new aggressive behavior of stallion

Question
QUESTION:  have had my stallion for eight years and he has always been a gentleman when in hand even if a mare in heat sniffs him. As a beginner rider 8 years ago he tried me but never did any more that a crow hop now and then.  Under the guidance of a national trainer he and I became high point winners in 2002.   I could sit under him to clip his fetlocks and do sheth  care any time anyway.  He was so gentle most thought he was a gelding.  One week ago I worked him in the round pen as my teacher was concerned he was getting board,and his testosterone was high since he was not breeding as much.  I have tried to put mare with him over the last year but he is getting more and more aggressive and is bitting the mares drawing blood.  I have tried a muzzle and he is to worried about it.  Last Tuesday after I had worked him in the round pen I tied him to a post and was grooming him when he turned and all of a sudden bit me on my side.  If I had not had a jacket on he would of torn my skin off..  As soon as the pain would allow I put him back into the round pen and worked him again.  I had him gelded that day by the insistence of my teacher. He was 21 years old but the vet did not hesitate when he saw the 30 meter bite on my side.  Ten days later I took him out of his yard to graze and groomed him and sprayed him for flys. He wanted to be in my space but I blocked him and things were fine.  That evening I went to show my husband the new bushes I had planted but as I locked the gate he bit me on the neck and face and knocked me to the ground.  I had to have ten stitches in my jaw and missed three days of work.  I am afraid to go to close to him now but I love him greatly! more so than you would understand.  My teacher, when I called her said to put him down but then called four days later and said she would support me what ever I decided.  We both love him dearly and my heart breaks at loosing him.  She said she was mad when she told me to kill him.  I don't know why he has became so aggressive. Should I keep him or put him down with no chance to be good again.  Please HELP ME. I am 52 years old and have ridden professionally for six years.  Oz is kept alone but all the other horses have always been able to socialize.  He hates any thing he thinks is male horse. I don't know which way to turn as he means SO much to me.   jaosn

ANSWER: Don't put the horse down.  That is never the answer for peoples mistake.  This horse is being a stud, your prior relationship is good, but stud are destined to be alone, so they develop bad behavior.  This horse is confused and alone, he has no herd, he has had no horse contact and has not been able to be a horse.  A stud without a herd is torture for the horse.  He is been a stud for so long that he will act like a stud for a  while.  He did not bite you to be mean.  That is how horses talk to each other.  He was telling you to do something, you either missed what he was telling you or did not respond so he corrected you like he would any other horse.

You need to accept responsibility for making this horse the way he is.     In the domesticated horse world, there is no place for studs, unless you have a herd and free breeding.  People get too caught up in money, don't want expensive horses hurt, so they lock a stud up, treat him like a caged horse and wonder why stud have the reputation of being mean and aggressive.

People don't understand horses so they blame the horse.  In the wild there is no such thing as a gelding.  A stud has his herd and when males get old enough they are kicked out of the herd until they are old enough or strong enough to steal a mare from another stud's herd or until they challenge a stud and win the herd.  

This horse will probably always be aggressive.  Once you give him a mare of his own he will settle down.  If you give him a few mares he will still act like a stud but the mares will teach him manners and respect.  He may still mount and breed them, but once gelded, no babies, so no harm.  After he is left with mares for a while, you may be able to introduce a gelding.  Gelding make great baby sitters and will normally take to protecting and playing with young colts.  If he has shoes remove them so he will not hurt another horse.

You have options, but putting this horse down should not be one.  He did nothing but be a horse, you were his only herd member and he treated you as such, not to be mean or to hurt you, he wanted you to show him respect and treat him as the leader so he could keep you safe from danger.  You missed all him signs and communications so it was your fault that you got hurt.  It is always our fault and never the horse's fault.  

In is own way, like a horse, he was trying to teach you to follow or listen to him so he could control and protect his herd, which is you.

If you had a good horseman around, you could have him worked with to teach him respect for people.  Once he is handled by a good horseman that will move him, show him that he is not the leader and that people are the leader, he will not try and push so much.  You could do this but you have to learn how a horse thinks and why they do what they do.  You don't know that or you would not have stitches and would not be even considering putting this horse down.  

I get called mean when I tell people this, but it really upsets me when a horse has to suffer because people set them up for failure and then blame them for being a horse and then think putting them down is the answer.  If you put this horse down because of what you did and what you allowed to happen, is not a fair deal for the horse.  If you really care about this guy, you take responsibility for what he did and you will fix it and figure out a way to save this horse.

Hope this helps, if you have more questions let me know.

Rick

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

QUESTION: Oz Is the gift God sent to me when I lost my thirteen year old daughter.  He helped me look at myself and want to go on.  The love I always thought he had in his eyes my teacher said was in my mind. "No stallion will ever love a person" she says.  I know now that he does so much I became his.I had told them he was being protective and had claimed me as his but no one understood.  I must regain the position of leader now through regaining his trust and obedience. I WILL NOT PUT HIM DOWN!  Thank you for reminding me where I stand.    Yes I can understand why people think you are mean but I know this horse and I am so glad you reminded me instead of letting the hurt control me along with others ideas.  I will move Oz in with one of his favorite mares to day.  THANK YOU. Teri

Answer
Glad to hear I could help and glad you are able to see past your fear and hurt.  To regain your position as leader, you must make this horse move and show him you can move him.  If you have a round pen, I would get a 3 foot stick, light, maybe a short crop and tie two or three plastic bags on the end.  Cut the bottom out of bags so the fly around easy and make lots of noise.

You will have to be aggressive and maybe a little mean to get this horse's attention.  By getting him in the round pen and making him run, you will show him that you can move his feet and you are higher.  I would like it if  you could get some one who has worked with a stud before to start this process and what them.  If I was there, I would walk to to this horse and stop about 20 to 30 feet away.  I would be ready to get really aggressive at the first sign that he came at me in any other way than curious or submissive.  Any fast approach, ear pinning, snorts or other signs of dominance, would be met with fast and furious attach and aggression.  If you had a hose shoot him right in the fact, if you have a stick, rope or any plastic bag, I would raise my hands, show my teeth, yell, jump and rush and attack him.  He should get startled and scare and retreat.  When he does I chase him.  If he stops running away, I walk towards him and when I get 20 feet, I attach him again and make him run.  He would see me as a predator and would not want to test me or mess with me.

Once I get that part across, I would work from there, but he would have to know, if I wanted to, I could chase him and make him move, even if you have a gun and fire it into the ground, you have to scare this horse so he will fear you and respect you, so he will not want to mess with or challenge you.  In his mind he will know, don't mess with this guy, he is crazy and will eat me.

Then I would try and move him slow and more controlled, once he yielded to me and move away from me, I would move him for a while and then let him rest and try and get him to face me (show me respect).  Then I would move him again and when he faced me with submission (not aggression) I would let him relax.  After doing that, I would slowly allow him to get closer and closer to me.  At the first sign of cocky, dominance or aggression, he would be on the move again.  The more you move him the less he will try and test you, the more he will see you as a leader and will not bite you or kick you.

His stud hormones will always tell him he is king and he must test the leader and try to move up in the herd, you have to recognize this and deal with each test and not let him get away with much.  After a month of two of this, he will accept this and you can lighten up, but not until you know and understand that he totally accepts YOU as the leader and does not test you.

Then put him in a rope halter (read my web site why a rope halter) and lounge him (move his feet, change his direction, have him stop) all of this will keep telling him you are boss, you are higher and you are leader.  As long as he sees you as this, he will not kick you, bite you or push you.

Since he has already done all of this, it will be harder for you to go back.  You are basically a lower horse in his herd and now you have to fight him to move back on top of him, this can be violent for two horses and they can get into a good kicking fights.  It is much easier for me to come in where no pecking order has been established and I can move on top of him, but for you, you have already told him you are lower, he has move you, made you run and hide, bit you, cornered you, so in his mind it will be harder for him to let you move up.

That is why if you have to shoot a gun, spray him with a fire extinguisher in the face, pepper spray him in the eyes, whatever it tacks you must put the fear and respect into him to overcome this lower position.  If he was not a stud you would not need to go to these extremes, but since he still thinks he is a stud, you will have to go to extreme measures.  If he has not been sacked out and is scared of a plastic bag, this is a great chasing tool.  Even a big garbage bad tied to a stick, hit him in the face, throw a blanket over  his head, take away his sight and he will run and be scared.  What ever it takes, make him run from you.

This can be dangerous since he may not have any fear of you and no matter what you do he may still charge you or push back knowing he is higher and you are lower.  IF you had a motorcycle, I would say chase him on the bike and make him run, if you have a quad and he is scared of it, chase him with it, I hope you get the message, the only way to get this horse to respect you is to move his feet and make him think you are stronger and smarter.  Then he will accept you and will stop testing you and treating you like a lower herd member.

You want to overdo this and not try and be nice or try something soft and then work up to aggressive, you have to start at the top, worst and then work down.

Ask around and find a good horseman that is willing to work the horse, pay him, it will be worth it if he helps you stay safe and helps save this horse so he will not hurt anyone.

Hope moving him in with mare helped and hope she teaches the boy some lessons and respect, so he understands that he is not king and untouchable.

let me know how it goes and if I can be of any help.

Thanks for deciding not to put him down.  :)

best of luck,

Rick