Jealously?

[Buckpoco]

For a short time I had three horses. My little paint Mac, my husband's walker Bogie and my three year old walker Dice. They all got along, but Bogie and Mac were best friends and Dice was kind of third man out. After five months I sold Mac to my friend. Then Bogie and Dice became buddies. (I'm on another thread because I do have separation problems, but usually handle it by round penning and sometimes stalling one at night and leaving the other out.)

Anyway, yesterday my friends trailered up to visit, and one brought Mac. Once we hit the trail, my little Dice went after him with a vengence. I've ridden in groups and Dice is very easy going. I think he was afraid that Mac would pair up with Bogie and he'd be left out. Whenever Mac came close Dice would pin his ears, back towards him and even bucked once. I circled him, flexed him, slapped him with my stick, but he was so focused on Mac that he barely noticed. Any thoughts on this? I've never seen such jealousy before.

[Cat]

Horses don't have "jealousy" really like we do. My thought is he is familiar with this horse, and maybe Mac was above him originally in the herd and so now he was focused on showing Mac that HE is now above Mac in the herd.

[WashingtonBay]

Sounds like horse carries a grudge....

[Buckpoco]

I wonder though, as we met a strange horse on the trail several weeks ago and Dice did not want that horse near Bogie. He didn't want the horse to pass and get near Bogie. He wasn't as agitated as he was yesterday, but he tried to block the horse as it got near his buddy. I forced him to allow that horse to ride next to us and then pass and he was fine and I didn't give it much thought until now as I'm writing. I've ridden him out alone without Bogie and he doesn't care what any other horse does. I wonder???

[Cat]

Now instead of jealousy there could be possessiveness. This is part of horses in nature - like a stallion protecting "HIS" mares type of thing.

[vicklynn]

Sure could be possessiveness. City is a little bit that way with other horses when Im riding him, he dosnt like them near me. He is fine with Myst though. I own him, he protects me, sometimes to a fault, ie, ear pinning, thinking of striking out and biting.
I dont understand the bucking thing though, cause thats dangerous to you. He needs to focus on you, and not his buddy when your with them. His possessiveness should be twards you(to an extent), not another horse.
Thats my horsey opinion though. Ive had 2 horses like this, they took care of me 100percent.

[iloveponcho]

i agree that is sounds like possessiveness because my horse can get the same way with me in the field and another horse at the barn was the same way with a new horse that came when his owner started riding him.

[Buckpoco]

OOps, mispelled jealousy in the title. Better go back to teaching school!!!

Yes, I think possessiveness is the key.

Fortunately the buck Dice did was very mild. But yeah, he can't get away with this nonsense. There were four of us and the trails are steep and rocky at points so it was hard to do too much schooling. I'll probably take him back to my friend's place and make him ride with Mac. But he obviously has to focus more on me, not on Bogie.

Guess I got my work cut out for me. I know I have to work more on separating them...I think that may help...

My husband and I ride together all of the time, so Bogie and Dice are constantly together. I don't have anyone else to ride with here, unless friends trailer in. I think it would be good for me not to ride with hubby, but... we love to ride together. Good for us, bad for horses.

[Harleys Owner]

Can you separate them in the pasture? IMO, that is the best/safest way way to cure/keep from happening the herd instinct.

[cowgirlup@idaho]

Something else that needs to happen is his attention should never be allowed to go toward another horse in a dominate/aggressive way. It comes down to being watchful of his body language and stopping any behavior almost before it starts. Example: if his ears go back as another horse approaches (from any direction) you need to correct him quickly. On the ear thing I tug the rein on the same side the approaching horse is and not a gentle tug, just one fast hard tug. I repeat if the ears stay down or go back down. This is simple and has been very effective for me with more than one horse. If your horse doesn't react to you, the tug was not fast and hard enough. Remember, just one and only repeat if the ears tell you to. I never stop the horse I'm riding either, the ride continues.

[Buckpoco]

I can separate them and I'll try the tug thing. Do you think leaving one in a stall and taking the other away is as effective as tying one up and leaving him for a while? I can't find anything on our property to tie him to that would be safe.

[cowgirlup@idaho]

Tying at anytime for either one of your horses is a good thing. A tree, a light pole, the horse trailer or even tie in their stall. You don't have to leave with one for a ride to tie the other. It's ok to leave them tied as long as you can check on them occaisionaly. Horses are regularly left tied for a few hours where I board, it teaches them patience and respect because it is you who unties them. ;)