Ponies are intelligent, quirky, and adorable animals, and while most think this is the perfect way to describe them, this could be far from the truth. With all the cuteness wrapped in a small body, it comes at a price. Ponies are known for being mean and aggressive, and for a good reason! Do you have a mean pony? Why are they so mean, and how can you prevent it?
Ponies are mean if they are scared, unstimulated, have hormonal issues, have health problems, or due to maternal instinct. You can prevent them from being mean through stimulation, veterinary checks, spaying and training, and building trust and respect. Separating or professional help may be needed.
Having a mean pony could leave you feeling hopeless, as they could pose a danger to you, the people who ride or work with them, or even during feeding times. Stay with us as we discuss why ponies become mean and what you can do to prevent this behavior!
Why Do Ponies Become Mean?
Ponies are complete characters and seem to have a mind of their own. Because of this, ponies could be an incredible challenge to work with, and to reach success, you need to be one or a few steps ahead of them at all times.
There are many reasons ponies could become mean; more often than not, these behaviors could be prevented or corrected before getting out of hand. Let’s look at why your mean pony might have behavioral issues:
Ponies Develop Aggression Due To Fear
If you have rescued your pony from a rescue agency or privately, they could be aggressive towards you immediately or develop aggressive behavior over time.
This could be due to them not being trained correctly or treated correctly by the former owner. Fear-induced aggression is common under ponies, especially if they have been abused.
Ponies Develop Aggression Due To Environmental Management
Just like horses, ponies need a stable and healthy environment to thrive in. This includes having enough space to roam in to keep them stimulated.
An unstimulated pony will develop aggression out of frustration and could resort to attacking people or horses too close to them.
They become stressed and mean or aggressive towards people or other animals without enough food resources and water.
Another reason for aggression due to the environment is when a pony is confined to their stall. When a pony is constantly cramped in a small space, it will become aggressive to show they aren’t happy, and they need stimulation and a chance to stretch its legs properly.
Ponies Develop Aggression Due To Hormones
It’s very common for ponies to become mean and out of control if they have hormonal issues. In this case, they will show aggression towards other ponies, which may be associated with sexual dominance, competition, or territory.
Ponies Develop Aggression Due To Maternal Instinct
When a mare shows aggression toward other ponies or people or tries to keep them away from her foal, this is a normal maternal instinct. Most animals will display acts of aggression due to foaling, and ponies are great at making it clear you shouldn’t bother them or their foals!
Ponies Develop Aggression Due To Health Problems
As with most other animals, ponies will show aggression if they are in physical pain. A pony in pain or ill will display physical expression towards humans or other ponies when they are in discomfort.
How To Prevent Your Pony From Becoming Mean
There are many prevention tips to ensure your pony acts friendly and knows not to be mean or aggressive. Equine aggression tactics should be implemented, from establishing control to positive enforcement.
Below we have made a list of how to prevent your pony from developing behavioral issues:
Keep Your Pony Stimulated
Providing your pony with enough opportunities to release their energy and create a strong bond with them is crucial to prevent them from becoming mean.
Spending time with them could be as easy as:
- Bathing them
- Brushing them
- Providing them with treats
As you do this more and more, your pony will become more attached to you and view you as a friend who entertains them and show them they are loved!
Exercising them daily is also a huge part of preventing them from being mean to you, as they will be physically and mentally stimulated, especially if they work with kids!
Another great way to make sure your pony is stimulated is to provide them with enough hay or grass to chew on during their downtimes, which could help to prevent them from developing mean habits.
Show Your Pony You Are Its Leader
An essential part of any relationship with an animal is to show them you are its leader. This is especially true for a pony, as they need to know that you are in charge of any situation while trusting you enough not to lash out with mean behaviors, such as kicking, jumping, or biting.
This can only be achieved by working with your pony daily and showing consistency in everything you do. Most of the time, when a pony shows aggressive behavior toward a person ists due to them questioning your role as a leader. You need to communicate consistently, show your leadership with lots of groundwork, and build strong trust between you.
Make Sure Your Pony Undergoes Regular Veterinary Checkups
As mentioned above, a pony will display aggressive behavior due to illness or pain. The best way to prevent your pony from displaying pain-based aggression is to schedule regular veterinary checkups once a year.
During grooming and daily feeding sessions, monitor your pony for any of the following signs:
- Illness
- Lack of appetite
- Loss of hair
- Diarrhea
- Aggression
If one or more of the above are evident, it would be best to follow up with a veterinary professional.
Spay Your Pony To Help With Temperamental Problems
Hormonal changes in ponies can make mares act jumpy, unable to ride, and almost impossible to handle. Stallions will fight other stallions or even mares, as well as people who approach them or their group.
Spaying equines could help with many behavioral problems, but it’s not always guaranteed. This is mainly because every pony will have a distinct personality, and spaying a mare or stallion won’t necessarily take all your problems away.
It is advised to make an appointment will a veterinary professional for an opinion if you decide to go this route to prevent any mean and unwanted behaviors.
Train Your Pony Correctly
If you want to prevent your pony from becoming mean, you will need to provide it with constant and consistent training. This is also true if you want to change bad habits like kicking, pushing, or biting. If you have more than one pony, you can’t allow bad behavior in one and not in the other.
Some ponies tend to show aggression, such as nipping or pushing to show affection. You need to redirect the behavior to a more suitable action in this case. Positive reinforcement tactics work best, such as providing treats when an action is desired and walking away from your pony when an action is not.
Teach Your Pony To Respect You
The sooner you can establish mutual respect between you and your pony, it will prevent and cure any behavioral problems. Respect can only come when your pony knows they can trust you; more often than not, this can only develop in time.
How you and your pony build trust and respect will depend on you, but make sure you do something with your pony you know it enjoys doing as well.
It could be as simple as taking them for a walk. It’s also much easier to discourage any existing bad behaviors and habits when your pony respects you and your authority.
Separate Your Pony From Other Ponies
If your pony shows aggression towards other ponies, they might have pathologic dominance-based aggression. This is when they try to attack or hurt other ponies or horses that come too close to them. This could be in general or during feeding times.
You can start by separating your pony from others during feeding times and seeing if the aggression continues. If the aggression continues before or after feeding times, you may have to take a different approach.
In this case, separating them from other animals or people may be necessary. Depending on how severe the aggression is, a temporary or permanent fence or wall will need to be used to separate them.
Consider Getting Help From A Professional
If the situation worsens, you might need to consider getting help from a professional. Mean habits can quickly turn into destructive and aggressive behavior.
If you cannot train your pony correctly or is unsure how, and it turns into biting, kicking, or hurting children or adults, you may need a horse trainer’s expertise. Some specialize in working with ponies.
These professionals will have unique abilities and skills to correct the behavior before it worsens to the point of no return. Many of these professionals will also be able to provide you with some helpful tips and methods to correct your pony’s behavior yourself.
Conclusion
Dealing with your mean pony will take some time and effort, but as soon as you know why they may develop these behavioral issues, it makes prevention much easier. Prevention isn’t always possible, so you may have to resort to certain tactics and, in some cases, consider professional advice or help.
Resources
https://animals.mom.com/ways-horse-shows-dominance-humans-2601.html
https://www.bhs.org.uk/horse-care-and-welfare/behaviour/stereotypical-behaviours/
https://www.thesprucepets.com/the-difference-between-horses-and-ponies-188699
