Aggressive Youngster

E

EQUIDAE

Well-Known Member
Joined
25 August 2015
Messages
1,999
Visit site
First post so please be gentle with me...

I have recently purchased a 2yo colt and it is quite clear that he has been knocked about in his previous home(s).

A bit about me - I have had several youngsters over the past years including colts and also horses that have been rough handled in previous homes. All of them have eventually turned into lovely, loving horses.

Woody however has me stumped...

He is a colt and as soon as the weather changes his boy bits will be coming off so at least then we can take testosterone out of the picture. In the meantime he is having a high fibre feed as he was very poor and agnus castus for his 'desires'.

The problem I am having is that he isn't scared, he is distrustful. At first I though it was that he had been roughly handled and was scared but as time goes on I believe he isn't scared in the slightest, he just now doesn't trust people, especially men.

His first week he spent in quarantine with my other colt on the opposite side of my U-shaped yard as company, then he was turned out 24/7 with him, and my yearling. The first week I didn't do lots with him but got him used to being tied up, being led (he was sold as halter broken but it was more like halter dragged) and also just generally having someone in his space. It became evident pretty quickly that if he was uncomfortable he would turn his bum so he could kick. As soon as you have his head he is fine - he's just very evasive. So much treating when facing forwards and ignoring the bum.

Since he has been turned out he is getting more trusting - he will approach for a scratch but will stand as far away as possible so you can only just reach him. Yesterday we had a breakthrough and he let me scratch his shoulder and withers and he whuffled my hair. I also managed to catch a hold of his headcollar at this point for the first time too. His response was a half hearted rear - I held on and when he came down gave him a scratch and a handful of feed. I then let go and repeated holding his headcollar without any reaction so he got fuss and I let him go.

Now the issue is that he is still really keen to double barrel you if you push him out of his comfort zone. And it seems he is also keep to double barrel my other half for totally nothing - he was just walking through the field to fill his water up and he charged him and double barrelled him missing his head by inches! At first I didn't believe him, I thought he had done something to threaten him but he was on the opposite side of the field and he charged at him. I had my other half wave his arms at him (he has limited horsey experience but can handle all of my others with ease) and Woody just kept coming at him. I am now being the only one to handle him in the meantime (wearing hat and body protector).

And that is what has me worried - he isn't afraid, he just doesn't trust and if threatened will actually attack. If I hadn't seen it for myself I wouldn't have believed it.

I'm concentrating on winning his trust, not rewarding bad behaviour, and dealing with aggressive behaviour with big posture and dropping it as soon as he behaves. It seems to be working to a degree but it is a long as slow process. Has anyone had any experience of a super aggressive horse - any good stories? I'm feeling a little dejected at the mo with him and cannot wait until mid September when his goolies will come off!
 
Last edited by a moderator:
In fairness, a lack of trust seems to me to come from fear. Horses aren't aggressive animals naturally without feeling threatened in some way!

It sounds to me like it is just a case of building things up very slow and positively reinforcing every "normal" behaviour he demonstrates, as you did when he let you hold his headcollar. An interesting post for you to find might be AdorableAlice's "my next project horse" topic (I think it's in the Tack Room section). He wasn't aggressive but was also rather nervy to be handled at first, may be some tips in there?

Hope you manage to get through to him xx
 
Our ISH could be termed aggressive. I certainly called him that for most of the first two years with us! If he thinks you are going to threaten him he will take the fight to you first. He was 7 when we got him, Irish broke and used for BS.

He behaved very much as your colt seems to - the only refinement being he would also strike forward with one hind leg to take out the person trying to mount, or the tack checker at competitions. So it wasn't just the double barrel. He would also rear up, crow hop forward and box with his front legs. He too seems worse with men.

I can't point to any one thing we did right - or wrong really. Over time he has come to trust us and is actually quite sweet. He longs for a leader and if you can explain to him that you are a good leader for him he relaxes and becomes a really wonderful affectionate horse. But if he thinks he has to be the leader he is hyper aware and will kill you before you can touch him. If there is a fraction of fear he'll take over and probably have you. If you are too dominant with him he'll have you. Usually before you've even thought about him - he's as quick as a snake! But if you are calm, consistent, firm but really gentle and fair he'll be the same. He is also the most intelligent horse I have ever met - don't know if that has anything to do with it. His learning capacity has always astounded me.

There are still things we can't do. We can't carry or hold a whip near him. We can't raise arms, move suddenly or gesticulate widely. You have to be calm around him and not agitated for any reason (good discipline as his rider was 13 when we bought him - no teen sized tempers possible!) Oddly we also can't tie up outside the stable as he will panic and pull back - although he will tie up to the horse box at a show. But once you can explain something to him in a way he understands he will try his heart out for you to get it right.

So - no perfect answers for you. But at least a story of hope. They do come good with good horsemanship. (Or in our case best efforts at good horsemanship...!!)
 
Thanks so much - I was half expecting calls of PTS or sell him to someone who can deal with him :(

It's good that they can come good - he is fearful, he just doesn't react as if he is.
 
I know what you mean, when they're reacting that confidently (not sure if that's the right word but sure you know what I mean) it's difficult to label it as fear but I'd be very surprised if it was really anything else.

I'm sure you're capable of helping him, you've already demonstrated in your post you're compassionate and calm enough to reward him appropriately for the good behaviour. If a horse has experienced nothing but threatening behaviour then really you just need to be very positive and encouraging any good behaviour as soon as he does it.

I'm sure he'll come right it'll just take patience and lots of love.
 
First off let me say I'm sure this will be simple to resolve and not at all a lost cause.

However, this horse is a two year-old entire colt. In other words, he is a stallion. Not a full-blown stud, but a stallion with stallion instincts nonetheless. It's a mistake to think horses can't be aggressive without being fearful. Stallions show aggression towards each other all the time in the "wild" and their way of getting mares and foals to move around is rather "aggressive" also. In bachelor herds young stallions play rough with each other in a semi-aggressive way that, if directed at a human, would be deadly and feel very threatening.

This is all "natural" behaviour and not an indication that there's anything wrong with the horse or its past handling. It's just at a certain stage of its life, with a certain amount of testosterone fueling its behaviour and not enough guidance from humans to shape this into something more manageable. Yes, some horses are aggressive because they are fearful. Those horses will act aggressive when "defending" themselves. Charging at someone at the other end of a field is not defensive...

If he were mine, I'd be trying to do 2 things.

Firstly, I'd try to put him in with mature horses that can put him in his place. Youngsters need someone around to teach them manners. In a "natural" setting this would be their mother, the rest of the herd and the herd stallion. Once they left and joined a bachelor herd, the older bachelors would take on that role. This teaches youngsters several things. Firstly it teaches them the consequences of their actions (i.e. that they might just get kicked back) and secondly teaches them self-control so that they do not play too roughly. Learning self-control is really important for when we have to handle them because we need them to be even gentler than they are with each other. If you've ever had a horse "groom" you, you know what I mean! If they go about their lives thinking they can do as they please, it's that bit more difficult to adjust their behaviour so that they are safe for us. If older horses are not available as teachers, the human has to take on the role.

The second thing I'd do is assess how mature the horse is physically. If he is a mature-looking horse, I'd start doing some free schooling (no tack obviously) to get him focusing and respectful of my space. If not, I would start dishing out some consequences. On the one hand, you want the horse to be friendly and so it's good to reward good behaviour. On the other hand, if the horse charges you, you need to be holding a whip and respond immediately. I would never hit a horse in this situation unless it was actually about to kick me and I was protecting myself but a good lash at the ground will usually do the trick and show them that there is a real consequence to their actions. Making your body larger and posturing will do it too but the more clear the message, the quicker you can nip this in the proverbial bud and if you watch horses with each other, a warning kick in the air is a very clear signal!

If you watch horses out with each other, they will threaten each other, chase each other off feed, even outright bite/kick each other but they can also walk up to each other 5 minutes later and start mutually grooming. This is what I think our relationship with horses should be like as well. We should be able to clearly tell them off (without hurting them) and then invite them over for a treat and a scratch.
 
He wasn't hand reared was he?

I've known one that was a real puzzler. On one hand he was scared of everything yet at the same time he didn't fear people as they provided food and bottle fed him. Any new situation was a major trauma for him. He needs very quiet, consistent handling as he is a real worrier and looks to handler for confidence. If he doesn't get that confidence from his handler he will throw his toys out of the pram. If people try to bully him at this point he gets worse.
 
Hope you get him sorted. Off the topic, but the term 'irish-broke' is quite offensive. As an irish horse lover I think its unfair to label a whole race as battering fear into young horse. Sorry its off topic but couldn't bit my tongue!

Really hope you get to the bottom of his behaviour though!
 
Barnacle - I'm aware how stallions behave (I have a 6yo stallion, a yearling colt and another 2yo colt) and this isn't 'stallion like behaviour'. I'd put him with my stallion and mare but he doesn't seem to be well socialised with other horses and doesn't read cues well from them - hence him being with the yearling and 2yo. I could show you a cracking video of my stallion and yearling rough playing but last time I posted it online I got told one of my horses would end up injured and I was stupid ;)

Sealine - you could have a point there. His previous owners were keeping him as an entire (I now know why they decided to sell) but they didn't have facilities to keep him so he had been stabled 24/7 since weaning.

Thinking about it it's no wonder he's a lunatic!

Paddi22 - are you replying to another thread? Nowhere have I said 'Irish-broke' - he's only two and barely been handled.
 
paddi22 said:
sorry it was shays comment, should have pointed that out. didn't want to derail thread!
Click to expand...

I never even noticed to be honest. In my experience of bringing horses over from Ireland they do tend to be broken differently to ones on the mainland. A lot seems to be done quite young and it does result in a brave animal. Irish horses are highly desirable - I'm not sure how you can find the term 'Irish-broke' derogatory, it implies that horses broke in Ireland should be seen as inferior which isn't the case. Irish horses command a premium on the mainland.
 
I bought a 4 yr old mare who had been ill-treated by a short, older man as a 2 yr old, kept short of food, as was carefully explained to me by the vendor, who had originally sold her to this man and then bought her back. She was very proud of her food and guarded it aggressively in the first few months that she was with us but gradually grew out of it, as she learned that her food was entirely hers and she would not be kept short.

A few yrs later our Section A picked up a minor injury in the field. YO who was a short, retired farmer went into the field to check her and my mare rushed across the field and double-barrelled him. We could only think that she was protecting the Section A from him, as she saw it. True aggression but fuelled by fear for her friend's safety. She was not normally a kicker.

OP, I imagine that testosterone is playing a part in your colt's behaviour but he maybe also remembering his previous experiences and 'getting his bit in first'.
 
EQUIDAE said:
Barnacle - I'm aware how stallions behave (I have a 6yo stallion, a yearling colt and another 2yo colt) and this isn't 'stallion like behaviour'. I'd put him with my stallion and mare but he doesn't seem to be well socialised with other horses and doesn't read cues well from them - hence him being with the yearling and 2yo. I could show you a cracking video of my stallion and yearling rough playing but last time I posted it online I got told one of my horses would end up injured and I was stupid ;)

Sealine - you could have a point there. His previous owners were keeping him as an entire (I now know why they decided to sell) but they didn't have facilities to keep him so he had been stabled 24/7 since weaning.

Thinking about it it's no wonder he's a lunatic!

Paddi22 - are you replying to another thread? Nowhere have I said 'Irish-broke' - he's only two and barely been handled.
Click to expand...

That's kind of my point... He's not well-socialised and that's the entire problem. He isn't displaying the behaviour of a normal stallion who knows his place and can exercise self-control. He's displaying the instinctive behaviour of an unsocialised teenage stallion. A horse that doesn't understand cues is a pretty perfect description of one side of the problem. The other side is the self-control.

(By the way, personally, I would not criticise you for letting a stallion play with a youngster. I'm not one of those who thinks stallions are monsters.)
 
Last edited:
The natural horsemanship lot rub horses to get them to relax, and you should work on this, starting with the withers area do it for as long as it takes, and make it the initial part of the routine, every routine. Use a glove on a stick to reach the parts behind the girth, and later, the flanks.
Men should be allowed to offer carrots etc, but make sure he does not learn to mug anyone. He should learn to associate carrot and face rubbing [headcollar is kept on all the time so no bum turning]
Then intoduce other people to do the same thing, , in the meantime your OH and other men like the farrier [asuming he is horse empathetic] should meet him. Ask your farrier and you man to leave dirtiest and smelliest jumpers with you, keep them in poly bags and let your boy get used to the smell every day, you can end up with a bit of a rub with them.
Obviousy OH should be very careful, we had a mare who attacked with teeth, and I carried a big stave and bopped her on the teeth when she tried it in the field, and carried it when feeding in the stable, but she had never shown her bum, which is dangerous , obviously.
I would cut him now, and if had the money, I would send him to Sarah Fisher, or go to her for a few days training, I have the Tellington book, but I think you need formal traning.
 
Last edited:
Barnacle said:
First off let me say I'm sure this will be simple to resolve and not at all a lost cause.

However, this horse is a two year-old entire colt. In other words, he is a stallion. Not a full-blown stud, but a stallion with stallion instincts nonetheless. It's a mistake to think horses can't be aggressive without being fearful. Stallions show aggression towards each other all the time in the "wild" and their way of getting mares and foals to move around is rather "aggressive" also. In bachelor herds young stallions play rough with each other in a semi-aggressive way that, if directed at a human, would be deadly and feel very threatening.

This is all "natural" behaviour and not an indication that there's anything wrong with the horse or its past handling. It's just at a certain stage of its life, with a certain amount of testosterone fueling its behaviour and not enough guidance from humans to shape this into something more manageable. Yes, some horses are aggressive because they are fearful. Those horses will act aggressive when "defending" themselves. Charging at someone at the other end of a field is not defensive...

If he were mine, I'd be trying to do 2 things.

Firstly, I'd try to put him in with mature horses that can put him in his place. Youngsters need someone around to teach them manners. In a "natural" setting this would be their mother, the rest of the herd and the herd stallion. Once they left and joined a bachelor herd, the older bachelors would take on that role. This teaches youngsters several things. Firstly it teaches them the consequences of their actions (i.e. that they might just get kicked back) and secondly teaches them self-control so that they do not play too roughly. Learning self-control is really important for when we have to handle them because we need them to be even gentler than they are with each other. If you've ever had a horse "groom" you, you know what I mean! If they go about their lives thinking they can do as they please, it's that bit more difficult to adjust their behaviour so that they are safe for us. If older horses are not available as teachers, the human has to take on the role.

The second thing I'd do is assess how mature the horse is physically. If he is a mature-looking horse, I'd start doing some free schooling (no tack obviously) to get him focusing and respectful of my space. If not, I would start dishing out some consequences. On the one hand, you want the horse to be friendly and so it's good to reward good behaviour. On the other hand, if the horse charges you, you need to be holding a whip and respond immediately. I would never hit a horse in this situation unless it was actually about to kick me and I was protecting myself but a good lash at the ground will usually do the trick and show them that there is a real consequence to their actions. Making your body larger and posturing will do it too but the more clear the message, the quicker you can nip this in the proverbial bud and if you watch horses with each other, a warning kick in the air is a very clear signal!

If you watch horses out with each other, they will threaten each other, chase each other off feed, even outright bite/kick each other but they can also walk up to each other 5 minutes later and start mutually grooming. This is what I think our relationship with horses should be like as well. We should be able to clearly tell them off (without hurting them) and then invite them over for a treat and a scratch.
Click to expand...

Excellent post. Forget about thinking cruel handling has brought this about. Not necessarily. Poor handling/over handling or no handling could all be the causes. It doesn't take much for a horse to learn what works to get their own way. I'm sure you will bring him round with the correct handling such as Barnacle suggests. Make sure you've always got a hat on around him as well.
 
some good advice already offered but just to add:

you can have him gelded now if you are willing to have him done at the vets and stay in 3/4 days. TBH i dont think they will do a 2yo down in the field now anyway, the blood supply will be too well developed? so he will be healed by time he comes home and no fly issue to worry about.

i bought a 2yo colt in Oct 2014. The plan always was to keep him entire but he had been minimally handled since birth(feet trimmed couple of times a year, no vaccinations etc though) and had just run on in a group of colts.

he was(and still is to a certain degree) not 100% trusting of people. He is a sweetheart, and love bug and not stalliony in the slightests(despite now looking like a 6yo and being built like a sherman tank lol) but if you touch him without him being totally concentrating he will explode away from you. Not kicking as such but he has caught one person by accident :( You can walk up to him and lay all over him,scrub and pat and kiss and mess with him AS LONG as he knows its coming. If you eg touch his neck whilst hes looking the other way he still might go broncing off past you!

i have a western trainer working with him and he has really helped (and taught me more tools to have in my toolbox). from what i have seen they take a very through approach to de spooking and de sensitising and the horse quickly learns to accept the crazy rules of the crazy humans lol. Is there anyone who trains western near you?

im no dummy either, had tricky horses in the past, had stallions in the past and been backing them since i was a teenager but this horse just needed a difference approach and although he is ultimately destined for dressage, im really pleased how the cow pony work is helping him :)
 
You can buy cow pony videos, but not the one which is market leader, that couple of loonies give "natural horsemanship " a bad name.
A round pen is ideal for these horses, but it needs to be a decent size due to kicking.
Otherwise long reining: keeping him in an arena with very high fencing, or an indoor school.
You will need assistance from a brave and experieced helper, or you should be the helper as it is your horse and you should carry the biggest risk to life and limb.
I would re-iterate, cut him at vets as at that age they can need immediate vet attention, then turn away for a ten days/few weeks.
The aggressive mare we had got turned out with Magical Blue, a horse who was herd leader in the yard, and very accurate with his kicks [he would not allow any youngsters out on the training gallops to mess about], she got a bit of a minor battering, but it was that or she would have had to live alone for the rest of her life.
 
Last edited:
I'm afraid we are a long way off rubbing withers and long lining - I can barely touch him yet he is that bad :( I had a bit of a breakthrough the other day and managed to rub his neck at the base rather than the top and patted him gently 'good boy' and he absolutely pooed his pants. He's not ready to meet other people yet - I'm keeping it one on one until he accepts contact more.

I wouldn't lunge a 2yo in trot, never mind sending them round and round in canter in a round pen - this one is out I'm afraid. I'm not a fan of the practice anyway as I believe it creates a bond through flooding and learned helplessness, the same way as sacking out does. I'd rather desensitise them gradually so they think it is on their terms and no big deal.

He's learned the word 'back' so I can control his position near me to a degree now - he's starting to respect my personal space a little.

He's also started allowing me to hold onto his headcollar for more than a few seconds now, so I'm going to start leading him around the paddock to get him used to following me rather than backing off.

I know I'll get there with him - I just had a bit of a wobble yesterday.

The idea of sending him into the vets to be done sooner rather than later is a good one, but until he stops trying to attack people I wouldn't out anyone else in danger, he'll be done but at home. Plus I have 3 to have done at the same time ;) the vets are happy to geld him at home.
 
its entirely up to you but actually i think now is the best time to get a trainer on board-someone who can work through every step with him so that the eventual backing is done by his friend rather than a stranger.

i hear you on the round pen, i dont like small circles either but for a horse showing any kind of aggression this needs sorting NOW and if he has to do a bit more work than the average 2yo to make sure hes not going to kill or disable someone.............thats a risk worth taking IMO.

they are our babies and we are inclined to baby them, just someone with no expectations who doesnt *love* the horse can achieve more as they are so much more neutral about it. thats something i saw with mine-im no fluffy bunny and Goof has had plenty of tellings off for being too rowdy and silly but his western trainer showed me how to do things in a slightly different way, which made the black/white even clearer and has helped with progress.

i totally get you dont want to over work his body, but his mind has got to be safe.
 
I would have recommended using a good Horsemanship trainer but seems you have made your mind up already about it. Done correctly there is no endless cantering round in circles and there certainly is no flooding or learned helplessness. But something you said says it all, doing things on the horse's terms. If you let the horse do something on their terms you are letting them be the boss and that's where all your problems will stem from. In the wild a badly behaved youngster gets some tough love, indeed I see it every day with my yearling colts who are turned out in a mixed herd. Decent horsemanship replicates these relationships. A horse with no respect for you is always going to be untrustworthy and at times, dangerous.
 
It's his mind that I am most worried about - though he is slowly coming round :)

I'm not babying him though - all of my horses have been with me from youngsters and have turned out well rounded individuals. I hate 'spoile youngster syndrome' - a mare who I just sold was like that. I'm not planning on sending him away to be backed - he will be staying here as all of my others have (he will be my 8th I have backed).

I have an instructor who comes out once a week to give me lessons who also schools my 5yo stallion - she teaches him something new and I continue it. I'm not adverse to getting trainers in but my experience when I was having issues with him was that they tended to be over rough with him as he was a stallion - took ages to find someone who fitted. He didn't need rough handling he just needed someone who was firm but kind.

It is being sorted NOW - but he isn't your average two year old, you can barely touch him without him panicking. I'm sure some of the harsher methods suggested would work with your average two year old but this boy needs to trust first. Don't get me wrong, I've slapped him with the clip end of the lead rope if he has seriously threatened the back end, I just don't see how pushing him out of his comfort zone with 'schooling' is going to help. The only thing he needs to learn is how to be a horse, and a few basic manners.

Must dig out some piccies...
 
Cross posted - it has to be on his terms right now. He is scared of humans to the point of being aggressive and you can barely touch him. The first thing he needs to learn is how to be a horse - NH training is great for some but if he doesn't know how to be a horse in the first place no human is going to do that. That is what my other horses are doing. Once he has learned how to communicate with other horses I'm sure communicating with him will be easier.

Horses do not think in terms of 'winning' that is a human trait - I am not out to win a battle, but to win his trust.

Introducing someone else to his life right now would flood him, and likely make him regress. I have already seen this with my other half and he wasn't asking him to do anything. He doesn't need 'training' he just needs boundaries establishing which I am already doing.

When offering criticism please remember that he is a horse who has been kept stabled since weaning yet isn't halter broken (totally bizarre setup). His experience isn't normal to what other youngsters have. He doesn't yet fully know how to interact with horses - he certainly doesn't behave anything like my yearling and 2 year old, who had also come from a rough background but had been socialised.
 
Last edited:
11750731_10153394215760781_8047319608051636605_n_zpsyoknpcps.jpg
 
Oh my goodness - not nice behaviour to have to deal with! When my now 6 year old was a young colt he was a real front leg striker and used to turn towards you to try and catch you. Scary enough without having two back feet coming towards you!

I'm a bit surprised that people think it's a good idea to be working loose in a round pen, definitely can't get out of the way if they decide to kick then!

I would be doing basic groundwork though - not lunging or long lining but work on a long lead rope and a halter. This can actually help you to build a relationship, to really work on something together and to progress. There are a few easy exercises that even a very young horse can do, certainly your 2 year old and now that you are going to start teaching him to lead then I would be working on them straight away.

Firstly in your case I would be teaching him to yield his hindquarters away - he can't kick you if you are able to send his hindquarters in the opposite direction. Once practised it can be done at quite a distance which sounds like it could be of great benefit to you! The easiest way to start this off is to stand at his shoulder, take a feel on the lead rope so he slightly flexes his head towards you and then you have two options - you can either use the back of your hand on his quarters or you can just try purposefully walking into his space by making a small half circle from shoulder to quarters, all you want at first is a step and then you can build it up from there, more steps, bigger distances. Sometimes they react well if you gently swing the lead rope towards the quarters (without touching) and this might also be a safer option for you. The biggest aid in this case is your intent!!
 
EQUIDAE said:
I'm afraid we are a long way off rubbing withers and long lining - I can barely touch him yet he is that bad :( I had a bit of a breakthrough the other day and managed to rub his neck at the base rather than the top and patted him gently 'good boy' and he absolutely pooed his pants. He's not ready to meet other people yet - I'm keeping it one on one until he accepts contact more.

I wouldn't lunge a 2yo in trot, never mind sending them round and round in canter in a round pen - this one is out I'm afraid. I'm not a fan of the practice anyway as I believe it creates a bond through flooding and learned helplessness, the same way as sacking out does. I'd rather desensitise them gradually so they think it is on their terms and no big deal.

He's learned the word 'back' so I can control his position near me to a degree now - he's starting to respect my personal space a little.

He's also started allowing me to hold onto his headcollar for more than a few seconds now, so I'm going to start leading him around the paddock to get him used to following me rather than backing off.

I know I'll get there with him - I just had a bit of a wobble yesterday.

The idea of sending him into the vets to be done sooner rather than later is a good one, but until he stops trying to attack people I wouldn't out anyone else in danger, he'll be done but at home. Plus I have 3 to have done at the same time ;) the vets are happy to geld him at home.
Click to expand...
I think you are wrong, last month we had a mare off the hills, never seen a human close to, never had a headcollar, nothing, terrified of people: within three days she is headcollared and is able to go to and fro to the round pen where she has her haynet today. Day four she is standing in the roundpen looking out at her new friends in the next field while a big blue tarp flaps in the wind. She is only able to be handled properly by the trainer, the owner needs him to catch her. I think she cost about £50 and was bought unseen in a a pub, she is stunning, of course the owner has no idea, they are thinking "$$$$$$$$$"
She was tootling round one way and the other on day two, and is able to come towards a carrot [on day one she ran to the back of her box], today she looks over door as long as no one comes close.
On day three the owner can rub her withers when she is handed the horse on headcollar and rope, and it is in the round pen.
No way would one be able to hold on a leadrope and "Back" but she is rubbed today and every day.
She is not "being lunged" she is learning to move away from the trainer when asked and to turn when asked. She is not being "lunged" and every question we ask of her is for a reason.
In about four weeks she will be expected to go out and come in every day to and from a field with no stress.
Once she is happy and not stressed, she can learn to walk in hand, and to turn and to back.
She will be a super driving horse, but she needs to get her confidence back.
Makes me rather envious that people can but a HOYS potential for £50 in a pub, I wanted her , so much............
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top