Aggressive QH filly!

[jilleroo]

I run a 2 yr old QH filly and an aged shetland mare together in a 200 ac paddock. Recently I introduced another pony mare for a few weeks and at first the QH filly kept her away from the old mare very vigorously but eventually eased off. One day I took the old mare out for the kids to ride, leaving the filly and the other pony mare shut in a roundyard near the stable. The filly attacked the pony, murder on her mind, she really got stuck into her and would not back off. I managed to get the little mare out through a gate but not before the filly had actually kicked holes in the black belting around the yard! Luckily the pony wasnt badly hurt - she amazingly wasnt fazed much by the experience either! I'm a reasonably experienced horseperson and havent witnessed a determined attack like that before. I turned them all out in the paddock again later and they were okay. The younger pony mare was duly sent back into town to get ready for the show season a couple of weeks later so it was back to just the two.

Yesterday the filly and shetland were up near the stables so I went out to catch the shetland as she needed some tidying up done on her. The filly kept between me and her, trying to stop me catching her. I was carrying a coiled up rope and flogged her off with that. I put the shetland in the stable and then wanted to put the filly in the roundyard to give her a few days of captivity
(she is taught to lead, have her feet picked up etc.) When I went out to open the roundyard gate, she attacked me! I wasnt that surprised actually and was ready for her, but she came at me at a "springy" trot, her ears right forward and eyes gleaming - I flogged her off with the rope whereupon she spun around the double-bung kicked at me, came around again and came for me, then spun and kicked again, leaping right up in the air. She's now "soaking" in the roundyard, quite frantic about the shetland being in the stable. I'll take the shetland further away. Before she developed this attachment to the shetland, she was fine to catch and lead and do groundwork with. Both her parents are dead-quiet.

I don't want to take the shetland away - the visiting grandkids ride her and I don't really want to put the filly anywhere else either right now, but I don't think there are any other options! Any ideas??

 

[heath]

U planning on using the filly? At 2 she should have a job. If u have no plans for her, I'd sell her.

 

[peg4x4]

Maybe get the Vet to check her hormone levels - some odd things happen...

 

[Howdyjabo]

I had a filly like that-- she just has her pecking order all wrong.
I fixed mines attitude by sending her to a friends place that had twenty or so horses.

She got an educatation real fast about trying to be lead mare- for the first week she probably had more bruised areas than not Whole different attitude when she came back. I think that is the only thing that saved her.
I raised her with just one other laid back mare, she just got the wrong idea about life and I doubt there was anything I could have done to change that. It took living with other horses to put her in her proper place.

 

[JSCATTLE]

I had a filly like that-- she just has her pecking order all wrong.
I fixed mines attitude by sending her to a friends place that had twenty or so horses.

She got an educatation real fast about trying to be lead mare- for the first week she probably had more bruised areas than not Whole different attitude when she came back. I think that is the only thing that saved her.
I raised her with just one other laid back mare, she just got the wrong idea about life and I doubt there was anything I could have done to change that. It took living with other horses to put her in her proper place.

I had a mare act the same way . It got so bad she wasnt afraid of a buggy whip . I had to carry a bull whip to keep her off of me . I was gonna put her in the kill pen at the sale barn until a friend suggested running her with his horses . He had 10 at the time a few months later she would fallow you like a dog just wanting a friend .

 

[jilleroo]

Many thanks for your interesting replies, much appreciated. The filly's mother, although very quiet, was a dominant mare and was in the same paddock as her until she died for no apparent reason in December. I think she kept the filly in line. The only other horses we have here are some geldings and I think she would be boss over them too. The bloke who will be riding her for me is away mustering for a few months so when he comes back, she'll go into work. I'm past wanting to ride young horses. Anyway, she's still locked in the yard just getting some grass hay. She's in very fat condition which also tends to help bring out the evil in them! She is the last of several foals I bred out of the mare - the one before this was a filly also but by a different horse, and she had none of these characteristics - she didnt care what horses were where or if you took her away from the others, much more sensible. Our two pony mares are like that also.

 

[smilincowranch]

I agree she sounds like she is to big for her britches. I agree with what others have said, a large herd that can teach her things don't always go her way will do a LOT for her mind set.

 

[jilleroo]

Well guess what....there was a bloke here this morning to do a job, the filly was calling out in the roundyard, and, after checking her out, he asked if I would sell her to him. I said, let me think about it.....okay!!!! Arranged he would do four days fencing for us in return for her, using his gear - I think that's a great deal for an unbroken horse basically not worth a lot. The filly let him catch and lead her and pick up her feet - he's an experienced horseman, a showjump rider actually, so she's going to a good home. Phew, so lucky for me, I can't believe it. Hope it all comes to fruition but he did insist we shake hands on it, twice in fact!

 

[chippie]

Excellent! I bet that she will be a different horse in new surroundings. : )