Kicking in warm ups
When Laura Taylor bought her parthanoverian, part-anglo-arab mare, Angel, as a five-year-old, she turned her out with other horses for company.
“She was homebred in Devon and as she’d been turned out in company at her previous home, I thought that she would feel safer in a small group of mares at my new yard,” says Laura. “However, when I turned her out, she ran and the other mares went after her, which I believe frightened her. From then on, she wouldn’t settle in the herd, and for fear of her getting injured we sectioned off an individual paddock for her next to them.”
After this, Laura noticed that when she took Angel into an arena with other horses, the mare became very unsettled.
“I let her stand [in the arena] until she’d relaxed and then took her out, all the time giving her reassurance. It progressed to her kicking out at horses that got too close in the warm up at competitions, but she was worse if someone passed me in a corner and similarly if another horse came up behind us in trot or canter.”
She was also nervous about being alongside another horse out hacking.
Laura has since moved to a yard with herd turnout and it has helped Angel’s confidence at competitions (see box, p70).
“I wasn’t sure how Angel would cope. However, she has settled into the herd brilliantly. She shows no aggression, happily grazes next to other horses and allows them to mutual groom.”
“It progressed to her kicking out at horses that got too close in the warm up at competitions”
Rider Laura Taylor