[PatrioticPOA]

A long whip is a great idea because it is an extension of your aid and it gives you a safe distance away from her especially if she is being down right nasty. Even if you have to (and I say this with caution because I know people can take it the wrong way) flick it across her bum if the sound and the pressure don't keep her away. And I'm not saying to whip her with it by any means but this is honestly dangerous and measures need to be taken with caution. I would even recommend wearing a helmet.

[Callie's Mom]

I always try to keep a dressage whip with me, it is good to have as an aid as, others have mentioned, but a bit easier to carry around than a lunge whip...

[belsenj]

Can you have someone else give her her food/hay when you are standing there with her on a long lead line? If she starts in, you can do some lunging or just make her wait for a while. Make her get the message that she MUST wait and behave herself.

[XxLiveToRidexX]

I had been having the same problem with my horse being so disrespectful in the stall and literally dragging people out to his pasture.

The best thing IMO - Get out the stud chain (broodmare chain ?) Put the chain around her nose and any time she is being pushy give her a good hard yank down. Works wonders!! After a day or so she should learn to just walk out with the chain on but you won't need to use any contact.

You can go like this:


Like this if she is REALLY difficult:

[Goonhorse]

Good for you! And don't feel bad, because at least you did something about it. And you didn't know that she had gotten so bad.

[Rummymuffin]

It is difficult dealing with horses that have alpha personalities, particularly mares, and food aggression takes careful, consistent management. I am a little confused at why you separated her from her food after she was fed...it seems counter intuitive to me; you are only going to increase her anxiety about food by separating her while she is eating. Obviously you need to be able to feed the horse safely without being trampled, but it makes no sense to take the food away after she's gotten it.

It sounds like you understand how to get her to behave on the ground with a halter and lead. I would follow the same principles with the hay/grain. Once you have the desired response; standing quietly waiting, her reward is her food. She needs to associate polite behavior with being fed. She will never make that connection if you take the food away after she's gotten it; she will just see it as an act of aggression.

[kmdstar]

Originally Posted by Rummymuffin

It sounds like you understand how to get her to behave on the ground with a halter and lead. I would follow the same principles with the hay/grain. Once you have the desired response; standing quietly waiting, her reward is her food.

I do this with Starlite every once in a while, for no reason really. She isn't pushy to get to her food or anything, she gets a little antsy but that's all. I just do it because I read it's good to do Dream's the one that really needs it...

We also use the stud chain on Dream (over the nose, not through the mouth...yet) but she still drags us in it. As you can tell, Dream needs quite a bit of ground work But the stud chain doesn't really teach them that quickly, not for Dream anyway.

[OregonRain]

oh wow! That sucks that you have to learn about this after the fact. But it sounds like you won't put up with her guff so i'm sure she'll clean up her act soon enough. Just make sure to let the others in the barn know that this behavior is NOT acceptable and get them on board with the discipline.
This makes me want to ask my instructor how Jewel is at feeding time. she can get an attitude in the arena at times but i have no idea how she is about food!

[FallenAngel]

Originally Posted by Rummymuffin

I am a little confused at why you separated her from her food after she was fed...it seems counter intuitive to me; you are only going to increase her anxiety about food by separating her while she is eating. Obviously you need to be able to feed the horse safely without being trampled, but it makes no sense to take the food away after she's gotten it.

If she has food around her ( Hay or grain) Or knows that shes being fed soon she gets extreamly hard to handle. So I want her to understand she has to back up, not push at the feeder (person) and wait. As for taking her away once shes had some food, shes fine if you halter her and walk away which i have to do sometimes if i come to see her and its feeding time. Or sometimes she has to learn to wait in her paddock while someone comes and cleans her stall or something. So I want her to behave no matter the curcumstances.

[Rummymuffin]

Originally Posted by FallenAngel

If she has food around her ( Hay or grain) Or knows that shes being fed soon she gets extreamly hard to handle. So I want her to understand she has to back up, not push at the feeder (person) and wait. As for taking her away once shes had some food, shes fine if you halter her and walk away which i have to do sometimes if i come to see her and its feeding time. Or sometimes she has to learn to wait in her paddock while someone comes and cleans her stall or something. So I want her to behave no matter the curcumstances.

I understand what you want from her, but you have to put it in terms that are "fair" in her mind. She sounds very intelligent, so have a very clear set of rules and expectations will get you a lot further than intermittent training sessions. Obviously the goal is always for her to behave no matter what, but there has to be a realistic plan that builds towards the ideal and a clear set of corrections for when she does act up.

Can't a stall guard be installed between the stall door and the paddock so she can't get in while it's being cleaned?