Sue McDonnell, PhD, Certified AAB

Sue M. McDonnell, PhD, is a certified applied animal behaviorist and the founding head of the equine behavior program at the University of Pennsylvania’s School of Veterinary Medicine. She is also the author of numerous books and articles about horse behavior and management.

Articles by: Sue McDonnell, PhD, Certified AAB

New Gelding Trouble

After being castrated, my gelding became a different horse and extremely difficult to handle. He pulls away and escapes when being led by hand, and he won’t let the vet near him, especially around his male parts. Any tips on how to handle him?

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Foal ‘Stealing’

Our pregnant mare thinks another mare’s colt is hers. Is it common for pregnant mares to adopt others’ foals?

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Learning to Load

At what age is it safe to start introducing a young horse to loading on a trailer? We have no reason to go anywhere just now, but we want to teach him to load before he grows up and has to go somewhere.

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Tongue Lolling

My Friesian filly has been broke for about six months now and when I go to saddle her, she will sometimes try to bite herself (her chest) and stick her tongue out. This can occur while I’m brushing her. Is she getting neurotic, stressed, or what?

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Student Research on Horse Behavior

Q: I am a third-year veterinary student at Guelph’s Ontario Veterinary College. I am working on a paper for my Equine Health Management class, and I am focusing on equine behavioral stereotypies (cribbing, weaving, stall/box walking) and pasturing…

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Student Research: Weaning, Foal Response to Mare Breeding

Questions: What is the best age to wean a foal? Is it a good/bad practice to take the afterbirth away from the mare right away so the veterinarian can check it? In the covering barn, why does the foal always get upset when the stallion…?

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I’m Knocking, But Don’t Answer!

Whenever my mare is in her stall, she constantly stands at the door and paws, knocking her hoof or knee against the door. If you approach the door and yell at her, or go open the door a bit, she stops, but only for a little while.

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Pregnant Personality

I have a 7-year-old Morgan mare who is pregnant for the first time. She has always been overly friendly and sweet; however, at several months in foal she has become aggressive. Is there an explanation for this change in personality?

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Odd Posture to Poop

I have a 9-year-old gelding who holds his body in a strange position while defecating. He curves his head to the left, then brings the left hind leg forward while passing feces. His whole body is in a curve to the left… any ideas why?

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Foaling Among Peers

We have a 20-year-old Paint mare due to foal soon. Her pasturemate is a 15-year-old open mare who has had previous foals. Do we need to build a pen to put momma and baby in, or is it okay to leave mare and foal in the pasture with the pasture buddy?

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Empty Leg and an Attitude?

Q:Please help. No matter who we talk to we can’t seem to figure out what’s going on with my daughter’s 14-year-old American Saddlebred gelding. He is losing weight, but he is eating everything in sight, and as of last week he started scraping his teeth on the bars and boards of his stall, which he has never done before.

About two months ago we

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Dominance Issues

My gelding seems to always be in a bad mood. Snickers seems to be in excellent health, so I wouldn’t suspect that his behavior is the result of being uncomfortable or in pain. He is a manageable horse, but he’s hardly ever pleasant. I need advice.

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Gelding Still Acting Like a Stallion

Q: My friend has a 14-year-old gelding who was gelded late (I’m not sure how late, but he did sire some foals) and is pastured with a 23-year-old mare. Last spring they were fine pastured together. This spring, however, she started her heat and he bit her severely all along her lower crest and withers and chased her around to the point of soreness and exhaustion. The

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Tongue Troubles

I have a filly who occasionally sticks out her tongue to the side and lolls it at times when I do ground training, but I have never seen her do it under saddle. She’ll also bite at herself and stick her tongue while grooming. Is it stress?

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