It's very doubtful you'll change his attitude toward other horses. He's telling them, right off the bat, that "I am in charge!" There are horses like this in every group; horses form a hierarchy or pecking order and the leaders can be very pushy about asserting their authority. The best you can do is keep an eye on him and when his body language suggests he's going to strike out at another horse, move him so he can't follow through.

Barn sour is a terribly hard habit to change. Horses are social creatures--even bossy horses--and if they tend to misbehave to return to the others, you'll have to be a strong enough rider to prevent it.

You could take lessons and become a more accomplished rider or better still, take your horse to a trainer and then take lessons on your own horse before you bring him back to your barn. This is the costly route, but it's a good one.

To be honest, I am not a fan of today's horse training gurus (except for Linda Tellington-Jones) but if I were a novice with a limited amount to spend on re-training a pushy horse, I'd choose one of them, invest in this person's materials, and follow the program. These "horse whisperers" address all of the various problems novice horsepeople encounter and this sort of step-by-step instruction can be invaluable if you've never dealt with problem horses before.

The other alternative would be to sell the horse you have and buy one more suited to your present abilities. It's hard, but it's even harder to be badly injured and as a result, build up a fear of riding that could haunt you the rest of your life. I've been there and done that. At one time I trained and instructed professionally and now I'm my horses' caretaker and friend but I don't ride them. I'd give anything to go back to the day I very stupidly rode a horse I knew had such serious behavior problems that I really shouldn't. I was 34; now I'm 60. I'm still a horse obsessive (can't live without them) but that one fateful ride changed my entire life. It's not worth it, believe me.

Wish I could be more helpful.

Sue  

This is the problem, both when you and he are with other horses, and when trying to ride him alone, when he is acting buddy sour.  He is not listening to your cues, he is not respecting your leadership.

As a novice rider, you need a horse that will help you build confidence and enjoy riding.  When a horse acts this way, you need to know how/when to correct them and cue them to what is the right behavior.

If you want to work through the issues, your best bet (IMO) as a novice, is to seek help from a trainer who is not only willing to work with the horse, but with you.  It is not an easy thing, and a novice can get confused and frustrated trying to work thru them on their own (been there).  Get recommendations from friends or people you respect and find a trainer in your area.

Another option is to sell the horse and buy another.  You may not want a 16yr old "plod along" gelding, but that is the best horse to start with.  You can learn to ride and be around horses and do horsey things without the pressure/worry/risk of a younger horse that lacks the manners and respect of his rider.  This is another time when a trainer can help, many can help find a horse for you for a fee or commission.

A horse that doesn't listen and respect his rider is a dangerous ride for a novice.  Take care of your own safety and find someone local who can help you.

Dream Big.

That said, you need to find out all you can regarding this horse.  It may explain some of the problems that you are having.  Do you know if this QH was ever registered?  If so, you may be able to trace back and find out what his training was, or what his breeding is.  They may be clues as to why you are having difficulty remaining in control.  Pleasure riding or trail riding may be new to him.

I've looked at a great many of the horse adoption sites and I cannot recall even one that does not geld the stallions that come to them as a matter of routine.  Some of that dominant behavior could be a result of being gelded late or after fully mature.  (One behavior could be easily observed, mares and geldings will usually defecate wherever they are at.  Stallions usually pick a spot and return to the same area each time.  So watch him a bit and see if he seems to have a particular "poo station".)  Now, I don't think that their is any excuse for a horse to be overly aggressive, stallion or not, but if he was gelded late and if he was accustomed to acting out when he was still intact, then this could be a big part of the problem.  I don't know if that can be trained out of a horse or not. 

Now, I would also say that if the problem only happens when you are riding, that you need to really look at the saddle and how it fits as well as the blanket or saddle pad to make sure that there are no stickers and no loose tacks that may be irritating the horse.

Good Luck!

Personally, I would sit down and figure out if it was within my budget to find a trainer who, like the previous posts have stated, will work with not only your horse, but with you as well. If you truly don't have the funds, see if you can find an educated horseperson in your area who would barter with you for time on your horse. It's getting close to hay season -- I don't know of too many horse owners who wouldn't trade some saddle time for help putting up hay! If you think more along those lines, you may never have to write a check for services rendered.

Buying a horse is an investment -- and not one to be treated lightly. I feel that if you make the decision to buy him, you need to invest in trying to make him better. Sending him down the road should be a last resort. Obviously, if, after all other options have been exhausted and he is still a danger to you and other horses, selling him would be advisable. An untrained horse is an incredibly tough sell, so be aware that you might not get back what you put in.

Very few behavior issues are truly insurmountable -- with the right trainer you will be well on your way to happiness with your horse. Best of luck -- and keep us updated!

*Sarah & IGGY*

I couldn't tell from your original post if the biting of the other horse happened in the pasture while the horses were loose or while the horse was under saddle? 

If it was while they were turned out you can avoid that in the future by introducing horses slowly before turning out together.  What I would do when I had my boarding stable and would have to introduce new horses often was do it in stages.  First step was to put horses side by side in a stall.  Don't let them touch noses.  They could look, smell but not have any physical contact.  Next step would be to turn the horses out in adjoining paddocks.  I would do that for a couple days or more.  Then I put these two together in the same paddock and let some time pass and maybe add another horse so now there's 3.  The final step would be to turn him out with the herd.  I seperate mares from geldings and that helped alot to lessen the fighting.  Just remember to go slow and let them get aquainted with some distance and barriers between them first.  Do not ever get between two unfamiliar horses in the pasture. 

Also a dominant horse in a herd does not mean a dominant horse with people, necessarily.  All horses work out a pecking order.  All horses are herd animals so most horses will feel some distress when taken from the herd.  This can be overcome but again it is done in small increments and would be best down with some help if you are still a novice. 

If the horse reacted like this to another horse while you were riding then you would need a trainers help.  If it was done while he was on a lead and you took him up to an unfamiliar horse this is not wise on your part and you need to be shown horse safety guidelines. There are safety precautions you need to be aware while handling a horse, such as the proper way to lead a horse into a stall, the proper way to turn a horse out in a pasture with other horses, the proper way to hold a lead rope and so on so you don't get hurt.  These safety precautions apply to all horses-- young, old, deadbroke so without knowing more details your horse may of just been acting like a horse and with a little foresight and proper ground handling it could be avoided.   

Good luck with your new horse.  I hope things go well. 

Sue Steiner
equine and animal art
www.suesteiner.com