Colt aggression in field ?

[Dwyran_gold]

he's not being aggressive hes just being a boy-if he was given the chance i know my stallion would do the same silly sneaky nipping and farting around but he doesn't get the chance so he doesn't.

i wouldn't be going in the field and turning my back on him as you just invite this idiocy and if you dont know how to back them off and properly back them off, they just come back for more as its all a silly game to them.

company will really do a lot of the work for you, a big herd of mixed ages and personalities so he learns to be a horse.....that said my boy was kept inside for 6 months before i had him as they didnt have safe turnout and has been out alone since as he plays too rough, but i make sure he socialises a lot in hand and over a door with lots of horses and having had several stallions to own/ride/train im quick to knock the stupidity on the head (sometimes literally lol!) but i do think the turnout in a big herd would be easiest for you once gelded and will come back in a different pony.

thank you for taking the time to reply, that was really informative and exactly what my experience was! The yard he’ll be going to when he’s gelded has all ages and all types so it’ll be interesting to see how he gets on. I’m glad I’ve saved him a spot now! X

 

[Dwyran_gold]

Thank you everyone. I really appreciate your advice as always. My boy is going to be gelded next month (not tomorrow as some have suggested he should be, because he’s got to have bigger op so has to be booked in for it) he’ll come home for some recovery time and then he’ll be off to a new yard with field buddies of all ages.

I just want to add that a few people have said he’s ‘not the horse’ for me.. which I would say fair enough, if I was someone wanting to compete next year or if I was in a rush to do anything with him.. but then why would I have got him in the first place if that was my plan? I’m not an idiot (most of the time).. I got him with warts and all as he is and I made a commitment to him. You don’t just buy a pet of any sort and think ‘oh it’s not for me’ sell it on... then on then on.... that type of advice isn’t helpful to anyone.

 

[JJS]

Can you not find him anywhere before May comes around, as that’s a long time for a young horse to continue living alone!

IME, rising two can be a horrible age anyway, but I would never have had Flower on her own regardless. It’s a time when they should be learning some very important lessons from other equines, and when your job is to keep reinforcing the basics, but while being as hands off as possible and not interfering too much.

On her own at that age, Flower would have been stressed, unmanageable, and jumping out every two seconds; with company, she could have her occasional tantrums, but was polite and mannerly in the field (as her mother and the rest of her herd had taught her to be), calm, confident, and comfortable with where she slotted into the hierarchy. She would never have tried to instigate such rough play with a person, as she had been taught from very early on that it was unacceptable.

To be blunt, OP, I think you either need to find him somewhere suitable ASAP or rehome to someone who’s better able to meet his needs, because if you get it wrong now, you’re setting him up to become a problem horse at not even two years old.

 

[Dwyran_gold]

Can you not find him anywhere before May comes around, as that’s a long time for a young horse to continue living alone!

IME, rising two can be a horrible age anyway, but I would never have had Flower on her own regardless. It’s a time when they should be learning some very important lessons from other equines, and when your job is to keep reinforcing the basics, but while being as hands off as possible and not interfering too much.

On her own at that age, Flower would have been stressed, unmanageable, and jumping out every two seconds; with company, she could have her occasional tantrums, but was polite and mannerly in the field (as her mother and the rest of her herd had taught her to be), calm, confident, and comfortable with where she slotted into the hierarchy. She would never have tried to instigate such rough play with a person, as she had been taught from very early on that it was unacceptable.

To be blunt, OP, I think you either need to find him somewhere suitable ASAP or rehome to someone who’s better able to meet his needs, because if you get it wrong now, you’re setting him up to become a problem horse at not even two years old.

the vet suggested a couple of weeks ‘calm’ turnout after his op in March so beginning of may seemed like a good time to allow everything to heal to not create and problems in the future x

 

[Equi]

Sounds like play to me. You're the only real fun he is getting if alone. Even when gelded though, a bossy horse that can teach him manners is going to be more of an asset than any training a human can give in my opinion.

 

[PurBee]

My gelding was very bossy in the field as a colt. I called him the ‘stag’, as he would approach, bold and completely fearless, and stand as close as he could, with his neck touching your body and stare right at you!
He had liver coloured coat then, and was full of muscle, looking just like a stag. He wished he had horns and acted like satans assistant!
Thankfully he never got into front feet strikes, like you’re dealing with. Youre right to be firm while he’s young.

I also have charged at a boisterous colt rather than have him think he managed to get me to run off!:

(Sparing all of the long back story for this behaviour..) It was completely unexpected, faster than the eye could see, double barrel back leg kick into my ribs by a relatively feral young , not long gelded colt, just after putting hay out and preparing to walk away. Thankfully large flexi trug held infront of me cushioned the kick, but i was catapulted instantly 15 feet back landing onto electric fencing.
Shocked and annoyed i charged at him with the bucket and took ownership of the food, then allowed them back to it, which worked. Next hay visit i went out there with a lunge whip. Only needed a couple of times for him to get the message to behave and keep back and be respectful.

 

[Chestnuts and company]

It might be best seeing if you could possibly try him with a group of geldings preferably with some more dominant ones.
With horses being herd animals your little man needs to learn his place in the pecking order and other horses are the best way to do this.
Good luck with him

 

[Leo Walker]

I got him with warts and all as he is and I made a commitment to him. You don’t just buy a pet of any sort and think ‘oh it’s not for me’ sell it on... then on then on.... that type of advice isn’t helpful to anyone.

You do if its a young horse that you are keeping on its own and having fairly serious problems with. You are out of your depth with him and setting him up to be a problem horse. My rock steady pony would be worried and upset living on her own 24/7 even if there were horses over the fence. For a youngster its an unbearable situation.

It doesnt take a month to book a gelding op. You ring the vet and they give you a date, usually within a couple of days. So he could be done very early next week and out with other youngsters before the end of the month. You bought him as a colt so you knew it would need doing, but hes already been on his own for some time now. I'm surprised the situation isnt much worse than it is TBH.

Stop spending money on ground work lessons, get him gelded and get him into a suitable environment as soon as you possibly can, as in within days not weeks or months. You wont need lessons to manage his behaviour once you've done that.

 

[doodle]

I sold Tom as he wasn’t the horse for me. We were both miserable. He is in the same wonderful home I sold him to and he is adored. Meantime I have robin who is adored. Sometimes it just isn’t a match.

 

[cundlegreen]

I’m afraid that if you need to ask advice on a forum as to how handle a coltish colt, you are not cut out to own one. It’s just basic firm handling, and timing is everything.

He will improve later if handled and managed correctly, but from what the OP has posted up to now, he is not what she is looking for. Sell or return him to the ‘rescue’, and get something easier and more established.

FWIW, I’d have taken on and sorted a stroppy colt when was younger and more agile, and in fact I did, but I wouldn’t want the hassle now.

Oh good, you saved me replying.

 

[ester]

Why don't you lop his balls off now and then get him turned out with your trainers lot way before may?

 

[Caol Ila]

As I recall, the OP's colt has an undescended testicle, and the horse needs to go into the vet clinic for surgery. Maybe under GA? I don't really know what's involved in removing an undescended ball.

That said, keeping him on his own until May is not ideal and I don't see any reason why he can't be in a group of other male horses now.

 

[Dwyran_gold]

As I recall, the OP's colt has an undescended testicle, and the horse needs to go into the vet clinic for surgery. Maybe under GA? I don't really know what's involved in removing an undescended ball.

That said, keeping him on his own until May is not ideal and I don't see any reason why he can't be in a group of other male horses.

yeah, that’s right. The hospital is a couple of hours away and the only one around here to offer the op. So I’ve had to arrange transport and the booking and that’s the date that matched to both.
no where will take a colt around here that’s not gelded. I’ve waited it out under the advice of the vet. Only when he hit 20 months did the vet agree it was a good time to get the op done. Believe me I had the vet out a lot!
He was in a field with 8 colts when I got him, all of which were sold. Even if I sent him back there he would be on his own like he is now. I wouldn’t send him back there anyway.
Here’s the back story.. the year before last I had a knock on my door, it was a lady who asked me if I knew who owned the field next to my house that was empty, I said “yes it’s mine” and she asked me if she could temporarily put a pony she had rescued on there until she found somewhere to take him. I said that she could. Anyway to my surprise It turned out to be a 8 month old foal. As time went on and he was on his own in the field I began to get a relationship going with him, he would limbo under the fence and come in to the garden when we were having bbqs and I would take him back in the field and I’d hide carrots around to keep him occupied and give him something to do. I’d take my pointer down Most days and they would chase each other around and play. Then one day he was gone.
a couple of months later I was browsing online looking for a mini fridge and came across an add for a colt, I instantly recognised him and he was so cheap that I was concerned who would buy him.
I went to see him the next week and my Husband said to me, we should just bring him home. So here he is. I have a trainer out because I am trying to keep him stimulated safely as there’s no where for him to go around here before he’s gelded. I have had to wait to get him gelded because of the reasons I’ve said.... no it’s not ideal but I am committed to giving him a good life and perhaps when he’s gelded he can share a field with the oldies when he’s back from the trainers yard at the end of the year.
It might not be ideal but I have pushed for him to be gelded so we can get him on track and I know he has a secure future.
I didn’t selfishly search the internet for a troubled colt to bring home on the cheap.
I brought him home because of his breed and where I though he might end up in the future! He’ll be With us forever.

 

[Gloi]

Don't stress too much. When he's gelded he'll soon chill out. He's just a young coloured cob not a 16h sports horse so I'm sure you'll manage okay with him especially with people around to help you.

 

[Trouper]

Hang on in there - he is a baby with a baby's needs and just at the moment you are not able to meet these. Get him gelded asap and then see what personality you are really dealing with. Two I have seen recently changed at very different rates - one overnight (tho' he was 4) and one that took longer to get over the stroppy colt stage even tho' he was the younger.
I am really not sure that a move into full livery and training is right for him at this stage. You need to take his training in stages and keep turning him away to digest it all. But, before anything else, he needs company to simply have the chance to be a horse. If you have the room, ask the charities to loan you a couple so that they can form a little herd. Letting him grow up naturally will sort out lots of things further down the line. You really don't need to be "doing things" with him at this stage other than some basic ground manners and handling.

 

[Shilasdair]

1. Geld him now.
2. Turn him out in company - with larger, adult and preferably dominant horses (male until the gelding process is complete) and let them occupy his mind/teach him manners.
3. Never go into his field without either a rope or a whip to get him to back off. Put the bucket where you don't have to put yourself at risk. Treat him as dangerous - you are creating a dangerous animal here.
4. Stop with the lunging/long reining. He's too young, and physically not mature enough (or mentally mature enough) to be worked. Instead concentrate on the basics - standing politely to be caught, turn him to the gate before you release him on turnout, being tied quietly, and most importantly, to respect your personal space.

I agree with the people above suggesting he is not the horse for you - if you are busy making excuses because he was 'a rescue' (he isn't now) or a colt (I wouldn't let any horse bite me regardless of its hormone status), then you are not disciplining him sufficiently. But - this is a welfare issue as he is obviously not thriving living alone, and you need to do something to fix it.
Good luck.