Franklin Levinson's
Horse Help Center
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Dangerous in the pasture.
Hi!
I have a 10 year old AQHA Gelding that I bought in March of 2006. For the past two months, he has been aggressive towards me when I go to get him out of the pasture. He will come up to me, but when he realizes what I want he bites, rears, kicks or charges at me. If I can get the halter on, he immediately calms down and "gives in." He has also bit the owner of the horse he's pastured with. Once I get him saddled up he's calmed down and ready to go. I don't understand it. I don't want to sell him because of the time I have put in him already and I know he had a rough life with his previous owner and I thought we had gotten past most of that. Please help. Thank you!
Hi Back,
I would highly suggest you spend significantly more quality time playing/dancing/interacting successfully with this horse on the ground and don't focus on trying to catch the horse. That is what will develop your bond of trust with him. Also, the biting will disappear if you do this. The problem is not actually the behavior you are experiencing. It is that you have enough of a 'relationship' with the horse. He is fending for himself and leading his own dance. Can you see that? You need to step up to the plate and become the leader of the dance. Do that and the horse will bond with you, trust you, be compliant with you and generally not exhibit unwanted behavior. This is not about you riding the horse. This is actually about the horse itself. For most humans, it is all about them riding the horse. The horse itself is deferred to the human activity of riding it. If you do not have the knowledge about playing and training horses on the ground I am speaking of, take heart. It is easy to gain the knowledge, education and information about training horses, the gentle way. There are many great dvd's about training horses found in the backs of all horse magazines. I have several in the shopping corral of my website that would prove extremely helpful to you. No matter whose dvd's you get, GET SEVERAL and watch them a few times. Your horsemanship will advance quickly. Your skill level will immediately rise. Your knowledge will increase drastically. Your relationship with all horses will jump to a higher level immediately. Isn't that worth a little investment of time and money? I cannot give you all the information and knowledge you need in an email. With your horse, it will begin by playing in a paddock or round pen. You can create a round pen (if you don't have one) by roping off corners in a small paddock. Please take my suggestions to heart. Consider your horse at least as much as you riding the horse.
These are sentient, empathetic, smart, feeling , sensitive, intuitive, honest and forgiving creatures. This is what we must bring to our horses. We need to come up to their level. Gain the knowledge....You'll thank me forever.
Sincerely, Franklin