Q: How Should I Deal with an Aggressive Horse on the Ground?

Posted by
Laura Thompson
May 4, 2009

This weekend, I received an e-mail from a frustrated Suite101 reader who is concerned about her horse's new behavior. She purchased the horse for her 12-year-old daughter, and the horse has displayed aggressive behavior when she encounters other horses and when someone enters her stall with food or water.

I responded privately, but I thought that other Suite101 readers might be having the same troubles. Does your horse try to kick you? Bite you? Crowd you? Aggressive behavior on the ground is much more common than aggressive behavior in the saddle, and it can be dangerous.

First, it is important to get control of the situation. If you know that your horse is aggressive on the ground, it's time to ensure you safety. Whenever you enter an enclosed area where your horse is waiting, halter him immediately. If you have to fill his water bucket or feed bucket, halter him first and then take care of business.

This way, you have control of the horse's head. If he tries to swivel and kick or if he reaches out to bite, you can control the direction of his head and prevent a dangerous alteration.

I also recommend carrying a small crop or bat with you if your horse is aggressive on the ground. This is not so you can beat your horse, but rather so you can communicate that certain behaviors are unacceptable.

If your horse tries to swivel his haunches toward you to kick, give him a smack on his rump. If he lunges forward to bite, land that crop on his neck. This is more for the sound than anything else; it tells him instantly that he's made a mistake.

To protect others, make sure you post a warning on your horse's stall or paddock if he is aggressive on the ground. Say something to the effect of: THIS HORSE IS NOT SAFE. DO NOT TOUCH, PET OR FEED.

The reader who e-mailed me was concerned that if she hit her horse or smacked her that she would respond violently. Generally speaking, horses are flight animals. They are not predators, which means they are not likely to come back at you vindictively for reprimanding them. Just remember that you are dealing with an aggressive horse, so keep your eyes open at all times.

If you are worried about dealing with an aggressive horse, check out some of this further reading:

Training the Pushy Horse: How to Establish Boundaries with Horses - A pushy horse is more than an annoyance-he's a danger to people and other animals. To establish boundaries with horses, riders must make their intentions clear.

How to Deal with a Striking Horse - A striking horse is a danger to all other horses as well as the humans with whom he comes in contact. A horse that strikes should be corrected immediately.

Dealing with an Aggressive Horse - As with all animals, some horses are more aggressive than others. Horse owners, however, should not tolerate this behavior.

Jul 28, 2009 6:29 AM

Guest :

We have the same issue. My daughter and I just purchased a 5 yr old that only gets aggressive in his stall when he thinks there will be a treat.He is perfect in the cross ties, on a lead rope, paddack, & riding.He slightly rears and pins his ears back in the stall when he thinks he should get something or wants more. We have stopped hand feeding him and are working in his stall using a crop and yelling when the event occurs. My daughter has hit him only once so far and he backed off.Should we stop giving him treats all together?To us it looks like he was spoiled to the point that he became dangerous and the previous owner just ignored it, since it just happens in the stall.We are hoping since he is still young enough that we might be able to kick this in the butt.I do worry about the violence though. How do you know it will not make him more aggressive? We are far from newbies, but have never had a horse this aggressive before. Any expertise would be greatly appreciate.