Horse doesnt like strange horses?

Question
QUESTION: I have a 4.5 year old Morgan gelding that I started under saddle about eighteen months ago ago. He has been a joy to work with. After a year of all going really well we had a bad crash  at a hunt (Our 3rd time hilltopping)and I broke  my pelvis.

This was the first time, only time really, he ever got nasty - Generally I just get a momentary "Don't wanna.." and then he gives gracefully once he's told. When he started to act up at the hunt, first swinging his butt to other horses and backing into them and finally bolting and bucking, I didn't give him any support or direction so that was my bad, but I'm not sure what set him off.

Once I got back in the saddle I resolved to have a PLAN LOL! I had bad nerves to overcome but I started taking him out on trail with a great group and we're now up to two hours of w-t-c, going over little ditches, leading the gang, or taking a place in  the line, and even going it alone, all in  a sidepull.

This weekend we met a strange horse on a ride and he seemed to start the same weird behaviour. I legged him on and tucked him behind a horse he trusts and we both settled right down (The other person rode off.) but I wouldn't be confident at a show or another hunt.

He's gotten along very well with any group he's been turned out with, and he's so laid back and keen to try things that I find it hard to believe he would be afraid of, or angry with, strange horses. He does have a mild cataract in one eye and my vet suggested that perhaps a strange horse on that side might unnerve him - Something I will try to be aware of in any future encounters.

I cannot find any info about horses exhibiting bad behaviour around strange horses, so I'm not sure if I'm grasping at straws here, and I don't know how to deal with the situation if that is the issue.

Thanks for listening!

R.E.

ANSWER: Rachel,

Please don't think I'm nuts.  Get an animal communicator to "talk" with your horse and find out what's going on in his little brain.

Horses can be very funny but you definately have one of the tougher quirks to figure out here.  You've been riding with a group of horses, apparently he had no issues with them from the start.  I have no idea whether they were all horses he somehow knew or what.  I do think you have some herd issues here if he's taking exception to the "herd" he's with being approached by a solitary male horse.  Geldings still, in many cases, exhibit stallion-like behavior.  I can think of some very interesting things to consider.  Were there mares with you or only geldings?  Does he exhibit hostility towards mares or only other geldings?  See where I'm going with this?  If he's exhibiting stallion-like behavior, part of which I attribute to his age, he's a teen-aged boy and behaving like one!  Anyhow, if that's the case then you might have to put him on some hormone therapy to cool his jets for a while, until he gets older and comes to his senses.  It's not a big deal.  I had a friend who had to give her horse a shot every month or so for several years, but it kept him mellow and much nicer to be with and work with.  He got very pushy and somewhat aggressive otherwise.  I think he was getting estrogen but I don't remember.  Your vet could advise you on that.  You could also try the herbal route.  They will take a while to kick in, herbs are not instant cures but do work over time.  But, mainly I want you to find out what's going on with him so you better know how to address his issues.  

In the meantime, you did the right thing.  Riding with other horses, regardless of the situation, has certain rules and you have to let him know that he can't break them.  Don't be afraid to get after him when he starts acting up.  He's a youngster and will test the boundries all the time.  Every ride is a training session.

Lyn

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: That's interesting about the studdy behaviour, I hadn't thought about that.
He does board with the group we ride with and knows most of the other horses we meet as they are former boarders. Mostly he treats all genders the same and even the difficult mares tolerate him. ;-)

He does have a love/hate relationship with another young gelding in the group who is larger and bossed him a bit when he was "new". He is pushing back a bit now so they play and argue, but no-one's losing any fur over it.
I never permit any nipping or shoving behaviour when I'm among the horses because I don't want to get run over so they're all just little angels when they're being watched.
It would appear that I don't have as much clout when I'm in the saddle, though. I guess I'm really going to have to work on that!!
I did ask the gender of the strange horse and they said the person usually rode a mare, which really surprized me. I can't believe he'd sass a mare - Those things will put your lights out!
I'll keep homones and attitude  mind for future rides and see how it goes.
Thanks!
R.E.

Answer
Rachel,

I'm glad my thoughts got your mind wheels turning.  I've been around horses all my life and have had them living with me on a farm most of the time.  As such, I've gotten the opportunity to watch and learn a great deal from their interactions with the other horses.  I've always had mine be part of a group somewhere.  Right now I have 7, all mine, eating me out of house and home.  They run the gamut in age from 20 mos. to 24 yrs. and are 3 ponies and 4 horses.  The youngster is my last horse.  I get to interact with them all the time and watch the herd dynamics.  I get horses in to train periodically and they get thrown right out in my herd, I have no place to keep them because my round pen now has a shed attached and has been the nursery since Dream was born.  She still goes in there at night because she crashes out and I want someplace where she can do so in comfort and safety.  She and my 5 yr. old Welsh pony mare stay there at night.  The rest share a run-in shed.  

Your boy is really feeling his oats.  I still think that having an animal communicator talk to him would be an eye opening experience for you.  My vet, who is 70 now, didn't accept either animal communicators or chiropractic work until he saw the results.  Same for me with my massage work.  His wife runs a boarding/training facility where I work on a number of horses.  One of my geriatric clients slipped and dislocated his R shoulder.  Doc was treating him conventionally but had actually told his owner that if he didn't get better she would have to consider putting him down.  I worked on his shoulder and got the spasmed muscles to release so Doc could put his shoulder back in.  Then I worked on him again.  He is now being ridden, lightly, and dragging the handlers back and forth from the paddocks to the barn.  He has radically different views now.  He got chiropractic training and does adjustments.  His wife was using animal communicators after she watched my young friend talking to horses out at the barn.  The comments Kendahl relayed were so typical of the horse that Mae was a believer from then on.  They've had Anita Curtis talk to a number of the horses at the barn, especially when they were having issues with one.  It is real.  He's old enough now to talk to.  Kendahl said young animals were like trying to talk to babies, they really didn't focus but babbled on and made no sense.  Kendahl said it gave him a headache.  But it was fascinating.  I'm not saying a communicator and get the horse to agree not to do something.  It doesn't work that way.  What it does do is give you a window into how the horse thinks and perceives things so you have a better idea of how to address the behavior issue.  Mae's consultations are done over the phone.  She sends a picture of the horse and then goes out to the barn and is with the horse while Anita talks to it.  Kendahl is neat because he comes down periodically and I can watch the interactions.  Anyhow, I think it will help you with him.  

I would love to know the results if you do get someone to talk to him.  You might want to have the vet pull some blood and run a panel on it, checking the normal stuff and also hormone levels.  Are you sure he was properly gelded?  It may be that he just needs to have you put your foot down and let him know that his behavior is simply unacceptable and will not be tolerated.  One of the reasons I ride green horses with small spurs is so they don't ignore my leg.  I will not allow them to swing their butt around and try and block another horse that is trying to pass, or all the other myriad of antics that young, green horses pull on the trail.  

Good luck with your horse.  Let me know how things go.  Please.

Lyn