bad habits

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harrihjc

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I have a four year old who is an absolute sweety in so many ways, however he has a few bad habits that I think need some work asap, obviously everyone wants a well mannered horse.

Anyway, he has a tendency to nibble, chews absolutely everything, and although this doesn't worry me excessively as I know he's a baby and doesn't do it nastily generally, he does bite my mum (but nobody else it seems!). This makes her quite nervous around him. Does anyone have any advice about how to stop this?

Also he gets extremely excited about food and can barge out of his stable or drag you across the yard to get to a bit of grass he's spotted. He never does this when he's bridled, do you think I should lead him in something that gives a bit more control, like a chifney??

He has also just started napping when being ridden, he stops at the gate and bucks if you ask him to go forward. I'm trying to be really firm about this and nip it in the bud so to speak, any tips?

I'm almost always on my own at the yard so can't get any help
 
Maybe work in the school a little before you hack out, or lunge to help him lose some of that excitement and energy? Does he wear a flash noseband? Or would that not be suitable? if you turn him out and he pulls, loop the leadrop around his nose or maybe try the chifney? (Not actually sure what a chifney is, but if it could help then its worth a try)
Sorry i am not much help!
 
Generally a bit of a mannerless pig then?????
wink.gif


If he bites you - slap him on the muzzle (don't all start yelling - it works, and doesn't make them head shy). Don't tap - a real hard slap with a NO.

Napping is an absolute bugger, and purseverence is the key - and perhaps a friend to ride out with to get his confidence up.

Barging???? Headcollar on when in the stable, with lead rope. Make sure you have hold of it before you go in the stable, and then tie him up short. Put the food on the floor and then unclip him. Do it every time you feed him, and every time you go in.

And for barging generally whilst being led - a controller headcollar (but do not tie him up in it).

Sounds like a child with no boundries.
 
My wee mare used to stop at the gate and refuse to go past, so i would work her down at the bottom end of the arena so we dont pass the gate. I carry a schooling whip, so if she tried to stop, she got a wee tap with the whip and she went on. However, thankfully she didnt buck or i would be eating sand.

My husbands thoroughbred is only 5 and he would eat anything, he had escaped one night and ate 3 headcollars and chewed several leadropes!!

Maybe hes picking up on your mums fear of him.

Sorry probably not the best advise in the world
 
he's usually as quiet as anything when being ridden, hacked, jumped etc. He's a lazy sod usually, the excitement is only down to food
 
Hacking out usually means fields or lanes where you are passing fields maybe, with some lush grass. Maybe he would rather go and plough through that than do some excersise! Naughty boy! Lol, but i second what AmyMay said, sounds helpful! and also, maybe try Cobland's tip about the schooling whip.
 
I have a four year old who is very well behaved but still forgets herself sometimes! a freind of mine had a kelly marks trained person come out to her horse recently to help with loading, and her horse is a bit bargy. The woman got her to always handle him in a pressure halter and whenever he did something she didnt want, such as barged, nudged, walked into her etc she made him take steps backwards using the pressure headcollar. Basically letting him know she was the boss and he should respect that. She wasnt nasty, just firm. Everytime he barged etc she moved him, and he very quickly was alot better - after about half an hour of this in the school. She told my friend that she must do this everytime she handled him and soon he would understand and she would have fewer problems.

Hopefully this makes sense, i have been trying to do the same with my 4yr old. It seems to be helping with even simple things like standing still in the stable etc. You might want to have a look on the net for more info and better explaination!

Hope this helps!
 
[ QUOTE ]
Generally a bit of a mannerless pig then?????
wink.gif


If he bites you - slap him on the muzzle (don't all start yelling - it works, and doesn't make them head shy). Don't tap - a real hard slap with a NO.

Napping is an absolute bugger, and purseverence is the key - and perhaps a friend to ride out with to get his confidence up.

Barging???? Headcollar on when in the stable, with lead rope. Make sure you have hold of it before you go in the stable, and then tie him up short. Put the food on the floor and then unclip him. Do it every time you feed him, and every time you go in.

And for barging generally whilst being led - a controller headcollar (but do not tie him up in it).

Sounds like a child with no boundries.

[/ QUOTE ]

Yeh i think it is a bit like that. He is getting better about standing, he used to be an absolute bugger! When I hack out I go with my sister on her 20yr old pony, and he's the sensible one out of the 2. Its purely the napping issue in the sand school and manners when being led or in the stable really. I'll look into the control headcollar and advise my mum on how to handle his biting
 
What we do with the youngsters from very early on is teach them that an open stable door does not neccessarily mean exit.

With a headcollar on the stable door is opened wide and the weanling instructed to stand. They may then be asked to move back a step or two, or walked around the stable to stand elsewhere. Then they are asked to walk on - and out.
 
Thanks AM, i'll give it a try.
I was wondering over lunch if boredom could be a contributing factor?? We havent been able to do anything but schooling for the last few weeks and although i try to vary it as much as possible, being limited to a 10x15m area does make it tough. He loves to play but our other horse won't tolerate him so they are kept separate.
 
He could well be bored yes - hence the napping. Going round in circles is tedious enough - but for a youngster really, really boring if they are doing it all the time, and no variance like hacking or hunting.
 
that's what I was thinking, his poor little baby brain needs to be entertained, he loves his jumping and hacking. Lack of light in the evenings and our sand school being so tiny it makes things quite difficult and I can't keep jumping off and on all the time to sort out a jump, and don't hack on my own.
 
I would go for a training headcollar like a dually or a be nice rather than a chifney as a first attempt to solve the barging and dragging problem.

You could try getting a book such as Kelly Mark's "perfect manners" which would give you some groundwork exercises to do to teach him to respect you on the ground.
 
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