bad horse with other horses

Question
We have an 11 yr old paint gelding.  He is a great horse, except around the other horses he lives with.  He tries to kill them.  I know he is going to be herd boss but this is crazy!!  If someone gets caught in the barn, its not good.  If we (my husband or me) are in the barn he wont let anyone get to close or he will try to kill them.  I hate to get rid of him but I cant make the other horses live like this.  Please help.  The other horses are terrified of him.  Please please help

Answer
Hi Terry!

Sounds like this guy needs to learn about good citizenship.  Don't allow him to be a brute ESPECIALLY when you are around and you can do something about it!

Send him out and away from the rest of the herd.  Use your flag, tarp, lead rope, slicker, hat anything that you need to if he is not listening to your body language.  I live with a flag in my hand and it acts like the tail of Mrs. Boss Mare.  Horses know and can sort out this type of body language.  It is meaningful to them.  So, send him out and away.  Do not allow him to come close unless he is calm, submissive and respectful.  

If you are not with your horses, don't create traps that they can get stuck in.  Do not allow access to a small barn with corners horses can get trapped in and kicked.  Your gelding is just telling everyone that he IS the boss and he is taking it to an extreme.  So, divide the access, change something so you can do what you need to do feed, whatever, just make it safe and fair for the horses.  You can expect wrecks if you are allowing too many horses in a tight space or one with corners and walls.

Finally, you can teach your gelding to become a better citizen.  He doesn't need to be such a brute.  You can start changing his mind about all of this when YOU become the herd leader and boss.  Right now he has had to take on that role and he is serious about it.  Take each of your other horses and put them on a halter.  Take your flag and drive your paint gelding, get him to face up on you and the other horse, do your ground work move your gelding at all three gates both ways of the pen.  Do not allow even for a half a second, your paint to be disrespectful or aggressive toward you or the horse you are leading.  It is NOT allowed.  If he gets disrespectful, send him off, put him to work and mean it.  Then get him to hook on to you and again continue to work him and each of the other horses in turn in your pen.  Depending on your level of knowledge, feel, timing, and balance this will have a profound effect on your paint.  You have to establish yourself as the leader of your whole herd.  This is what is missing and this is what is needed.

I want you to also watch the ground work DVD by Buck Brannaman.  This will really show you what you have been missing in your horsemanship education.  If you can do everything in this DVD with your horses, life for you will really change.

Smiles, Denise