kicking foal

Question
I am 52 years old and been raised with horses however this is the first foal I've had without my Dad around. My filly was 1 week old when we had to take her in for emergency surgery on a ruptured bladder and then three days later she had another rupture so we had to put her under again and repair her bladder. She appears to be doing great (5 days after the last surgery) and we just brought her home today. My concern is she is a kicker, when I rub her back she will turn and kick at me and has even leaned up against me and struck out at me. She seems to be fairly comfortable with me, I have gone in to the clinic every day to handle her even if it was just a few minutes a day. Do I dare reprimand her or should I give her a few weeks to heal first. She and the mare are confined to a 12 x 12 stall for the next week (per vets orders) and I'm sure they are both getting a little stir crazy. We have another mare who is also in foal, in fact she was bred the same day as my mare but still has not had her foal. Also she seems to be licking a lot, is there a mineral that she is lacking that I should be supplementing? The vet did not indicate anything was lacking.

Answer
Rick Gore  www.freewebs.com/horseawareness

Hi Roxie,

As for licking, that could be a sign of pain from baby getting close, but all horses should have a salt block and mineral block available.  If you are graining her with good mare food she should have all vits needed.

As for kicker, don't touch the baby where it causes her to kick, stay and pet her only areas that do not cause her to kick.  FOR NOW.  Help set her up for sucess so don't put her in the position to kick.  This could be from pain, could be from her bladder, or could be from her being pushed by mom and she has no one to push around so she is pushing you.

Later, you will not let do this and she will get moved and have to run or get whacked on butt for kicking.  Once she is better, you have to let her know that kicking is not allowed at people.  I would be she does not kick her mom??? why, her mom is higher, her mom is her leader and her mom will not put up with it.  later you need to be the same way so she understand.  Until them, don't put yourself or the horse in a position to encourage this or set it up to happen.

Read my site about herd behavior to help you understand a horse better and the way they think.

Rick