Aggression at feeding time

Question
I have a 5 year old TB mare I have owned for 4 months.  She had always been very polite and has excellent ground manners.  I also just bought a 7 year old Tennessee Walker that is very pushy at feeding time.  I always have to carry a crop to keep him from getting in my space at feeding time.  This last week my TB mare has also become aggressive. She is trotting around me in circles and cutting me off when I bring her feed.  Last night she actually laid her ears back and showed me her but as though thinking of kicking.  I yelled at her and smacked her shoulder.  I do not give her food until she backs off but she is getting worse and I am beginning to think she will hurt me.  Any other time I come into the pasture without food she is very gentle and calm.  What should I do at feeding time?

Answer
Hello Erica,

Horses are herd animals and like dogs, who are pack animals, they have a pecking order.  There is one Alpha dog and one herd leader for horses.  Your horses do not respect you as herd leader and they are reacting instinctively.  It is natural for them to try to be leader and leaders TAKE food!  SO ..... you have to demonstrate to them that you are leader and you GIVE food.  Take your crop with you at feed time or any other time they show aggression. And they may.  If they can do it at feed time it is only a matter of time until they try it somewhere else.  Lay into them if they don't back off.  Use a strong but calm and assertive voice.  Don't shout or scream or act afraid.  You must be calm and assertive, and back  it up with your crop.  I believe they will eventually come to see that they are not boss and will stop it.

One of the mares that I rehabilitated had that problem.  Each time I came to her feed window with her beet pulp, she would not wait for me to pour it into her feed tub. She would knock the bucket out of my hand.  One night I simply hit her neck  with the bucket and I had to hit her at least 5 times before she gave up the fight that night.  I took the crop from then on and it took probably 2 weeks of actually hitting her or threatening to, before she backed off willingly.  It was a complete cure. She had many other problems also and they are all cured.  She is now a lovely mannered lady.

Don't take any guff! Be the boss! You don't have to be mean, but you do have to get your point across...know what I mean?

Good luck
Dorothy