Horse Behavior Q & A: Pony With a Bad Attitude

My old pony recently started giving me a really bad attitude, like threatening to bite and pinning her ears back. She doesn’t show any signs of being sick. What did I do?
—Amber

What a great question! The first step is to get a thorough checkup from a qualified veterinarian. As you correctly implied, abrupt behavioral changes are often related to physical issues. Pinning ears, evading physical contact and similar behaviors can be signs of pain, often in a pony’s back or legs.

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