We had another blip yesterday, my fault in hindsight. It was howling a gale here and i decided not to let them out as i was going to collect mum and dad and might be back after dark. So i let the donkeys out on the yard while i mucked out, with the idea that i would muck out, replenish, put back in. Rose came out, refused to be caught to go back in, ditto Molly,so i ended up leaving the two cobs and the donkeys on the yard.
Leo went into Rose's stable which is right next to his while i mucked him out, and i put Suze and Fleurette into his while i did theirs - Suze is the muckiest pup and i wanted her stable to be left empty so i could just walk her in for dinner. So i left her there, with the grill so Fleurette could talk to Leo and they were fine munching away.
Came back, great hole in stable wall and door where mare has clearly either taken pot shots at Leo or someone else who came to see hello. Clearly could not cope with this close proximity - she does kick other horses if they come into her space, she really doesn't like it.
So today tough love approach. Headcollar on at all times when dealing with her. Tied up, foal removed, rug on, left tied up far enough from the door so she cannot be bothered by another horse.
Fleurette had breakfast in other stable, rug on, professional little foal, no bother at all, donkeys rugged and out, cobs rugged and out, Leo out, Fleurette out, Suze last to come out, glowering a bit but well behaved. New rules, she will have to like it or lump it.
Her dislike of proximity, I begin to wonder IF she has been on a transport where she was loose with other horses and there was a great fight and she either bullied or got bullied. The thought of her going on a meat lorry loose with unknown horses chills me to the bone, she would have killed or been killed as she really does double barrel. And it is all down to fear. She doesn't like other horses in her space at all. BUT if i am with her, and tell her to stow it, she will tolerate them walking past and just make a face but not lash out, she knows right from wrong, and will respect it if i tell her to be good.
Quite how i got booted i am still not sure, I suspect it was the three bloody sheep next door, I had my back to them and Spencer probably jumped up and looked through the grill, that would have been enough. I have banished them to the smaller field so they can't come onto the yard, as the hens are now in the stable i could lock them in.....
I also wonder if it is hormonal, she is still suckling foally and producing a lot of milk.
Who knows. She still is not talking to me, we are glaring at each other, the scared eye is back, she knows she has done wrong. But i think i did the right thing by ignoring her bad behaviour, tempting as it was to grab a water bucket and throw the bloody thing at her and scare her silly to show it was a bad thing to do. She was expecting a beating, and i just ignored it, continued unrugging her and left it at that.
I now have feed in my pocket, and give her a reward every time we do something. She clearly doesn't understand very well, she hasn't found my pocket at all - foal has - and doesn't understand that it is for her to sniff and be interest in, which i find very sad. She has missed out on so many normal things.
Anyway, i just will have to be more careful as I made the mistake of really trusting her, like walking up between her and her foal taking rugs off. And we never had collars on, she had come on so far.
Fortunately Fleurette is a different kettle of fish, very friendly, loving, full of it, but accepting, she has her little rug on without a problem and is very good. She is 14hh or thereabouts at 8 months.....so fortunate she is a good girlie.
