain corner of the ring, go onto the trail, go over the dam) though once she's past it she is fine (no spook, just "I don't want to!"). The other day she ran into me 3 times on the ground, leaving a good bruise on my foot finally. Before that she spooked into me for no apparent reason and knocked me down as I was going to gather up her reins after re-checking her hackamore before we set off on our ride. Yet another time (same day she stepped on me), she rammed her head into me as we were walking back to the dry lot, and threw me belly-first into a nearby fence. I quickly had a stern word with her after all of these instances - no anger, just a very sharp about-face in terms of who is pushing who. Perhaps I left her a little startled immediately afterwards, and I can't say I am not pleased with that result.

I reluctantly carry a lunge whip or a crop with me when I am around her. I want to solve the issue, not act like a lion tamer, carrying a chair and a bull whip to make sure I don't get eaten! Unfortunately the inconsistency with which she is handled is the #1 problem; anything I do to correct her is undone in an instant when she flings a hoof at the next person or even turns her butt and pins her ears to them. Just the other day while attempting to feed her and another mare in a temporary confinement situation (usually she is fed in a stall, but at the moment she is fed openly with another mare) she became so upset that I hadn't put her food down yet (I had not even closed the gate yet!) that she started to pin me against the gate and step all over me (despite my whacking at her and shouting), so I did all I could think of and backhanded her across the cheek. It shocked her long enough for me to put her food down where I wanted it, and move on to the other horse. I don't like to use force to get what I am asking for from a horse, but it's as if this mare is possessed; she loses her mind when she wants something or is being asked to do something she doesn't want to do (except under saddle... usually).

Sorry to rant! Any thoughts?

Can someone else hang onto the other mare just to be sure she doesn't feel that she is going to lose her food to her?

When I go to feed a horse like that (and get something even much less intimidating) I take my food bucket and go.  I walk away and let them temper tantrum all they like and pretend like I could care less if they eat or not.  Once they are calm I will approach, ask for a back and stand and not enter until I get it.  If I get a movement forward that she won't correct, I just leave again.  They learn pretty quick when food is disappearing.

Are you anywhere near us in Ontario here?  We do a lot of teaching of these kinds of techniques and creating behaviour plans for horses-especially ones that need groundwork.  We don't do it for you though we do it with you. 

I totally get what you mean about the reteaching what others have mistaught.  We had a gelding that had a weekly visitor each Sunday and we had him mannerly again by Wednesday.. so we only had a few good days before we had to reteach him again..

That's it, I am seriously worried about your safety.

Why do you have to handle this horse?  I know you aren't a beginner but it sounds like this horse is around beginners.  The owner of the horse and the stable could face serious legal liabilities if the horse hurts someone badly.  YOU should not handle the horse, this horse is dangerous and not safe to be around by anyone except a true expert in handling dangerous horses.

There are old-timey horse breaker techniques which are quick and not too dirty.  I sent you an e-mail earlier about one I know of, and there are several books that have been reprinted about Rarey, Beery, Hayes and others, old horsebreakers from the late 1800's.

I realize that something is probably physically wrong with the horse.  Would her owners invest in a thorough physical check up, concentrating on the neurogical symptoms, hormonal symptoms, pain in the back, etc..  There is something wrong with this mare, and until it is dealt with by an experienced vet anyone who handles her is in danger.

This mare does not sound safe for ANYONE to handle unless they are experienced with crazy loco horses like this mare.  Most amateurs do not have anything near the knowledge, physical quickness, or determination necessary to deal with her.  Most professionals don't either.

If she were my horse, acting like that over a long period, I would have her put down.

Sorry to be so blunt, but you are in danger of physical injuries, possibly serious ones.

My horse actually to it to the extreme one day. We went to a different PC for the day, but he had been there before, in the indoor arena and everything. Then we got there that day, took him into the indoor and he reared. So I took him out again and just rode him around because he just wouldn't settle in there, next lesson he was fine. We then put him away over lunch, and then we had a showjumping lesson. He just decided he really didn't want to do it, and he reared and actually fell over backwards (don't worry I was checked out by a docter and I was back to normal 2 weeks later) But the funny thing is, last time we took him there he was in both the arenas by himself, with no other horses close by. This horse has reared numerous times and all but on have been in group situations away from home. I have since gotton back on, and when I handle him on the ground I have to have a whip with me. I don't hit him with it, I just show it to him or wave it at him a little and he knows to behave. He's also a really bossy horse in the paddock.

I agree with Jackie. This horse is dangerous, and should not be in an enclosure with another horse, forcing that owner to deal with her. Carrying a crop to hold her off, where she is trampling you anyway is giving you some false sense of security. She doesn't respect the crop or you. This is way over the line of rude into dangerous territory. If you can find a qualified professional, but my concern there would be are they going to use dirty techniques, as some would do, if normal methods frustrate them? You certainly can't risk passing her on to anyone else and maybe they get seriously hurt thinking they have more ability than they do.

 And if a horse was acting up when I entered with food (regardless of excuses), I would not be putting it down anytime soon, I'd leave with it, and start all over in a new set up without other horses or people to confuse the issue. Sure, my guy will stand in front of the gate when he knows I want to enter, but if I say back up, he'd better, or he can wait till I come again and see if he's feeling more polite.

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