Hi Ridecamp - I think the subject of a kicking horse has been debated quite a bit, but most of the archives I found were on riding a kicking horse. So I'm going to pose a new question (I think...?)
I have a 4 yr old mare who has started to kick out at other horses while she's tied. The first occasion I know of was her first camping trip after being tied to a trailer all night. My friend brought her gelding over (who the mare didn't really know but had ridden with the day before) to tie next to her. The mare's hay net was hanging in between them, and in a short time she started wailing on the gelding with back feet. That time I attributed it to a territorial thing (it's my hay you strange gelding!) and some crabbiness from being tied all night for the first time.
There've been a couple of instances since then, on the trails where she's stopped to kick out at horses that were several lengths behind her. Again, these were strange horses (geldings) that she doesn't live with - not that that's an excuse, just something in common with the instance before.
And then this week, she was tied to a post and kicking out at mares tied near her, some she did know and live with. There wasn't any hay hanging, so it wasn't a food thing.
Also, the farrier told me that last time he did her shoes, she would kick out at him when hammering on the hinds. No probs with trimming, just the hammering the shoes on. She just started wearing shoes last spring, so for the years prior, no probs with the trimming.
Some more info - she's ridden several times a week, and is continuous training at the farm that bred and raised her, along with many other arabians that are competing successfully in various disciplines (that don't kick :)). She lives in a paddock with all mares, all young (under 7 I'd say), so I wonder if part of it (when she's kicked out at geldings )is not really understanding what a gelding is...? Is that possible? Tieing up is not a new thing either, she's been used to being tied from a young age, in groups and alone. She seemed to have a quiet passive personality, or at least a year ago she did. Now I'm wondering if she's growing into an alpha mare (heaven help me! :))
So I don't think I'll find an exact reason why she's doing it (territorial...mare-itude....going into heat....) but what is the proper way to correct it? If i'm in arm's reach when it happens, do I give her a smack? I hate correcting horses by smacking them, but don't know what else to do in this particular situation - longeing doesn't seem appropriate (not instantanious enough), or making them back up (such as wehn they're in your space...) Do I try to get her to learn by getting her good and tired before tieing her up, so she won't be so eager to be kicking out and choose the 'time to veg and chill' option?
And how do I teach her proper manners for the farrier? Practice fake hammering with the hinds?
Appreciate any of your suggestions or what has worked for you in these instances!
My only experience before this was with a very passive mare, so this is all new to me. I feel like a parent who just got the call from the teacher that your kid is a bully at school :).
