horse conditioned well - vices

Question
hello ma'am, do horses develop a vice of showing food protection and biting at us when they are eating a lot and conditioned well?

Answer
Hi Rohit,

Body condition and fitness levels do not determine a horse's personality or vices.  Stable vices are often the result of a horse not having enough turn out time or enough socialization with other horses.  However, the behaviour you are describing is more a matter of demeanor and not so much a vice.  Horses can naturally display eating aggression.  Its the kind of behaviour you would see if you turnout a bunch of horses together and feed them 1 tub of grain...they will fight each other for the food, rather aggressively.  Some horses will be more dominant while others prefer to go without rather than engage in a fight...depends on the horse's nature.  Some horses will display this behaviour with people as well, trying to establish dominance over people.  There are some who feel it necessary to correct the behaviour, letting the horse know who's boss and re-establishing dominance over the horse while it is eating.  Personally (and this really is my personal preference), I leave horses alone while they eat their grain.  I won't allow a horse to attack while feeding him, but I also won't use that time to groom or work with the horse.  Its in their nature to be protective at this time and I don't feel the need to pick a fight.  If you choose to change the behaviour, then it's a matter of training the horse to understand his place, and that's outside my area of expertise.

Thanks, Corlena