Looking for insight from the experts.... aggressive goose has "claimed" my horse!

Hi everyone,

Looking for some insight on a very strange problem...

Ok, my fiance and I recently rescued a young stud horse and have been keeping him on our 18 acres as solo horse for the time being. (yeah, i know he needs a buddy, but we're more worried about getting him healthy at the moment, but we will be getting him a friend soon ) Anyway, there are also goats in the pasture, but he usually keeps to himself, and I think this may have opened him up to the situation I'm seeking advice on...

We pull him out of the pasture every night to eat separately from the goats to avoid any unnecessary problems. The area he usually hangs out in during this time is right next to the first of a series of ponds regularly frequented by geese. The neighbors have some domestics, and the Canadian geese come and go year round. We didn't think much of it when one of the solo Canadians started hanging around. Being loud and obnoxious, we expected Ronin to stomp at him one good time and send him on his way... he didn't. The goose has stayed.

He is inexplicably attached to Ronin now. He goes back and forth to the pasture with him, sitting by his side day and night. It was cute at first, watching a goose follow around a big stallion like a little puppy, but he is getting more and more aggressive. The goats who used to graze with him, now won't go anywhere close as the goose has a fit and attacks anything that comes close to his horse. He has gotten extremely aggressive towards us as well. If he sees us heading out the field to get our boy, he starts up with his hissy fit: neck bobbing, hissing, honking, flapping his wings, and just generally carrying on. He will duck under Ronin and circle him as we lead him out, trying to find our blind spot and then attack when we're not looking. You absolutely cannot turn your back on him, you will get dive bombed. I've tried making friends..offered him food, but he wants nothing to do with it. He flew at my fiance the other day and came just inches from hitting him squarely in the face... he didn't take that too well, i assure you.

Its getting harder and harder to handle our horse with this crazy bird always right in the middle... (I shudder to think what he'll do to the vet when gelding time comes) I really wouldn't mind him being around if only he weren't so aggressive, but as things stand now, I'm at my wits end.

Has anyone ever heard of anything like this? Ive heard of chicks imprinting on other species showing similarly odd behavior, but this is a wild adult bird. Any ideas or thoughts would be GREATLY appreciated!

Sorry for the lengthy post, but thanks in advance for any advice!

-HJ

Looks like you have one species and possibly gender confused goose on your hands. Too bad the goose is a booger because that is the cutest thing.

We have cattle egrets here that hang out with our horse and cow, but they are just after the bugs they kick up. Our geese won't get anywhere near the livestock animals. Our neighbor is a large horse broker and has Canada geese at his pond, but I've never seen them get near his horses either.

Wish I had a solution for you and hope somebody has some ideas to help you out.

That is so cool!! Love the pic!!

I have limited experience... but I did let my pair of adult ganders adopt a set of goslings I hatched in my bator earlier this spring. When that happened, main "Dad" gander turned into your gander. I treated him like an alpha horse would treat a new horse coming into herd, i.e. make sure he understands I am alpha and to be respected, but I am fair and want to have a positive relationship with him. After a few weeks of interacting with him that way, he is a changed gander. He no longer hisses or charges. I can mingle fine around him and the goslings, and even turn my back without worrying he may try something.

Best of luck!!

jonesdhc said:

Has anyone ever heard of anything like this? Ive heard of chicks imprinting on other species showing similarly odd behavior, but this is a wild adult bird.

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Thats crazy!!! And a great story! I'm curious as to what you should do, as well!

http://myfriendforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=38&t=26393


What's up with Geese lately?

I'm seeing one of these in your future:



Imp

You guys don't know the half of it...

Last week someone forgot to double check the gate and Ronin took off down the road to go visit with "those cute little fillies down the way." Of course, the goose went too. (we're on a dirt road out in the middle of nowhere, so it wasn't as catastrophic as it could have been) I can only imagine what we looked like to the elderly couple next door that always sit in rockers on their front porch:

First a horse goes tearing by... head held high, tail in the air, neighing with glee.........
a minute or so later, a goose goes flying by, honking and irritable....
few more minutes go by.....couple goes sprinting by, panting and yelling.

Several minutes pass... all four come back... horse being led, still fiestily looking over his shoulder and cat-calling the ladies, the couple arguing over "who left the *%^* gate unlocked" and lastly, the goose, waddling fast to keep up, but not relinquishing his right to opinion and honking and muttering just as loud as the rest.....

I cant believe this is my life, lol

Seriously though, thanks for the guidance everyone. Looks like I'm going to head home tonight and put on my finest "alpha goose" face and see if we can get on the road to working things out. He is Ronin's "wing-man" after all.

jonesdhc said:

You guys don't know the half of it...

Last week someone forgot to double check the gate and Ronin took off down the road to go visit with "those cute little fillies down the way." Of course, the goose went too. (we're on a dirt road out in the middle of nowhere, so it wasn't as catastrophic as it could have been) I can only imagine what we looked like to the elderly couple next door that always sit in rockers on their front porch:

First a horse goes tearing by... head held high, tail in the air, neighing with glee.........
a minute or so later, a goose goes flying by, honking and irritable....
few more minutes go by.....couple goes sprinting by, panting and yelling.

Several minutes pass... all four come back... horse being led, still fiestily looking over his shoulder and cat-calling the ladies, the couple arguing over "who left the *%^* gate unlocked" and lastly, the goose, waddling fast to keep up, but not relinquishing his right to opinion and honking and muttering just as loud as the rest.....

I cant believe this is my life, lol

Seriously though, thanks for the guidance everyone. Looks like I'm going to head home tonight and put on my finest "alpha goose" face and see if we can get on the road to working things out. He is Ronin's "wing-man" after all.

Click to expand...

Please keep us updated!

jonesdhc said:

You guys don't know the half of it...

Last week someone forgot to double check the gate and Ronin took off down the road to go visit with "those cute little fillies down the way." Of course, the goose went too. (we're on a dirt road out in the middle of nowhere, so it wasn't as catastrophic as it could have been) I can only imagine what we looked like to the elderly couple next door that always sit in rockers on their front porch:

First a horse goes tearing by... head held high, tail in the air, neighing with glee.........
a minute or so later, a goose goes flying by, honking and irritable....
few more minutes go by.....couple goes sprinting by, panting and yelling.

Several minutes pass... all four come back... horse being led, still fiestily looking over his shoulder and cat-calling the ladies, the couple arguing over "who left the *%^* gate unlocked" and lastly, the goose, waddling fast to keep up, but not relinquishing his right to opinion and honking and muttering just as loud as the rest.....

I cant believe this is my life, lol

Seriously though, thanks for the guidance everyone. Looks like I'm going to head home tonight and put on my finest "alpha goose" face and see if we can get on the road to working things out. He is Ronin's "wing-man" after all.

Click to expand...

This is hilarious, I know it isn't too you but i put myself in the rocker with the 2 elderly neighbors and just about fell off my chair laughing. picturing all you just described. I hope you can get this worked out, when i showed this to my dh he said and i wonder the same if maybe this goose lost it's mate and that maybe why it's taken up with your horse. Don't know if that makes any sense but maybe?

I just fell out of my chair. What a great story!!