Dangerous & Aggressive Behaviours
It Can Be Overwhelming when your horse is unpredictable and dangerous
Is your horse biting, kicking, or acting aggressively towards you, the farrier, or others? When a horse becomes dangerous to handle, it can feel overwhelming and even frightening. You may be feeling like your horse just doesn’t respect you, won’t listen, or is testing your limits and it’s putting everyone at risk.
It’s not just frustrating; it’s dangerous. You didn’t get into riding horse to feel like an endless battle every time you want to ride.
This service is designed for owners who need to take back control of their horse’s behaviour without using harsh tactics. Whether your horse is biting, kicking, or resisting basic handling, I can help you regain control and create a safer, more manageable partnership.
This is where I come in. 👋
My Solution: Practical, Proven Training for Safer Handling
I understand how scary it can be when your horse becomes dangerous to handle. While it may feel like your horse is being “bold” or “disrespectful,” most aggressive behaviour is a result of fear, stress, or confusion. My approach combines practical, science-based methods with clear boundaries to help your horse learn to respect and cooperate with you.
This isn’t about force or punishment it’s about teaching your horse to trust and respond appropriately, making every interaction safer for you both.
We’ll focus on reducing aggression and dangerous behaviour, so you can feel confident handling your horse, whether it’s during farrier/vet visits, day to day grooming, clipping, tacking up or lunging/exercise.
Is This the Right Fit for You?
This service is Perfect For You If…
- Your horse shows dangerous behaviours like biting, kicking, or barging during routine handling.
- You’re struggling to handle your horse safely, and you’re worried they don’t respect your boundaries.
- You want practical, proven techniques to reduce dangerous behaviour and regain control, without using harsh or forceful methods.
- You’re ready to make your interactions with your horse safer, calmer, and more controlled.
FREE GUIDE COMING SOON
What’s Included In This service?
Comprehensive Assessment and Tailored Training
- On-site Behavioural Assessment: I will spend two hours in-person with you and your horse, observing their behaviour in real-world situations. Together, we’ll uncover the root causes of the aggressive behaviour, whether it’s biting, kicking, or resisting basic handling.
- Custom Training Plan: Based on our assessment, I’ll create a personalised training plan tailored to your horse’s needs. You’ll receive clear, step-by-step instructions on how to safely manage and reduce dangerous behaviours.
- Hands-On 1:1 Coaching: During our sessions, I’ll work with you and your horse to demonstrate effective techniques for handling aggressive behaviour. You’ll gain the confidence to apply the training yourself, making daily interactions safer.
- Ongoing Support: To truly resolve dangerous behaviours, we’ll work together over a 12-week program. These ongoing sessions are designed to provide consistent, hands-on guidance as we tackle aggression and ensure your horse becomes safer and more manageable over time. Each session builds on the last, ensuring long-term improvement and control for both you and your horse.
- Veterinary Collaboration: If needed, I’ll work with your vet to rule out any underlying health issues that might be contributing to your horse’s aggressive behaviour.
3 Steps to Success
1️⃣ Assess and Understand: We’ll start by identifying the triggers behind your horse’s aggressive or dangerous behaviour. Whether it’s fear, discomfort, or learned behaviour, understanding the root cause is crucial for lasting change.
2️⃣ Meet Their Needs and Guide Learning: We’ll establish safe, clear boundaries that help your horse understand what’s expected of them. With structured training and trust-building, we’ll guide your horse towards calmer, safer responses.
3️⃣ Review and Adjust for Lasting Results: As your horse progresses, we’ll regularly review their behaviour and adjust the training as needed. I’m here to provide ongoing support to ensure you and your horse stay safe in the long run.
Recommended By Vets
“Whilst working with Barbara we worked on a case with a 9-year-old thoroughbred mare who was presented to me with persistent gait irregularities and physical signs that suggested underlying discomfort. Despite Barbara’s successful behavioural modification and farriers hoof rehabilitation, her return to work had revealed recurring postural and movement concerns that merited further veterinary investigation.”
“Barbara attended the appointment at Anglesey Lodge Equine Hospital to support the veterinary team with low-stress handling protocols and assist in interpreting Maple’s behavioural responses throughout the examination. With Barbara’s methods great patience and care, calmness and proficiency were obtained in every aspect of this examination process.”
“Barbara’s understanding of the patient really gave me the best insight to analyse and guide my veterinary advice.”
“I would highly recommend Clinical Animal Behaviourist, Barbara Hardman on behavioural cases for horses in the future and look forward to collaborating with her in the future.”
Juan Francisco Perez Olmos MVB, Dip ECVS, Director at Anglesey Lodge Equine Hospital
“Performing nerve blocks during a lameness assessment on horses with behavioural issues can be a dangerous undertaking leading to injury of the veterinarian or the horse, or both. In most of these cases where needle placement cannot be performed utilisation of advanced imaging techniques such as gamma scintigraphy or bone scans are then required, and in horses with mild chronic lamenesses the sensitivity of such diagnostics is usually reduced. Thus, blocking is best but fighting with a 500kg horse is always going to end with one winner.”
“Barbara’s ability to reduce the behavioural issues of these cases and improve the horse’s acceptance of needle placement for nerve blocks has made the blocking process possible and safer in some of these cases. Her patience and effort has allowed us to do more thorough diagnostics and definitively identify sources of lameness in horses that would otherwise have been impossible to deal with. This again highlights the value of multi disciplinary cooperation within the veterinary community and respecting the skills and areas of expertise of our fellow professionals.”
Simon Hennessy MVB MSc Cert AVP(ESO)(ESST) MRCVS DipECVS EBVS Recognised Specialist in Equine Surgery at Anglesey Lodge Equine Hospital
If you want to Claim on Insurance
As a fully qualified Clinical Animal Behaviourist (CAB) accredited by APBC, many insurance policies will cover my fees. Check your pet insurance policy to see if you can claim back some or all of the costs. (Ireland does not have as comprehensive cover for Equines as the UK; however, this is slowly changing.)
Ready To Take control of your horse’s behaviour and make every interaction safer!
Let’s increase safety around you horse and build a better life! 👇
How it works:
Fill Out the form below: Reach out and share a bit about you & your horse’s challenges. I’ll call you at a time that suits & We’ll determine if this service is the right fit and set up our first session.
Assessment and Plan: We’ll start with a thorough assessment of your horse’s behaviour and create a custom training plan to regain control and reduce aggression.
Ongoing Support: Together, we’ll work through hands-on training to ensure your horse’s behaviour improves and you feel safe and confident handling them.