2yr old far too full of bounce. They do grow out of it. Don't they?!?

[Kallibear]

Those with big athletic high energy youngsters: tell me they settle down and become acceptable, sensible members of equine society wth age?!

Roo is currently a PITA. Everything in life is SOOO exciting and pirouette canter/passage is THE newest and bestest thing since sliced bread. Walk and trot is for losers and why go calmly when you could galllop flat out then create pretty grass skid marks when you try to stop? As for walking calmly on the leadrope: what a waste of a opportunity to squeal, prance, practise Airs Above The Ground and generally show the world how athletic, powerful and important you are!

To be honest he does try extremely hard to behave and hold it together but the urge to run about occasionally gets too much. 99% of the time he's quiet and sensible but every now and again all that energy has to go somewhere. He's very polite about his expolsions and apologetic afterwards. He's generally polite and well manners and the excitment is not aimed at me in any way. He did once rear AT me, and for the first time ever nipped me yesterday, but he won't be trying that again in a hurry!

He spends a huge part of his day running about, squealing, bucking (he's rubbish at it!), rearing (depressingly good at it ) and falling over. His friends do play with him but not as much as he'd like. They'll play an hour a day or so (and another hour at least grooming each other) but he'd literally spend 5hrs + hooneying around if they'd jon in. Which is just as well as my grass can't cope with the damage. He makes SUCH a mess! In an ideal world he'd have aanother big high energy youngster to play with but, since I can't afford it, and my grazing just wouldn't cope with the carnage, he'll have to make do with his 5yr old friend and older nanny mare. They're kind, tolerant and teach him manners and there's plenty of horses get a much worse deall in life.

Please god let it just be baby shenanigans as I have NO desire to get on him whilst he's behaving ike that! I can see now why some people break their big youngsters far too early: an hour of hard work a day would tire him out They do grow out of it, don't they? Please?

On a serious note, what should I do with him? Leave him be, just insist on manners when being brought in, let him hooney about to his hearts content and wait for it to pass? Or give him something constructive to do: at 2.5yrs he can start long lining and go for walks inhand with tack on, and try and tire him out a bit. He finds the walks super excitting initially but calms down and is suitably tired afterwards (mentally rather than physically)

 

[Devonshire dumpling]

Believe it or not Freddie was like this when he lived with 2 horses the same age as him! Now he lives with a 23 yr old TB and a 24yr old Welsh section A..... if he hoons and haul asses anywhere near them, he gets bitten and properly told off, it didn't work yesterday as you can see by the photos in a link or two down from this ... but seriously it has really calmed him down having two grumpy grannies to live with! X

 

[WestCoast]

Awwww sweetie. On the bright side, he'll have lots of energy when he's older.

Paula

 

[Clodagh]

Piper is 2 and 17hh. Sometimes he becomes 20 hh when life gets very exciting! Like Roo nearly always he is a good boy but sometimes he just has to go yippee and if I'm leading at the time... All I ask of him is that he keeps away from me (if necessary carry a long stick you can poke him with to keep him away). When P explodes now he does it at a polite distance and doesn't pull the rope either. It is rare but when he does we are both safe. I don't tell him off when hes doing it, rightly or wrongly I don't want a battle, I just wait for him to stop. I'm usually leading his old field mate in the other hand and luckily he ignores such shenanigans.

I do next to nothing with P. He comes in the stable once every couple of weeks to wear his bridle and roller and have his feet picked out and a light groom. Maybe once a month we go for a short walk. The rest of the time he lives out, unrugged, and I see him twice a day to say hi.

 

[Goldenstar]

We used to breed a few horses and the two year old thug is very common .
We handles ours a lot as foal and yearlings but learned that in the two year old year it was best to leave them alone as much as possible we kept them out unless forced to bring them in and kept food to a minimum .
They come though it With firm consistent handling but you can never let them think a human is a playmate that's a big mistake.

 

[Clodagh]

To add, he is a little ***** when I am poo picking and I have klonked him with the poo pick thingy in the past to get him away, now he sticks to doing flypasts. He bit me a week or so ago, like Roo he won't be doing that again in a hurry! One thing I inisist on is no playing with me (ever) or with his fieldmate when I am doing sometihng with them, so when I am putting headcollars on them he has to stand still and not wind up other P.

 

[Kallibear]

DD; Freddie's lovely! Roo does the exact same antics. But every single day, many times a day, at the drop of a hat. And his legs are twice the length. And that's WITH older grumpy horses who rarely join in and usually tell him off. I dread to think what my ground would look like with another youngster

Clodgh: 17hh already?! And I thought Roo was big at a bit over 16hh! They should live together (on your ground, not mine) and wear each other out. Thankfully Roo is very good whilst poopicking but the wheelbarrow is terribly good fun and he regularly needs to break off from "helping" to go for a quick run about and do a few laps of the field, and a bit of cavorting round the other horses.

Paula: you say that like it's somehow a GOOD thing!? His legs are long enough that he'll be more than forward going without any need for"energy"

Goldenstar: reassuring to know I've not got the only idiot in the world! Do they eventualy turn back into nice quiet sensible 4yr olds? I'm slightly concerned that if I don't get him sorted now he'll be even worse by breaking time!

 

[Abbeygale]

Ahhh kallibear - you're number one problem is that he's called Roo!!! lol. My boy Roo was a hoodlum from 2-4 - and played and played for ever more. In the end he had a huge selection of buckets etc out in the field to entertain him!!

After seeing the shapes he threw in the field I sent him away to be backed (I wasn't that brave!!!!) at 4 and was the best thing I ever did. Although 5 days work a week still didn't wear him out.... Lol. And he would often regress by several days after having a day off... :-O.

However when he came home he did settle right down - but he was definitely a horse that could have been worked everyday without tiring.

So basically - my Roo did calm a little tiny bit, but he was always going to be slightly, ahem, enthusiastic lol

 

[Kallibear]

Damn, I'll need to change his name. Maybe Donkey will work? Or Shrek, more likely as he's looking like he's made up of charity shop peices.

I'll need to get a recent one but basically he does this. A lot.

The plan was to break him myself but I too and watching his acrobatics and thinking about the local horsebreaker.

 

[RLS]

our youngster (18 months) has just discovered a new trick. She can jump! gates, fences, whatever, it's so easy - look I'll show you! GRRRRR.
Quick trip to the farm supplies shop and fingers crossed a zap with the electric fence will put her off that game.

 

[Polotash]

Don't panic, he will calm down, even if he still has a bit of bounce about him!

I would def insist on perfect manners, he has to learn that in the field it's playtime, but once his head collar is on (I use an old fashioned rope halter on all my youngsters) it's work time.

If you have the time I would start to do a bit with him, they do get bored at about 2, and def by 3 they need a bit to occupy them. I just do one "play" a week with my babies, i.e. one a week of:

- put a numnah on, then an elastic roller/ circingle around it. Progress to a saddle and girth.
- put a bridle on, if he's already bitted progress to a gentle left and right using the reins
- take for walk out (with a helper)
- walk between wings, past fillers, over poles and planks on the ground (water trays too if you have one)
- set up "handy" pony and do plastic bag/ washing/ push chair/ umbtrella training
- walk past strimmers, lawn mowers, cars, lorries etc on the yard
- teach "over" and "back" in hand using a schooling stick (great practice for gates and general manners)

 

[LittleBlackMule]

That particular stage of growth is called "the terrible twos" for a reason, you know...

All mine have gone through a phase of being quite vile, but they all move on to being lovely 'grown ups'.

 

[Kallibear]

Don't panic, he will calm down, even if he still has a bit of bounce about him!

I would def insist on perfect manners, he has to learn that in the field it's playtime, but once his head collar is on (I use an old fashioned rope halter on all my youngsters) it's work time.

If you have the time I would start to do a bit with him, they do get bored at about 2, and def by 3 they need a bit to occupy them. I just do one "play" a week with my babies, i.e. one a week of:

- put a numnah on, then an elastic roller/ circingle around it. Progress to a saddle and girth.
- put a bridle on, if he's already bitted progress to a gentle left and right using the reins
- take for walk out (with a helper)
- walk between wings, past fillers, over poles and planks on the ground (water trays too if you have one)
- set up "handy" pony and do plastic bag/ washing/ push chair/ umbtrella training
- walk past strimmers, lawn mowers, cars, lorries etc on the yard
- teach "over" and "back" in hand using a schooling stick (great practice for gates and general manners)

I very much hope so!

After the last weeks display on the leadrope (very impressive but not what I wanted) he's been coming in daily and doing a little work. Normally he's just fed and brushed in the field and only brought in occasionally but he's now coming in and, as you suggested, doing Back, Over, Sideways, Round etc on the way in. It's not NEARLY as much fun as bouncing round in circles, squeaking, but far more to my taste and frankly honestly, he can do as he's told, even in if it does makes him cross. He got The Look when he thought about have a bit of a caper around yesterday and promptly pretended he'd thought no such thoughts.

We do the walking thing a couple of times a month but I'm going to up it a little. He really enjoys it and is pretty much bombproof. Wears a saddle and roller happily and I'm planning on bitting him soon.

Love the 'handy pony' idea: he'll LOVE that. I'm pretty sure I'm meant to be carrying the scary things though? That'll put his nose out of joint as he'd much prefer to carry them himself, in his mouth. He ran off with my mum's umbrella the other day and was having so much fun throwing it up and chasing it that I didn't have the heart to take it off him

That particular stage of growth is called "the terrible twos" for a reason, you know...

Bulshy terrible twos I was expecting and can cope with. It's the sheer exhuberance that I wasn't expecting! (and my grass can't cope with ) I've never met a baby who runs about quite so much and so often!

 

[tikino]

i was going through i terrible time with my 2yr old and i decided to buy him the monty roberts daully headcoller and i can now honestly say i have a different horse he has so much respect for me and others and is so well mannered well most of the time as occasionally he forget himself worth every penny for me

 

[Polotash]

Hehe, everything goes in their mouths, and that does get worse before it gets better, my 3 year old is being gently backed at the moment, but she also has toothy bumps and EVERYTHING goes in her mouth, she'll even grab the lunge rein/ long reins whilst in trot!

Good luck, sounds like you are giving him clear boundaries so I'm confident he'll turn out well ;0)

 

[BBP]

Mine is 7 now...he doesn't fall down so much anymore, that's about the best I can say!

 

[Clodagh]

Piper fell over in the field the other day, it is on a slope and goes at all angles. He was showing off his airs-above-the-ground-while-in-gallop manoeuvre and slid on his side a good 20 feet before comnig to a halt. He leapt up and said 'Meant to...' then had to buck and fart for a while to master the paddock again.

I thought of you tonight as he came belting down for his hay and did a sliding stop and left skid marks so long you wouldn't believe it. Soon they are going down on the water meadows for winter and he can trash it to his hearts content. He did ask if Roo could come and play but Scotland isn't very convenient tbh!

 

[kimberleigh]

Mine's a not-quite-so-big but just-as-bouncy 15hh Welsh D gelding who turned 2 in May!

He seemed an absolute poppet when I bought him in June - and I was often heard remarking just how calm/quiet/well behaved my baby was; but I think that was simply down to settling in!

This evening he spent a whole lot of time spooking at imaginary monsters in his field, snorting like a dragon and cantering about like a loon.
His new favourite habit is to fly at my little welsh A mare with ears back til she leaps out of his way, then he does a proud little jig as if hes just won a jousting competition lol

He is however a very good uncle to her 3month old PBW filly foal (who now spends more time with Uncle Len than mummy!!), though I would rathger he didnt keep attempting to teach her his impressive rearing techniques!

He best grow out of it, hes as strong as an ox and although Im tall I dont quite match him for bullheadedness!

Kim

 

[noodle_]

see....mines the opposite...


to break into a trot is only because she thinks someone has food and shes no-where near.... ive seen her canter a handful of times and gallop once - and when she did she slipped as she is just daft...

she does walk - a lot! though......cant wait to back/break the little sod

 

[HKJ]

Roo sounds like my new TB 2 year old. I brought him about a month ago and he has learnt the joys of galloping around the field, figures of eights and playing 'dare' games with the fence to see how fast and long he can skid up to it without actually crashing, then making a quick get-away!

He also has reared at me - in the first few days which I thought Id 'nipped in the bud' - but alas, he did it with my friend and her dad the other day about 4 times.
Twice with me at the weekend and 4 times tonight
I did up a chain on him but Ive taken it off and tomorrow he will go in the NH halter.

My worry is that now he has done it so much, that he won't get out of it
I was lied to from the start about this boy, and he is very sweet until he goes up in the air and tries to box you with his front legs.

I too, hope that this 2 year old crazy horse will 'out grow' it, but who knows!

I won't send him back to where I got him from, but at least I know why he was going to a sale and got him cheap!!

 

[attheponies]

Ah but you see where you are all going wrong is that according to my yard expert (doesn't own a horse and has never brought on a youngster), voiced loudly to anyone within earshot but I suspect aimed at me, young horses need 4 to 5 hours spent with them every day. (Think my little one would be on her knees!)

 

[Kallibear]

Roo sounds like my new TB 2 year old. I brought him about a month ago and he has learnt the joys of galloping around the field, figures of eights and playing 'dare' games with the fence to see how fast and long he can skid up to it without actually crashing, then making a quick get-away!

He also has reared at me - in the first few days which I thought Id 'nipped in the bud' - but alas, he did it with my friend and her dad the other day about 4 times.
Twice with me at the weekend and 4 times tonight
I did up a chain on him but Ive taken it off and tomorrow he will go in the NH halter.

My worry is that now he has done it so much, that he won't get out of it
I was lied to from the start about this boy, and he is very sweet until he goes up in the air and tries to box you with his front legs.

I too, hope that this 2 year old crazy horse will 'out grow' it, but who knows!

I won't send him back to where I got him from, but at least I know why he was going to a sale and got him cheap!!

It's a stage some, esp the leggy firey ones, go through. To be fair he was prob cheap because the market is rubbish, it's coming up for winter and he's a TB, which always go for farless than they're worth. However if he's doing it AT you, it's most likely a sign of deeper rooted lack of respect. Some serious ground work is in order, of the feet moving and Get Out My Face variety. Maybe think about getting a ground work instructor out? It'd put your mind at rest that you're dealing with it in the best way. Roo has reared a far bit in the past but (apart from the one time he quickly regretted) it's always been away from me and out of uncontained excitment.

attheponies: to think I've been doing it so wrong. Bugger Did she happen to mention if it should be in harness or under saddle? And does she feel 5hrs hunting would be adequate, or should it be schooling and jumping?

kimerleigh: Roo was a quiet, totally unhandled little lamb too, 6months ago. Also commented on how quiet and calm he was. I thought I'd been really lucky! I'd like that little weed back again please! Anyways, yours is a D. What did you expect!? They only get worse with age

Clodagh :Roo has asked Santa if he could swap his Piper (my 5yr old cob) for your Piper. He says he's been an awfully good boy all year. Mummy has told Santa otherwise.

Tonight, for the very first time, I saw Roo bossing my very submissive 5yr old about. Previusly, when Piper said "jump" Roo said "How high?"("Whohoo, that was fun. Again? Again?!" ) .So shortly I'll have Mr Too Big For His Boots to contend with as well as Mr Excitable. Oh joy.

 

[Kallibear]

KatPT and noodle, shhhhhh. Not what I want to hear He WILL grow out of it. Or else. And sucks to your quiet baby. I had one of them too. Far too much effort running around. However he's turned out to be a little too sedate and boring ridden for my taste, hence buying Roo. Serves me right.

 

[Klix]

They don't call it the "terrible two's" for nothing my big girlie luckily hasn't gone through this phase yet and at 5yo and just over 17hh I pray she doesn't start!! I hope he calms down soon

 

[Spot_the_Risk]

My three year old didn't go through this (he bucked once, forgot the landing gear and came down on his knees, idiot horse), my two year old is still new to me and feral, and the yearling is currently a delight - but not looking forward to next year with him, after all your tales!

 

[The wife]

We have a 2yo called Roo too! Generally he's fine but he's started to self harm and can be a hooligan if he's in that mood... I hope they grow out of it. I feel for you. The 5yo ginger **** doesn't help either, they wind each other up and can spend hours zipping up and down the fields together.

Sorry couldn't help chuckling at your description. Thankfully our Roo is not as bad as yours yet!!

 

[TJP]

My 2 year old is going through a bit of a loon stage much to the horror of his 20 year old field companion. My son loves going up to see him and watch the display of 'look at me'! He doesn't mess when we have hands on him but loves showing us how high he can rear/buck and how fast he can gallop. What he does in his own time is up to him as long as this behaviour stays part of 'his time'!!!

 

[Queenbee]

Those with big athletic high energy youngsters: tell me they settle down and become acceptable, sensible members of equine society wth age?!

Roo is currently a PITA. Everything in life is SOOO exciting and pirouette canter/passage is THE newest and bestest thing since sliced bread. Walk and trot is for losers and why go calmly when you could galllop flat out then create pretty grass skid marks when you try to stop? As for walking calmly on the leadrope: what a waste of a opportunity to squeal, prance, practise Airs Above The Ground and generally show the world how athletic, powerful and important you are!

To be honest he does try extremely hard to behave and hold it together but the urge to run about occasionally gets too much. 99% of the time he's quiet and sensible but every now and again all that energy has to go somewhere. He's very polite about his expolsions and apologetic afterwards. He's generally polite and well manners and the excitment is not aimed at me in any way. He did once rear AT me, and for the first time ever nipped me yesterday, but he won't be trying that again in a hurry!

He spends a huge part of his day running about, squealing, bucking (he's rubbish at it!), rearing (depressingly good at it ) and falling over. His friends do play with him but not as much as he'd like. They'll play an hour a day or so (and another hour at least grooming each other) but he'd literally spend 5hrs + hooneying around if they'd jon in. Which is just as well as my grass can't cope with the damage. He makes SUCH a mess! In an ideal world he'd have aanother big high energy youngster to play with but, since I can't afford it, and my grazing just wouldn't cope with the carnage, he'll have to make do with his 5yr old friend and older nanny mare. They're kind, tolerant and teach him manners and there's plenty of horses get a much worse deall in life.

Please god let it just be baby shenanigans as I have NO desire to get on him whilst he's behaving ike that! I can see now why some people break their big youngsters far too early: an hour of hard work a day would tire him out They do grow out of it, don't they? Please?

On a serious note, what should I do with him? Leave him be, just insist on manners when being brought in, let him hooney about to his hearts content and wait for it to pass? Or give him something constructive to do: at 2.5yrs he can start long lining and go for walks inhand with tack on, and try and tire him out a bit. He finds the walks super excitting initially but calms down and is suitably tired afterwards (mentally rather than physically)

Are you sure ben isn't roos brother? He is exactly the same at 3.5, he was cool as when he was backed and ridden on, but the last month has become a monster, full of the joys of spring a full 6 months early!

 

[Mocha]

If you can I'm inclined to leave them be when they are growing through that phase. It is just that, a phase for most of them.

Vega was a nightmare, trouncing we called it. I had to use the other horses as shields when getting them in (luckily Mocha is a weapon and Vega wouldn't come within feet of her)

Far as I'm concerned theres no point fighting an uphill battle.

Vega's broken and ridden away now and she is a lamb (so far) I waited til she was 4 and I'm glad because she is still ridiculousy immature and weedy.

She had basic handling from a foal/yearling, and when she was in the terrible two's I just left her be. She didn't forget. Wasn't in a rush, no need to be doing any of the above mentioned handling, which can be overhandling. She'd have good days of course and then I'd fuss her, but they want to PLAY, and leaving when they get rowdy is just as effective as trying to stop the behaviour. They want the interaction and they learn that it has to be on your terms.

 

[noodle_]

sorry OP


she is "ginger" and white tho and a mare - so will turn a little more fiery id imagine -she can be a cow but thats due to no handling and herd issues but thats another thing!

but field wise - shes as quiet as a mouse lol!