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Food Aggression! HELP x.x?

My 3 year old TB has become very food aggressive. The idiots at our old stable use to take her out of her stall early so she could be turned out with the herd so it was rare she got to finish all her food and it's turned her into a very food aggressive horse. Going into her stall with a bucket of feed is suicide and she becomes a dangerous horse once she knows food it being put out. If you are in range of her, she'll buck out, kick, even strike out with her front hooves during feeding time. If she hasn't had dinner, she won't work and she becomes very aggressive. I wouldn't mind giving her her food before I work her if it wasn't such a dangerous task. She's to the point where I have to enter her stall with a whip to keep her out of my face. It's only grain she does this with. When it's hay, she's as sweet as can be and doesn't mind if you go into her stall and pet her but Grain, you better back off. She's only bitten me once for taking her away from her grain but she has attacked a boy and thrown him into a wall for trying to force her out of her feed, or so I've heard. My trainer has suggested I just keep prodding her until she's out of my space and when she's calm, I allow her to eat. I've tried this and it seems to only make things worse. For now, she turns her butt to me and today made an attempt to buck out at me. When food is in her stall, she is almost unhandelable outside. She'll pace, cry, buck out and kick. Anyone walking around her is going to get kicked and if your handeling her, good luck. She's to the point where we have to put a rope over her nose to even make her hold still. I've tried working her till her feed is ready and it hasn't worked, she's only focused on her food and she just gets angrier and angrier. Progress- I must admit, we have made SOME progress with this method. I'm to the point where I can go in her stall and lead her out before feeding time and walk her back in on a loose lead and make her stand before going to her feed but that's only if I have a lead on her. She has made an attempt to rear on me when she's free in her stall and wanting her grain. Any advice?! Just so you know- I'm not a bad owner! She's a baby, babies do this stuff! I'M NOT GETTING RID OF HER! This would be a stupid reason to ship my horse of to auction. If I have to deal with this, I will but I know she's not happy and I just want her to be happy and not be so possessive. She has not been abused, she's a pasture baby and she's been loved her whole life. Never has a hand been laid on this horse in anger or hate. Charlie is a Thoroughbred but she's never been raced and she is very well trained for my grand prix trainer actually said she'd buy her if we would sell her. Is this just a phase she's going threw and what can I do to stay safe, keep her safe and stop having to arm myself just to feed my horse. My stallion behaves better believe it or not.

Public Comments

1. i dont really know what to tell you.

   but i just wanted to say i know youre not bad owner.

   my horse was like that too.

   but not as bad, and it was just with grain like you said.

   shes was like that because when i bought her she was really skinny

   cuz her owners only fed her a flake a day.

   (shes 6) and shes finally stopped now that she knows no matter what her food will always be there.

   my horse was abused at one time too, so she was more scared of me hitting her then anything..

   now shes a show horse! anyway, just wanted you to know that everyone knows your a good owner, and nobody should expect you to give up your little pride and joy.

   hope it all works out(:



2. I would like to know the same thing.. I just take the bucket out and throw the grain in it then put it on the floor in her stall due to my baby WILL KICK you. She scares me at feeding so i dont normally bring her in until hay and grain and water are in her stall then i let her in..

   My baby was in the same situation she would be in a stall with three other foals and they fought over grain and a bail of hay. :( when i got her she was ok but it is just progressivly getting worse.. now she is at a barn where she is the only baby. Only one in her stall but she still will try and kick me if i go in to throw her grain.. :( i dotn know how to change it but doing it this way i can do it safely.. :( sry i know this dosent answer ur quiestion..



3. It's easy to think this is over food. But if you step back and just look at each vice. You have biting, kicking, showing aggression, pushing people against the wall etc, these can be induced by stress, being overworked, pain and/or confinement. I doubt that a one time experience is going to cause this severe and permanent of a reaction. As for her invading your space when grain is fed, go with the whip idea that you are doing and maybe even turn your back to her. Also invest in a stall guard so during feeding time you can hook it up and so if you have to make a quick "escape" its easier than having to turn your back and open the door etc,

   I personally would allow her more turnout, a little less work, more stimulation(such as toys, ground work exercises). Also call the vet to see is she is in pain in any way(maybe something as simple as her being stiff and overworked).



4. my mare was like this when i first purchased her, because she was neglected and her previous owners openly admitted that if they didn't feeling like getting up and feeding her, she didn't get fed. What I did was walk in her stall with a whip and food. I'd put her food in her bucket and stand between her and it. I do admit it was a little trying to see a 1500lb animal trying to run through you to get to food. I was persistent and wouldn't let her have her food until she was in the back of the stall (her food was at the front) not trying to run me over. When this was accomplished I'd get out of the stall and tell her how good she was. It took a few months, but now I can walk in her stall with a bucket and no whip and have her wait calmly in the back for me to dump her feed and leave.


5. Ugh...I hate these kinds of trouble when you are in a boarding situation..which I'm guessing you are? So much easier to deal with when you have an attached run to a stall. This way...you stand in the door with a whip and refuse entry for the horse until their ears are pricked forward and they are listening to you.

   I'm thinking she is associating the grain with a bucket or scoop perhaps that you are carrying? If that is so, I would go into the stall with a whip and an EMPTY feed bucket. I would back her off...and set the bucket where ever you normally do. And surpise surprise...after the fit she throws to get to it...and you preventing her...IT'S EMPTY!

   I would still stand my ground...even if I had the grain. You need to wait for HER body language to say she is waiting to see if YOU will let her eat. Ears up and facing forward, eyes watching you, no stomping or fussing. If you are letting her to her food while she is still in 'bossing you' mode...you are actually encouraging her misbehavior. You simply MUST wait until she relents and waits for you. ALWAYS being watchful, careful, and having a way out of the stall quickly.

   She is being horribly disrespectful. It's YOUR food until you GIVE it to her. Right now...she's telling you that she is going to eat...no matter what you have to say about it...and if you don't listen...she will hurt you.

   I don't think she's 'bucking' at you either. That sounds like an out and out THREAT of going to kick you. And one day it's likely to happen. If a horse turns it butt to me to kick me...I'm going to nail that rump with something.

   One more thing...does she HAVE to have grain? Anyways...you should stand your ground if you won't get hurt. If you are too afraid to do this..someone else must. I think this 'phase' is going to escalate...not go away on it's own. It's not a phase...it's a behavior that is being learned. It will get worse if you don't stop it.

   **edit...waiting on Mule to come back...I'm interested...



6. we always feed a handful of hay over the door first thing, THEN we feed while the horse is distracted. it stops them getting worked up when they hear teh feed buckets, and it gives a hance to get in and out without them being onto of us.

   it also means that your horse isn't standing wiaitng on food./ she knows she is getting fed, and she will learn that grain comes after hay, and after a few days she will stop being agressive.

   trust me



7. Find yourself some ground alfalfa and molasses. Dump the whole thing into her stall and let her free feed. After a couple of bags of this, she won't be so aggressive, she's had her fill and can eat any time she wants without fear of missing anything and won't founder on it.

   IF she persists in this behavor, then as BB stated, walk into the stall with a long lunge whip if she threatens you, stand clear enough where you can reach her with the whip but she can't reach you. Then when she kicks or bucks at you, nail her back legs with the whip! Don't back down, mean business.



8. wel try feeding her in her padokc if she is buy hershelf and having her stall as a bed only

   um she better to ber in a open space lieka a padock when feeding her so she cant trample u in the stal and out in ehrpadock she will think ph a chaneg so rotate it wach month and c wat happens

   and also geting a hanging bucket to go oevr her door may be better so she has the full veiw of everythign thats happenign she may quiet down and u only put it in there ocne she has been in he rstall for 5 mins

   also try feeding her the grain form a bucket over the door she has to elarn ur not a threat and arnt goign to ewat it



9. I understand how you feel, I had the same problem in the past except my horse was only aggressive in her stall with or with out food, she was a doll outside of it.

   It's really frustrating and knocks your confidence with your horse down a little.

   People kept throwing suggestions at me, telling me not to get violent with her and blah blah blah (this was a long time ago and i was very... uhm whats the word for it...well lets just put it this way, i treated her like she was glass, breakable, not firm with her at all).

   One night i was trying to put her sleezy on after 4-h, i was in a hurry so i didn't take her out of the stall like i usually do (because of how she acted in her stall) i don't remember what i went to go do or why i left the stall but it ended with my horse attacking my mom. Don't get me wrong i loved this animal, very much but this was my family. I took her out and spanked her with a riding crop, hard. Then i took her into the arena and worked her until she was dead tired. Then i put her into her stall and she let me put the sleezy on with out any problems. a few times after she would get a little fussy and i would take her out and work her until she was dead tired again. After awhile it got to the point where i didn't have to work her anymore because she associated throwing a fit with being worked, and when she did strike out at me, i spanked her for it.

   It all really goes back to dominance, what would happen if your horse tried to attack the alpha in her herd? The alpha would fight back and put your horse back in line.That's what you have to do, and im not saying take all your anger out on your horse because that's when it does turn into abuse, just be firm and have a line that states what is worth a punishment and whats not.



10. I agree with Black Bunny! This is dissrespect and you need to stop it as soon as possible. Your horse is a bully, and someone is going to get hurt. When she acts like this and she gets her food every time it's creating a monster. It's like a child that throws a fit in the store and gets his way. Guess what will happen the next time? If you love your horse, do what Black Bunny says. This is bad for other people that have to handle her as well, others will not be so kind to your horse like you.


11. I had a horse that went through that phase too. It is so dangerous, so please be honest with yourself about your horsemanship skills before you start something that you can't finish. What I did to fix it was this combination. Put some ground work on her to lay a foundation of skills. The main skill she needs to learn is to back away on cue from a distance. I used the Clinton Anderson lunging for respect concept, but any way you teach it will work. Once she will back up on cue on a lunge line, then take her to her stall and practice the same backing skill (with out food). Practice bringing her toward you (you in the doorway for a speedy retreat should the need arise) and then nack her away from you until she is has her rump in a corner. Practice this yo-yo game alot. When you can do this easily, bring food into the mix. Make her stay in the corner until you cue her to come forward and allow her to take a few bites of grain, then send her back to the corner. Over the course of her meal, put her into and out of her food over and over. Be prepared for a major battle at first, bullies don't like to be told what to do and she will certainly test you. Do this yo-yo game every time you feed her to assert your authority over food and her. I also fed my problem horse from a bucket that I held and took from her at my whim. If she pinned her ears, was too rough or generally had a crummy attitude I took the bucket away. the idea behind both of these ideas is that the dominate horse in a herd controls the movements of the lesser horses and in turn the lesser horses food. If you are controlling the food, then you are the dominate horse and will get the respect that you are deserving. Good luck, and please be very careful.


12. ok..

    This horse is doing dangerous maneuvers as you well know.

    When a horse is dangerous, I up it to the point that I am dangerous back to them. To where they think they will die if they act like that in front of me.

    I have only had one food aggressive horse.. she was fixed quickly.

    The donkey has tried to be aggressive with me, but it ends the minute he tries.

    The things you have done, I would of done in the 'beginning' but with it escalating to this point, I would get down right ugly.

    I would shock collar this horse. I am fully prepared for the thumbs down, but if you are in close range to this horse, she is going to pummel you just by trying to discipline her. So you need to keep yourself at a distance to be safe for YOU.

    I would put the food in a corral, somewhere you can just slide it in first. Just for training maneuvers. You walk up to the corral with the grain, the horse charges, bucks, acts like a puke or anything other than what you are wanting it to do, you shock it.

    The horse will blow, you step back with the food, repeat and do as many times as necessary until that horse will either approach calmly or stay away so you can deliver the food.

    The result very well maybe that the horse will stay away from the feed until you set it down because the shocks it will recieve will be as it approaches it.

    Theres no nice way to deal with this once a horse has lost all respect for humans. I have used something much much worse at times when a mule has been dangerously disrespective but they learn rather quickly good behaviour.

    I don't believe in shock collars for training purposes unless its to the point that the horse is a detriment to humans, whereas I would probably put it down.

    It sounds like you love the horse, want to put the time into it, just not sure where to go with this. Shock collar is the only way I can advise you. Good luck and hope something works out for you and stay safe, there is never a reason for a human to get injured or killed over an animal with no respect.

    EDIT- I forgot to put that before I would shock an animal I would give them a verbal cue that they would come to realize that they will be shocked if they don't knock it off. That way you can continue with the verbal once the horse is returned to non-puke status.



13. Listen to Black Bunny and Mulereiner - they know their stuff.

    I'll also one thought that I'll call the 'wuss' option. Can you install one of those feeders that sits in the stall wall and rotates? Like this: http://www.horsestalls.com/feeders.htm

    The reason I call this the wuss option is that it does not correct the behavior, but it does get you out of harms way by avoiding the situation.