Unfortunately, just as in human communities there can sometimes be bullies in the horse world. Despite our equine friend being respectful and well-behaved around us, sometimes this doesn’t translate to their grazing buddies.
It’s upsetting for owners to see their horse bullying or being bullied. Biting, striking, kicking and otherwise making other horses lives unpleasant can have a negative effect on all concerned. So, why do horses bully each other and what can we do to remedy this unwanted behaviour?
Remember that whatever your horse’s behavioural issues, having horse insurance is invaluable to protect them from harm. Just as insurance for a horse trailer is vital to maintain safe transport for them and their equine friends.
Bullying or aggression towards other horses is a common behavioural issue owners seek help with.
As with most animals, aggression is a normal, natural and sometimes necessary trait for horses. However they’re not an overly aggressive species and tend to live in harmony with others.
While your horse may have had a very comfortable life so far, their natural instincts are still present. These have been developed to protect themselves from predators and to defend their offspring or mates.
Unfortunately, these instincts can lead to problem behaviours in domestic horses.
Horses can bully and behave aggressively for a number of reasons, such as:
While bullying and aggression can involve chasing, biting, kicking or striking it can be more subtle, like pinned ears or kick threats.
Owners who are not as adept at reading horse behaviour might be oblivious to this – particularly if the owner is away from the field when the bullying happens.
Something worth watching out for is if turn-out blankets are getting damaged. This could be a sign that a field fellow is helpfully grooming the horse, but it could also be a sign of bullying.
In any instance of bullying or aggression, it’s important to find out the cause of the behaviour and deal with that first. Simply trying to stop the behaviour using punishment is unlikely to succeed.
If you’ve had no luck with identifying the cause of the behaviour and it’s still going on then it might be time to take further steps. Try the following...
Just as with finding the perfect horse trailer insurance policy, getting some specialist help with the behaviour might be the fastest route to success.
Sometimes when horses are moved to another location it’s advised to reduce stress by transporting them with a field friend.
This is obviously unwise if there is evidence of bullying or aggression between the animals. Defra has produced advice for transporting equines that should be followed.
The advice states that horses and ponies must be handled and transported separately if they are:
Even experienced owners can find transporting horses fraught with worries and difficulties. That’s why the team at Equesure are here to take some of the pressure off by finding you the perfect insurance cover for your requirements.
With over 60 years of experience in the equine insurance market, our specialists can find cover for all makes and models of trailer up to the value of £10,000.
Horse trailer insurance policies arranged by Equesure include accidental damage, fire and theft as standard. We can also arrange breakdown cover, which can include home/stable start. Other benefits can include:
Get a quick quote for horse trailer insurance today.
Policy benefits, features and discounts offered may very between insurance schemes or cover selected and are subject to underwriting criteria. Information contained within this article is accurate at the time of publishing but may be subject to change.
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