Cross Breeds

How do I unhalter my horse in pasture with other aggressive horses?

My 2.5 year old 14.1 paint just got big enough to be turned out with a 12 year old 14.2h gelding and a 4yr 14.1h old paint mare in a 5+ acre pasture. I am having difficulty with the mare in particular. She won't leave my little girl alone when I am turning her loose after training. Yesterday, I think she tried to mount her while I still had the halter on. I can't even lead my girl past the gate. I am having to use all my assertiveness just to keep the mare away by using my voice and swinging the lead rope. This of which is confusing my sweet girl. My girl is the only horse that is borded at this facility. I am not quite sure what to do. Also, this horse continues to whinny whenever I take my horse out of the pasture. Lastly, when it's September-May I feed all the horse at the ranch 4x a week.

Public Comments

1. I know this is a pain, but this is a huge safety factor for you. The only safe thing I can see doing, is to halter up all the other horses, tie them to the fence and bring your girl in and out. That is the safest outcome I can come up with.
2. well i have just got a new pony and they do the same, i have 4 others that are in the field and when i put them out with him they chase him and squeel. I put them all out together and let them fight it out togather. They will soon stop. they do this as they are a pack animal and they chase them away to allow them in the pack, shortly they will learn who is the leadeer of them and who are the folowers. Good luck
3. I have a similar situation, as my horses want to crowd the gate when I'm returning another horse to their pen. I usually demand that they give me space by swinging the end of the halter rope at them and making them back away before I enter with the other horse. I suggest making sure it is okay with the other horses' owner that you take a longe whip with you (long enough so you stay out of reach of the horse's hooves in case they kick) and move them back from you with the whip. You might only have to really use it once, and then hopefully they'll learn, "Oh, here comes the whip....we better get outa here." I don't think it will make them shy or hard for their owners to catch...it is really a respect issue with them wanting to dominate your filly. As long as you are in the pen, YOU are the boss, and no horse should even THINK about coming up and smarting off at you or your filly. Like I said, I would clear it with the older mare's owner, and then I would definitely use that whip on her. If you're careful, you can do it without scaring your little filly. If the mare's owner doesn't want you to do that (some people I'm sure would disagree with me on using a whip on a horse) then you'll either have to continue with how things are or find another place to turn your filly out. Good luck, and stay safe!
4. My ranch is the same. Those horses need to learn manners. Chase them off. Show them you are the lead mare. Square your shoulders and look them in the eye. Throw a rope at them. If that wont work carry a whip. Most horses see the whip and stay away. But if they continue to come tap them firmly with the crop. Doesnt work? Whip them hard.
5. How old are you? The reason I ask is - if you are a young person this will be a tough problem to deal with. This sounds like it could be a real safety issue - you do NOT want to be in the middle of a horse fight! If you are an adult, then you should start taking a whip into the pen with you when you return your horse. Do not allow the others up to you while you unhalter your mare. Within a few days of work they will probably smarten up and keep their distance, but for now you may have to snap them if they get too close. Be firm and bossy, the same way a boss mare would be. Yes, it is possible that your filly will be confused for a while, but this problem will likely right itself as she fits in better with the new herd dynamics. If you are a youth rider, or a beginner adult, you will probably have to go through the hassle of either tying the other horses before unhaltering your own mare, or even just trying putting out a few cups of grain in several different piles while you unhalter your mare. The grain will distract them and keep them busy, but the down side of this solution is - it will keep them returning when you return your mare to the pen, and that isn't really what you want. Good luck. I think your problem will settle down before long. Your mare has just been put in a new situation, so everything is out of routine, but that can and will change with time.
6. To unhalter you walk into the pasture, turn your pony around quickly so her rear is facing the pasture and you are right at the gate. This way you can slip the halter off and walk outside safely. When it comes to the other horses, the idea of throwing a rope or using a crop or lunge whip is what I usually do, occasionally I there are horses that are dead to this and don't listen, when this happens I pinch them to mimic a horse bite and tell them to mind my space. Make sure you stay well away from hooves and teeth and don't forget to always wear a helmet.
7. well I drop a cup of food in a feed bucket for the one left behind. I would not halter her at all, put a rope on , lead her out, then do or undo gear there. Your safety is always #1 concern.
8. I agree with daisy; it is a safety issue and the horses need to be taught to respect your space. I find it baffling that horses are taught ground manners and barn manners but not pasture/gate manners. And pasture manners are extremely important, because it is in those moments when you are shuffling horses in/out that someone could get loose. I worked weekends at a dressage barn where every single horse had ATROCIOUS pasture/gate manners. The woman who turned out the horses all week fancied herself a trainer, but I was appalled that she could not teach the horses basic manners, and it was obvious that she did not turn them out properly (by turning the horse to face the gate before releasing), because all the horses were super confused when I did that. She just kinda let them fly. It was downright dangerous, especially since these horses weren't 14 hand quarter horses - they were 18 hand giant warmbloods! If I had been in charge of those horses, there's NO WAY they would be allowed to behave the way they did! They would have learned to RESPECT my space just like they must do when we are in the barn aisle or leading, NOT to crowd other horses at the gate, and that they must calmly turn around to face the gate and stand still before being released. I agree with daisy that you should express your concern to the owner and ask her permission to carry a whip with you. It should not take long for the other horses to learn to respect you and give you plenty of space when opening the gate. good luck!
9. Carry a dressage length whip with you when you go into the pasture. When the other mare comes at you or your horse, use the whip and aim for her knees or lower legs...this should only take a few times and the other horses should get the idea that it is not a good thing to "crowd the gate". At my boarding facility, a girl employed this technique when she had the very same problem and after about a week, the problem was solved. Another method, if you are uncomfortable with the whip technique (and mind you, I am not telling you to whip hard, just enough to get your point across), is to bring a couple handfulls of alfalfa or something like that with you and throw them over the fence down away from the gate to occupy the other horses (this takes a little longer, but works just as well). Also, your mare is the "new" horse on the block, and she will therefore be the lowest on the pecking order. It will take a while for things to work themselves out, but that will happen naturally given time.