2 year old full of it!! what can i do?

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Toast

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My gelding is 2 years and 5 months. And I think we've just about reached Terrible two's. He's teething at the moment but he's been taught that biting is unacceptable so he'll often lunge at you over the door, no teeth, just because he wants to chew on something but knows that chewing on people isnt allowed.
Whilst oh has been injured after his bike crash both my boys have been out full time, for about a month. Usually he's a quite a laid back boy and having him out really keeps him from going bananas, but now I've brought my 4yo back into work he seems to have turned into a raving lunatic! They're still turned out, and he is on nothing but a handful of mollichaff calmer when my 4yo comes in for work. He is often loose schooled to try and take the edge off but he's still a nightmare to handle, exactly as though he's been kept in for a month not out!! To turn out, there's squealing, we grow a hand and to unclip in the field..you'd think he'd never been out. There's at least five minutes of acrobatics and hooning before he settles.
What else can I do to knock the stuffing out of him? He's knocking 16hh now so this behaviour is getting less and less funny.
 
Now, even before I begin, I'm not telling you to break him as a two year old, but he's prob bored, so maybe once or twice a week, but a cavesson and roller on him and start to lunge him a little bit, teach him the voice commands, and it'll give him something to think about. Just a little bit, prob just once a week, but will teach him manners and work his brain. xx
 
With all due respect I won't be lunging my two year old. If I do anything it'll be long reining in straight lines. But he's a big boy and lunging such a young horse with such impressionable joints is as bad as backing too soon.
I appreciate your comment is trying to help, but it really is the worst thing I could do by him at this age.
 
I agree with the above, hang in there (but don't let him get away with bad manners) and he will grow out of it. The main thing is to be consistent and possibly try groundwork to give him something to think about, if nothing else it will be a good grounding for the future and may make your job easier.
 
No problem, toast, and I havnt ever lunged a two yr old, just thought if it was only ever so often, it might have given him something to think about, maybe driving him in long reins is the way to go, anything that might give him something to think about. My friend started her brazen 2 yr old to count, with his front legs.. no idea how she did it, but she's say one, he'd stamp once, 2, twice, and so on, it made him work his brain, and no more bad behaviour. sorry if i upset you, really didnt mean to.
 
Can you not turn him out with others a similar age or with older more dominant horses to put him in his place? I would not be lunging a two year old - started mine at three and wish I hadn't - now turned out completely until next year - checked twice a day but doing absolutely nothing with him. I'd say at two the fields the best place for him :)
 
Elfen said:
Can you not turn him out with others a similar age or with older more dominant horses to put him in his place? I would not be lunging a two year old - started mine at three and wish I hadn't - now turned out completely until next year - checked twice a day but doing absolutely nothing with him. I'd say at two the fields the best place for him :)
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He is in with my very dominant 4yo who will put him in his place and more!! Makes no difference though to how he behaves out of the field. He's unfortunately not very bright...
 
believe me, I've seen lots of babies ruined by too much work too early on, i wasnt suggesting that, just anything will get his brain working so he's thinking about something rather than nothing, maybe even walking out in hand, getting used to traffic etc.... anything to get the brain working.... they are very clever, need to keep them busy. I had a two yr old years ago that really got to big for his boots. my poor granduncle used to go up to the stables to re=arrange everything(used to drive me mad), but non the less, the little **** used to chase him, he was in his 80's at that stage. Once i started walking him out in hand, he stopped. (Little fecker!!!! he was hand reared and brazen) hope you get sorted with your boy, he sounds lovely, in a very bold, youngster way!!!
 
I was amazed how my bolshy dominant gelding changed by morning teatime the first day of a 2 day beginning Parelli course. Just doing the "7 games" consistently changed his attitude to me completely. I am not a fan of Parelli nowadays but the basic training for both horse and handler is excellent.
 
Toast said:
He is in with my very dominant 4yo who will put him in his place and more!! Makes no difference though to how he behaves out of the field. He's unfortunately not very bright...
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I had the same problem with my current 3 yr old.
As a two year old he became a bit "testing" of boundaries.
As with your lad....mine is none too bright :rolleyes:
In the school, teach him a bit of move back, over, and general spatial awareness.
Help my boy no end.
 
my 2 yr old is also a bolshy git i bought the monty roberts headcoller and just played about with him in hand. nothing to exciting either but have to say his manners have improved and he has a lot more respect for me.
 
Toast said:
Not sure I'll be trying any parelli with him either. I don't really condone their practices!
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LOL I don't condone many of their practices either!! But teaching your young horse to follow a feel, move any part of his body either by steady pressure or rhythmic pressure, teaching him to move his hindquarters over, teaching him to back away from you when asked and come forward when asked, to move ahead of you then turn and face you. All of these things help establish communication and teach the horse how he needs to behave. Using a 12' line or longer and the ability to move his hindquarters to face you eliminates any skiing by the handler.....
 
My baby highland was very similar and I too bought a dually headcollar and then played the games in Kelly Marks book Perfect Partners and did some of the Trec stuff in hand. He seemed to enjoy it and it changed his attitude quite a bit. He did grow out of the behaviour and turned out really well so hang in there and good luck. :)
 
sometimes due to other demands of life we can only spend time with our horses when we have something to do with them, ride, feed, muck out, etc....when any of my babies start to get a bit pushy, I just spend more time with them - chatting to them (calmly as not in a rush to do anything else), grooming, leading etc. Not doing anything in particular, just being with them, it is amazing how much it helps. After all, none are mean horses, they just want some attention. Be calm and consistent, don't yell if they try to tank off, just remind them you are there (sometimes babies do actually forget in their excitement at going out, or into a new field), turn them in a circle, give them a scratch on their necks, so being with you is pleasant - raise your voice if they do misbehave etc. I also never give any treats to horses under the age of 2 or I find they get bargy in the field.
 
My youngster is exactly the same age and height so know the feeling as she too knows her boundaries but sometimes tries to push them, we have now left the bity stage behind, i do a reasonable amount of groundwork with her, she is bitted which makes it all a lot easier as im quite short.

She is turned out 24/7 with one other who puts her in her place has the occasional random hoolies like yours. With mine i started with walking her in hand where she is kept progressing to trotting up in hand and start putting in a few turns then progressed to walking her out on the roads with and without another horse. She now dosnt bite and is very sensible, i think that getting them exposed to everything does them good.
 
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