calm horse turned crazy !!!

Question
Hi...thanks for looking at this...we have a 15yr. old Tenn. Walker...approx 15 hands...had him for 5yrs...he is a gelding that never caused any real problems in the past..actually very lazy...he likes to turn on you when mounting..that is not the big issue..this year he gets real excited when we meet other horses on the trail..starts prancing..getting  VERY  excited ..backing you into things ...rearing up..turning..hard to control..circling him only makes him more nuts...the rest of the ride he acts like he wants to bust loose.....  He is out 24/7...year round...he was living in a pasture with 7 other horses ..all geldings...3 of which have been there about a year...and are a true gang bullying the other horses.. this horse is about in the middle of the pecking order...he eats grass ,with occasional graining...  We have made some changes..no grain..put him in with the mares..stepped up the ground work...  his saddle fits...you can rub him all over ..no sore spots...  At this time it is hard to feel comfortable with him on the trail...his excitment level turn into a 10 when he meets other horses on the trail..a follower..wants to turn into a leader when excited...not wanting other horses in the lead..and will do anything to prove this point when excited...including getting you off his back...last year you could pass other horses all day long with much concern...why does he get soooo excited at these times and become hard to control...  your help is appreciated..  Larry  

Answer
Hi Larry!

Hmmmmm.  I have to say this question is a real toughie!! Even though you have given me some very good background information on your boy, I can only give you an educated guess....so here goes!

I am 95% sure this is a mental issue not a physical one.  Not the saddle or bit since you did not change any of these.  I have 31 horses in my barn that range in all ages and personalities.  I would have to say that taking your gelding out of the "boy" group and putting him in with the "girl" group has had an effect on his attitude toward other horses.  I have put out geldings with the mares and occasionally they turn into very possesive demons who will cut one or two mares out of the group and claim them for their own.  Of course I've seen this happen before with gelding on gelding, mare on mare...it's not about sex it's about domination and I think your Walker is having domination issues.

Having said that....it can still be about sex when there is one gelding in with a bunch of "in season" mares!

I once watched a 25yr. old mare wink, spray and practically beg for some "Springtime Fun" from a 26yr. old gelding who thought he could help an old lady out and kept trying to all day!!  We all came out of the barn to watch the antics of these two!  The lesson:  Nature never stops trying.  Never.  Your guy is in with the mares in the Spring and I thinks it's clouding his vision and making him not care about the wishes of some human on his back!

I would have to say your boy is not very well-trained to respecting the humans around him to begin with (turning when you mount is a big NO-NO!) and now you are nothing more than an interference to him.  He wants to prove he's a stud and "large and in charge!"  Not only in the pasture but, anywhere he see other horses!!

He needs to leave the mare pasture if that's possible.  If you have a small area you can temporarily put him with just one gelding who can kinda kick his butt so he understands he's not "the MAN!"  Then, start a little work out with him that takes him back to school....start longeing on the ground and demanding complete attention  on you, even do it with a mare near to him and of he gets distracted by her, shank the line on him and get the attention back on you!  Any horse under saddle problem has to end with the horse being more afraid of your dissapproval from on his back than his interest in what's around him.  He must always think "Will doing this get me in trouble? Yeah, Daddy will womp me in the side of the head if I go after that horse!  I'll just stand here!!"  That's why turning him in circles and other tactics to bring him under control do not work.  He does not care one bit about you!!  He only cares about the other horses.  This is very bad and will get you hurt.  So get off him and fix it by making you scarier than the idea of not getting to the other horses!

Once you feel you have his full attention, with you on the ground, walk him in his saddle and bridle on your property only and in front of the other horses.  Take a crop and if he gets excited by them, whack him and keep walking as if nothing happened.  You may have to do this 50 times.  But, eventually you will get through all the hormones and get to his actual brain and he just may very well start listening to you.  If he does obey and act calmly, give him a sugar cube or his favorite treat he can chew with a bit in.  Bad horse: Big whack with the crop!  Good horse: Sugar cube!  He'll get it!!  HA HA!!

Then, when he can walk calmly around them, get on him and carry the crop!  Use it like you mean it and then act like you never used it.  Don't make it a big deal.  Act like the hand of God comes down out of nowhere and corrects him and you are just enjoying the show!  He must be desensitized to the other horses first and then punished for the wrong behavior second.

Just don't take him out on the trail until you feel comfortable on him at home.  It's dangerous for you and no one likes an ill behaved horse on the trail!

You have a strong-headed horse and you need to be even stronger than him.  And you have to be there to whack him for a long time because he WILL backslide and will revert to his old self if given a chance!

Good Luck and Happy Trails!