Horses

I suspect they are bored, you are the equivalent of a new toy as well as a potential provider of titbits. Bullocks are exactly the same, but generally if you walk slowly they will ignore if. If they do run at you, I know it is hard to do, stand and face them, don't run away. It's always worked for me. Stay there and don't move, they soon get bored and amble off.

I have lived with horses all my life but I would never enter a field with horses who didn't know me. They are far to unpredictable and many don't take kindly to strangers.

I had this problem when ramblers and fishermen used our field for access to the loch further on. It didn't bother me when anyone walked through the field but I did make them aware that they were doing so at their own risk as one of our horses was extremely pushy as he assumed every human had a tit bit for him and became very annoyed when nothing was given.

Had my dogs bitten someone, that would have been my responsibility but not so the horses.

when I was a teenager I worked on a farm for a while, so know that cattle in fields should be avoided, and never go near a cow when it has a calf either.
I don't know that deer had to be avoided though, in fact I thought they avoided us.I only rarely see one these days anyway and they dash off.

a stile! mind you they can be awkward b*****s.

I'd love to know more about them. If you find out let me know. They do sound like a couple of naughty adolescents to me. It's wrong that you can't walk where you want to though. Is there a local ramblers group or something like that that could do something on your behalf? Just don't divert your walk to an area where there are deer [even worse]. I've long maintained that the safest/healthiest life is that of the couch potato [never been the same since I fell off a stile in the Peak District].

Well I thank you all for the advice you've put on here. I've learned a lot more about horse psychology than I knew before. As I said, I will try and find out who is responsible for them and make it known about the intimidating behaviour. In both cases, the horses in question are good quality riding horses - one looks as if it might have a bit of Arab in it, by the look of its head and the way it holds it's tail - so they might be a bit more highly strung, do you think, than run if the mill animals? I've always been very relaxed around horses and cows, but I think twice now about both and will avoid those paths. Shame though; I was looking forward to fishing the river again this year but I have no wish to be dumped in the drink trying to get away from a horse, like Pompa!

Tegan's advice and information is spot on. It's irritating that despite the clear notices saying the horses are on special diets, don't feed, so many people continue to arrive with bits of bread, carrot or polo mints, encouraging small children to feed the horses. As has already been said, both ends of horses can be dangerous, horses are unpredictable, flight animals and if one runs, the others tend to follow. They also have personalities, some are biters, some kick out with their back legs. I cared for a huge horse when I was 15 - 17 - he was a horror to catch. We always kept a halter on him to make it easier and carried a bucket of food to encourage him to come close. Some days he simply charged across the field and whichever girl was holding the bucket had to run to get out of his way.
Like everyone else who has worked with/ridden horses, I'm very cautious about walking through fields where horses are grazing. It sounds as though you're walking through a right of way Greyduster so yes, I think the landowner needs to know these two are terrorising walkers. The suggestion of waving a plastic bag is worth a try, horses can see monsters anywhere and tend to run away from them

I think they probably added the 'special diet' bit as people might just ignore the 'don't feed' part. Good idea of Janes about having food to throw and also agree that someone should be informed because they could hurt someone [especially a child]. Not sure that horses are as curious about dogs as cattle are, although a horse did once try to run down my dog [she veered off to the side, thankfully]. It eventually went on to kick it's owners dog on the head but the owner said it was the dogs fault for walking behind it . I won't walk through a field with cattle in, especially if I have the dog with me; I've been pinned in corners by them before now.

I knew that Tegan would have a few answers to this problem. I know nothing about horses although I like them, but the one thing I do know is that they can be unpredictable and easily spooked.Yes, it does seem reasonable that they have got used to tasy tidbits and they were grabbing you to remind you.You were smaller than your husband, maybe that's why they left him alone?

I wish I had read this earlier, I used to keep horses.

Yes, they bite because they want a tidbit and you haven't given them one. Many people catch up a pony by giving it a treat because they know it will come quicker, and catching up a pony without one can be quite hard if they don't feel like it - I used to be a very quick runner! It's also why they wear a bridle all the time, so that you can grab hold of it.

People do try to feed horses daft things, such as bread, which is probably why the notice is there, but if you want to go across that field again, do take apples/carrots and don't hand them over, throw them on the ground close to the horse and walk past while they are occupied.

If they are piebald or skewbald maybe a kind landowner is doing a gypsy family a favour by letting the horses graze there for a while. We have several around us. We also have them on common land, but tethered.

I would say, don't ever run, they will think you are playing and will chase you. carry a stick, but across your body widthways to make yourself look bigger.

I agree with Tegan that they are probably used to cadging tit-bits from people walking in the field. It also sounds as though they are not regularly handled or ridden and that could be the cause of their aggressive behaviour.

The notice about the special diet is probably nonsense - more likely it's a disclaimer in case somebody puts in a complaint to the police or the RSPCA. You can't have a horse on a special diet if it's turned out in a field!!

Horses know when someone is afraid and will take advantage. They're much bigger than us after all. I would avoid the field if possible.

No it wasn't windy in either case. I don't know who owns the land that borders the river - in fact, no-one seems to know. I was trying to find out who owned the fishing rights last year and even the guy at the local tackle shop, who fishes it himself, didn't know. He said it was common, but the path comes out on the transpennine trail, so I might contact Derbyshire County Council as they have responsibility for the trail and they should know who owns the adjoining land. We've lived here for three years and the horses have only appeared this year. There are horses in the bordering fields, but they are contained. A lot of people walk their dogs along there and I wondered if that might make them nervous with regard to all humans.

Was it a windy day? They get very spooky when it's windy.

When I was muck picking a horses on our field used to come over and bite me on the head. She was very very naughty, but for some reason I was incredibly fond of her. And I was standing next to someone who was stroking a horse who seemed half asleep and she suddenly kicked forward and missed his chest by centimetres. When I spend a lot of time with horses I got used to them but these days I treat them with extreme caution [still love them to bits though]. I heard that, if they kick back you're in trouble, but, if they kick forward you're in big, big trouble.

If it's a public footpath then the horses owner needs to be told about this. I'd also inform the police.

We had horses for years but now I avoid getting anywhere near them purely because I'm well aware of how they might behave.

You need to report this because it could escalate and the next victim being bitten might be a lone walker, a child, or a group of people panicking when these horses charge at them.

You're very lucky you weren't alone, and that you were wearing a thick jacket.

My goodness, Tegan, I had no idea they could be such complicated beasts. I would buy into the theory of the first two being miffed because they had previously been fed, but I wouldn't have expected them to be quite so aggressive. The sight of two large horses thundering across a field in your direction is absolutely terrifying. I find it difficult to negotiate stiles at the best of times but not that day! Roses we were both wearing - albeit different shades of - blue jackets. I would say that a few weeks ago, we encountered the same two horses as today, and they were fine. We took no notice of each other. What was different about today I don't know. I have a bruise on my shoulder.

I used to be in St John's Ambulance and did a lot of horse duties. Quickly learnt that both ends of a horse were dangerous for different reasons. Greyduster.I had a horse deliberately push me into the river once, when I asked the farmer (he did give me permission to fish) he said, oh yes i mean't to warn you, she has done that before.

They do react to hormones as well, I believe [not that I've got any]. Stallions only tend to be loked after by men and not women for that reason [at least, that's what they told us at the National stud]. And mares can act a bit odd when they're in season [which they might be during the summer].

With the first two horses to me as if they've had a problem with people feeding them whilst walking across their field and they are now expecting people to get the polo mints out and getting angry when they don't. Not sure about the second two. I don't like walking across fields with horses in. Years ago my old pony was in a field and I asked my farrier if he'd go and get her while I fetched something else and he said he wouldn't walk across a field full of horses if he didn't know them [and he'd worked with army horses for years]. Made me realise that horses were pretty unpredictable even for people who were experienced with them. When I used to get mine from the field I'd take a schooling whip with me, not to hit the horses but to separate mine from the others. If you want to scare horses away the best thing is to carry a plastic bag and wave it around; they don't like plastic bags much. But be careful that they don't suddenly turn round and kick out with their back legs. They are creatures of habit; maybe you walked across their field when it was close to feeding time. And they are very skittish at this time of year, especially if there are mares and geldings in the same field.

if I wasn't allowed ginger biscuits I would be very ratty.

Could the special diet be making them act this way?

That is strange Greyduster isn't it?Could it be the colour of something you are wearing? try wearing the same colour as your DH and see what happens.