Aggressive towards another horse
Today’s horse training question was submitted without a name. “Hi,I have a behavior questionI have a well-trained horse that has been trained to do a whole lot more than I am ever capable of, thanks to a trainer who saw something in the two of us. This gelding just barely ranks under my children:) just barely. I can take him through a round of jumps and then put my seven year old daughter on him and let her trot him around. He is not spooky or defiant and could be described as more lazy than high strung. But a heart of gold. A friend of mine brought her new horse over the other day to take a trail ride. Her horse has some serious issues that they seem to be working through as the mare tries to kick at her while riding, she is using Parelli\’s method and it seems to be working, but throughout the trail ride her horse kept invading my horses space and I moved mine away as I did not want us kicked, though she never tried. My friend was trotting her horse in small circles back at the barn and me and my horse were just standing to the side watching and when they came by my horse laid back his ears and turned his hind end toward her. At first I didn\’t realize what was going on as he has never done this. He is always the gentleman around other horses. I reined him in and the next two or three times she came within 10 feet of him he would lay back his ears. So I got off his back to stand next to him to see this for myself. He is trained to ground tie(when you drop the reins on the ground the horse is supposed to stay put). This time the mare circled within 5 feet and my horse bared his teeth and moved toward her more aggressively. I yelled whoa and grabbed the reins and he was his normal docile self. It seemed as though he was trying to correct this problem mare as she was kicking up and biting at her rider. I can\’t imagine that that would be the case, but was wondering if I should have corrected him somehow for acting so out of character. The woman I was riding with thought he was trying to adjust the mares attitude too.”
This is a great story, and illustrates the depth of personality our horses have! I think it is entirely possible that your horse was trying to correct the mare’s bad behavior. However, you are right that his behavior is potentially dangerous and needs to be stopped immediately. Every time your horse pins his ears at another horse, turn him in a tight circle with one rein and kick him hard in this tight circle two or three times. Then keep riding as if nothing had happened. After a few times of this he should stop. If he doesn’t, start kicking him in a circle and then putting him to work trotting figure 8’s for a few minutes. You are just letting him know that it’s not what you want for him to do. He sounds like a sweet, well trained and very intelligent horse, so I think it will not take long for him to get the message that he is not supposed to be aggressive to other horses, even if they “deserve it”! 
Thank you for your question, and keep us posted on your horse’s behavior. He sounds like a special character.
