Advice handling a youngster....

[QueenDee_]

Looking for someone to give me some advice on handling my youngster.

He is currently on box rest after putting his leg through the fence and 3 weeks in, as you can guess, he is getting fed up. Having been out of my temperamental TB mare he doesn't have the quietest temperament normally but what with him being in 24/7 now I am finding him really quite a handful, when leading him into the next door stable in order to clean out his he tries to get away from me, I have him in a rope 'pressure halter' with a long lead rope so if he does manage to throw his toys out the pram I still have hold of him, but if he does have a strop he starts rearing up/kicking out.

Looking for some advice what to do before he starts to think this behavior is acceptable, of course I allow some of his frustration from being in all the time but when he has a complete strop he can just be dangerous.

Cookies and tea for any helpful advice

 

[Maesfen]

Don't move him to another stable, muck out around him or better still, deep litter him while he's in? Less stress for you and less chance of re injury for him.
Have to admit, I find it hard to understand the thinking behind versions of box rest these days; in the past, box rest meant just that, confined to barracks completely, no moving about at all. After all, what is the point of BR for an injury (whatever it is) when it's moved and the horse goes ballistic at the chance of freedom thus possibly undoing alal the good work the original BR did for that injury?

Have you dropped the horse down to ad lib hay only too, that always helps if they have a full belly with no concentrate feed to add to bad behaviour problems?

 

[Freyannia]

I agree, if possible don't move him, tie him up if you need to or ask someone to hold him if you are a little worried about becoming trapped in a corner by a rowdy injured youngster. And deffo no feed, hide carrots in his Haynes and double up the net too to help keep him amused, a treat ball or lickit/rock salt lick wouldn't go amiss either. Anything and everything that will keep his brain engaged. Also when he is having a strop you have 2 options...

Option 1 - stamp it out as soon as it starts, let him know you mean business and reprimand him for his bad behaviour. Fizzyness is no excuse for no manners and if he learns he can do it now he won't stop.

Or

Option 2 - don't react at all, other than to correct (I.e. stop him and put him where you want him and then praise him).

I knew a girl who used to tie the end of her line to a secure point so that when her horse 'tanked off' he couldn't go any further than just outside the stable. She would then say 'silly boy' and place him where she wanted him. But personally I think that teaches the horse that it is ok to tank off 'up to a point'. Backwards training I think.

Deffo go for lots of toys to help

Hope this helps xx