Q: My horse is mean and a bully to his pasture-mate when they’re fed. Even
is my horse doing WHY
EXPLAINING EQUINE BEHAVIOR By Jennifer Williams, PhD
your horse is doing what he is and help you deal with troubling be- havioral issues. Williams earned a MS and PhD in Animal Science with an emphasis on equine behavior, learning and welfare f om Texas A&M University. She has worked with, ridden and shown a variety of horses in many diff erent disciplines. You can learn more about Dr. Williams at
www.equinebehavior.net
THAT? E
52 | December 2011 •
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If you have behavior questions, please submit them to
editor@trailblazermagazine.us to be considered for this series.
quine behaviorist Jennifer Williams, PhD, will discuss your behavior questions and problems and give insight into why
aſt er they have both eaten he kicks and bites the other horse. He also blocks his pasture-mate’s owner from taking her horse out of the fi eld. Also, when I lead him places he bites me, but he doesn’t bite my mom. Can you help?
A: It looks like you have a couple of is- sues going on with your horse. I would love
to know his background as I suspect he was either gelded later in life and may have even bred some mares or that he was neglected at one point. I suspect previous neglect because neglect-
ed horses are oſt en food-aggressive. T ey went for so long without anything to eat or with infrequent meals that once they have regular food, they become protective of it. I’ve known formerly neglected horses who bite anyone, horse or human, who comes near their food. If this is your horse’s problem, separate him from his pasture-mate to eat. Take him out of the pasture before you put food into the pasture for the other horse(s) and before you put food into his stall or pen. Give him a stall or pen away from other horses where he can eat without feeling threatened. Leave him alone during meals—don’t go in his stall, watch him eat, etc. Don’t let other horses come near his stall while he eats. Make his stall a safe place where he can
expect to receive regular meals. Also, make sure your feeding schedule is consistent. You don’t have to feed at exactly the same time each day, but you do need to feed him within a few hours of the same time. And you need to make sure you feed him daily—don’t skip meals or he may begin to worry about when he’ll get food. T at can make him aggressive again. As long as they’re fed consistently, over
time most food aggressive horses relax and understand that they no longer have to worry about their food. Once he understands he’ll receive regular meals and stops guarding his food, you may be able to feed him in the pasture again with other horses. However, this is going to take time and you’ll need to be patient. And occasionally I’ll see a horse who just cannot get over his food aggression. T ose horses must always be fed separately from others.
Photo by Marilyn Schiele©
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