Agressive foal with food

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aimee8282

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My little 10 month old colt is really agressive with his food, he was weaned 3 weeks ago and all has been fine. He is great to handle, groom, lead etc but when he is having his tea (he is fed in a feeder in a tyre because he just tries to kick it on the floor) he puts his ears back and turns his hindquarters on me.
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I have been grooming him while he's been eating to get him used to the fact I can be in his stable and I will not steal his food but last night it was really bad I had to run out the stable to avoid being kicked!!

He is turned out with other horses and shares a big ring feeder of hay and doesn't seem to fuss that he has to share that
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Any help or tips?
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I would just let him eat in peace - being groomed while eating would annoy alot of grown up horses let alone a foal. If he's fine to handle apart from that then why not just let him be ?
 
I would leave alone whilst he is eating his bucket feed as it is his"own" time, but maybe you can introduce some grooming whilst he is eating some hay, he might not be quite so possessive of his tea!
 
Some seem to be natural food guarders. My 6 year old Shetland hasn't completely grown out of this though he allows me to pick out his feet while eating as long as I leave it a few minutes. My 10 month old colt is perfectly happy to have anything done while he's feeding - like his mother. He's not weaned yet so perhaps that will make a difference when he needs it more!
 
I know people who insist on grooming while foal is eating to avoid the aggresive stage, however im of the same opinion that they should be left in peace to eat, i dont think id want anyone scratching my lugs while i was enjoying my tea. Ive never messed with my guys at tea time, and dont have any aggressive feeders, i reguarly have to go in to pick up Deltas bucket and scoop her feed back in as she's always tipping it over, i think she thinks im mental.
 
i have a 10 nearly 11 month old filly and when she was first weaned she was aggresive with her feed. I feed her in a kangaroo skip inside a tyre as she kicks at it all the time! She was agressive for the first 5-6 weeks after weaning but now i change her rugs, pic out her feet and brush her! I personnally believe it was becuase her mother was very greedy and kept her off her bucket food, if she got agressive with me when i was in the stable when she was eating i would clear her and wait for her to have her little hissy fit before she came back to her feed. I change all my horses rugs and brush them when they are eating. You need to show them who the boss is!
 
I have always left mine alone why they are eating, its like people with dogs who insist on constantly taking the food away so prove they can. I'm no expert but it would make me grumpy! The hay time grooming sounds good.
One thing I do think with horses is always set yourself up to succeed, it makes us and them much happier! Why look for an argument?
 
Clodagh,

that was perfect, and I'd add to it, "Never get involved in a fight, which you can't win" and when it comes to food, and any animal, you wont. Put the food in, don't make eye contact and walk away, immediately.

Alec.
 
I would add that I expect mine to back away from the door and wait while I tip the food in the manger, no mugging allowed. They do know that I will then leave straight away.
 
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I would add that I expect mine to back away from the door and wait while I tip the food in the manger, no mugging allowed. They do know that I will then leave straight away.

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I agree with this, make them wait then leave them alone!

My filly started turning her quarters and pulling her ears back at feeding time, once she realised I wasn't going to take her feed away from her she very quickly settled.
Youngsters are only acting out the herd mentality, thats whats always been done to them by older horses so they try and do it to you.
If I walk up to my filly now while she is feeding she will back off and let me have her feed like I am higher in the pecking order.

I really disagree with grooming while a horse is feeding.
 
I have the worlds worst for aggression with feed!
He kicks the buckets over, he double barrells the wall, he'll swing around and will not just kick you, he'll double barrell hell for leather if your in the way.
The other day i bent down infront of him while he was eating a feed to pick something up off the floor and was met with a front leg firmly in my shoulder.
Some of them are just that way. However i believe Harveys issue is because he was taught this by his mother from day one. She would kick out at him and bite him if he came anywhere near her feed!
I have managed to get him out of his wall kicking, and he will now back up and wait for his feed (albeit with ears flat back) as apose to launching himself at me!
I dont think i'll ever get him out of the rest of his feed related issues, its been imprinted near enough from birth.
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Thanks so much for all your advice! I really appreciate it. I'm just going to leave him to eat, he already backs up when I enter the stable with his feed so I'll just keep my fingers crossed that he'll grow out of it!

Thanks again
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