colt behaviour and body language

[lucky7]

My 2yr welsh colt stands at 14hh, he is a lot better behaved since we started ground work. He leads sensibly and if he does get excited or try and get ahead of me a sharp tug and a back on the halter keeps him in check. He no longer nips (he gets a sharp slap on the nose if he does - this has worked wonders) he is very gentle and friendly. The one thin he does do when he's either waiting for feed or grass is head toss - I take it its an impatient thing he does? I am having him gelded the end of summer and hoping he will be my future riding horse as he's perfect and just what I want. Have come quite a long way with him but there are still a few issues with him. I have no where to tie him up to - just a big field! And feel he needs more work picking up his legs for the farrier but its hard to practice when am the only one there with no where to tie him too! There is a livery yard with facilities nr by but I dernt risk him with the mares! Any tips ?

 

[Enfys]

Ok, I am just going to answer your tying problem for now...make somewhere!

Do you not have a good stout tree? If you can get away with it put gravel or sand down around it (or any alternative) to improve the footing.

Most of my paddocks have tie posts in them that double as scratching posts. We dig a three foot deep hole, slide an 8' railway sleeper into it and pour in two sacks of quick setting concrete (with water as instructed obviously

We use sleepers because we have dozens of the things lying around the farm, but you can sustitute any good solid round post, must be long enough to sink at least 3' in the ground, and not a flimsy 4" pole, 8" - 10" are better. A 4" is easily snapped.

There you go. You now have a very solid hitching post/scratching post/somewhere to tie a haynet etc.We use bolts to fasten the rings etc.

I cannot see that putting a post in (which is actually beneficial to the horse, and does not create an eyesore) will upset the jobsworths and curtain twitchers. Obviously if the land is rented I suppose you should ask permission first.

If you sink two sleepers about 5' apart, you have cross ties which are excellent for keeping horses straight. You can use two sleepers and put a pole between them creating a more traditional hitching rail.

Oh, and he isn't too young to learn to ground tie either, or that "Whoa" or "Stand" jolly well mean just that. Stand. Do NOT move your feet unless I ask you to.