Colt trouble!! HELP!

C

cassiejames600

Well-Known Member
Joined
16 January 2010
Messages
135
Visit site
So I show a colt foal (10 months old at the moment)
He is absolutely stunning and very well bred, all his sire dam and siblings do extremely well in the show ring..
So why is he always getting last!?

He is a complete loon sometimes in the ring rearing in every stride and even at home he is constantly bitting me I always come away with a million cuts and bruises, sometimes he doesn't even realise there is a pace known as trot and he just canters in his trot up/ around..
We find that if we warm him up for 40-60mins before his class he is a little calmer and performs beautifully and if we do a few classes too

He isn't my horse and I just show him but want to know what I can do to improve this any tricks etc
 
what PGF means is -of course you will be marked down for behaviour! the colt should be taught some manners or gelded if uncontrollable.
 
cassiejames600 said:
So why is he always getting last!?

He is a complete loon sometimes in the ring rearing in every stride and even at home he is constantly bitting me I always come away with a million cuts and bruises, sometimes he doesn't even realise there is a pace known as trot and he just canters in his trot up/ around..
We find that if we warm him up for 40-60mins before his class he is a little calmer and performs beautifully and if we do a few classes too
Click to expand...

Without seeing colt I would say that his behaviour is marking his down- HAVE you asked Judges why he is last?

HOw often does he go showing? If he goes a lot then he may well already be ring sour- which would be sad as at 10months old he is still a baby in nappies.

Does he live in or out?
What is he fed?
How much turn out does he get?
how much is he handled day to day?
WHAT IS YOUR WARM UP LIKE just before class?
 
cassiejames600 said:
What do you mean?
Click to expand...

cassiejames600 said:
So why is he always getting last!?

He is a complete loon sometimes in the ring rearing in every stride and even at home he is constantly bitting me I always come away with a million cuts and bruises, sometimes he doesn't even realise there is a pace known as trot and he just canters in his trot up/ around..
Click to expand...
Why is he always last? Well you've already answered! The best breeding in the world doesn't counter act his terrible lack of manners and discipline.
If you want to do something about it, start being a disciplinarian and eliminating that behavior. Still, even if you do manage to make him behave, you can't just expect to suddenly do well in the ring because his siblings do.
 
I no why he isn't getting placed that was just as if you asked that question to me and then I explained it...

He lives in and gets turned out every day from about 6am- 3/4pm, not sure on his feed as he isn't mine, he gets handled every day but even walking him to and from the field can be a struggle he either jogs next to you with his head turned in at you trying to bite or arch his neck and pull and run circles round you.
I only go up on a weekend and there is no school to practise in just field and it's his turn out field which he just thinks play time whenever I try practise in there..
Our warm up we walk round and the whole time he kick up a fuss rearing bitting etc then once a little calmer we try trotting round and trotting some circles which he rears erc again but after 40 mins he settles (well 8 times out of 10) he does

He has only been to 4 shows we do 2 shows a month his last being 4 weeks ago (as we showed today)
 
Allowances are made for youngsters in the ring, but only to a point! If he is behaving like that as a 10 month old then he is obviously not being handled correctly in general and will only get worse. With any youngster, but especially with colts, the early handling and training they get shapes them into what they end up being. As his hormones begin to kick in his behaviour will get worse because he isn't being taught that it is unacceptable. I personally would forget showing for the immediate future and concentrate on teaching him how to behave in hand all the time, starting at home. If the owners are unable to commit to ensuring he is relatively easy to handle then they should geld him and at least eliminate the hormone problem. Badly behaved colts who are not corrected quickly turn into unmanageable and dangerous stallions!
 
2 shows a month is way too much for a yearling imo. Get him gelded and sort out his behaviour at home. If he isn't behaving at home you can't expect him to behave at a show.
 
His last show he was brilliant his warm up he was a aid but in the ring he new his job done a lovely trot and stood lovely for the judge he got placed 4th of 8 and even his first ever show with me each class he did he settled more and more and he even got 3rd and qualified royal London,

What do you guys recommend on how he should be taught/trained at home with handling as I used to show a colt who was the complete opposite to this!!
 
Someone said to tap him on the nose when he bites but he become a bit headshy so owners didn't really want me doing it unless he actually bit me and it hurt, someone said hold his head collar (by where you clip the lead rope) and make his head stay turned out but if I do that he shakes his head and tries to rear
 
I would never advocate smacking/tapping or hitting around the face. Where the biting is concerned, push his face away and growl at him, if he threatens to rear then spin him around and make him walk forwards immediately. Think about how a stallion in a herd would behave with a colt that was becoming bolshy, make yourself big and threatening when he misbehaves, use your voice firmly but calmly. I don't know how old you are, obviously over 16 if you are showing colts, but you sound quite young, please make sure that, above all else, you keep yourself safe when handling him. Make sure you always wear a hat and gloves. I have been on the receiving end of a bite on the face from a bolshy colt - it hurt - a lot! Don't allow him to get away with bad behaviour just 'because he is only a baby', he is potentially a dangerous animal that can do you a lot of damage. You don't need to beat him up to teach him, you just have to let him know firmly that you are in control and he has to do what you say.
 
I am 19
Only had geldings or mares and last year showed a colt who was an absolute angel to handle but this one is completely the opposite my friends had a colt who aacted the exact same way and she gelded him and since then he has been a total angel I've even showed him myself and placed in every class!
This ones seems to not react to nothing, he doesn't give warnings to when he will rear he just does it his rears are not bolt up right ones if anything it's excitement rears and no matter how many times he stop him from bitting he will always do it again
How do you make yourself the boss!?
He isn't un controllable I can hold him when he does all this and the funny thing today is when stood waiting in the ring to see the judge he stood lovely and patient was half asleep at times and as soon as I ask for him to move he starts although he settled more in the walk but still with his head turned in at me all the time trying to bite
 
cassiejames600 said:
So I show a colt foal (10 months old at the moment)
He is absolutely stunning and very well bred, all his sire dam and siblings do extremely well in the show ring..
So why is he always getting last!?

He is a complete loon sometimes in the ring rearing in every stride and even at home he is constantly bitting me I always come away with a million cuts and bruises, sometimes he doesn't even realise there is a pace known as trot and he just canters in his trot up/ around..
We find that if we warm him up for 40-60mins before his class he is a little calmer and performs beautifully and if we do a few classes too

He isn't my horse and I just show him but want to know what I can do to improve this any tricks etc
Click to expand...

With the greatest of respect, geld him, turn him out and let him be what he actually is -- a baby. I am trying to imagine what 'warming up' a foal actually means.
 
It's not really warming up, I just take him in the warm up ring awaiting his class to start and do a practise run of the show really, it lets out his energy really
 
And this seems (maybe I'm wrong :rolleyes:) like evidence of why not everyone is cut out for owning youngsters. It sounds to me like no one has ever shown any disciple, and he's just been allowed to be boss all the time.
1) Beg the owners to geld it. What happens if one day you can't hold onto him and there are mares around? Also, it won't make him a saint over night, but it may improve his rowdiness and belief that he's better than you.
2) Square up. On the rare occasions horses have gone for me, squaring up (making myself as big as possible, tensing shoulders, arms slightly out) and stepping firmly into their personal space and using my own body language to drive them back tends to work. This way you teach what your own space is, and that they down get to be in it. Likewise with the biting, the moment is head moves towards you in a threatening way, get up and drive him back.
3) what are you leading in? A pressure halter may be useful for practicing at home, it allows you to reinforce the aids mentioned above, but there are many makes that are gentle enough for me not to worry about using them on a baby.

Whilst I personally don't agree with the amount of showing being done (ours do 3 shows as foals->yearlings - a small one where they just go look around and watch the other horses, another small one where they actually do a class, and then their keur. That's it.) stopping now won't help matters. Nip his behavior in the bud before he gets bigger and stronger.
 
TBH, I would ask you to leave the ring if I was stewarding/judging - and I judge Welsh Cobs where 'spirit' is expected!

You've got to remember that while youngsters get a little bit of license as far as behaviour is concerned, a judge needs to be able to see their paces and conformation - neither can be shown well on back legs or if they are bent towards the handler. Temperament is also important in my book. You can have the best looking animal in the world but who wants to breed from it if it's only ambition is to try and kill you?

You need to teach a horse to show inhand. They shouldn't be on a showground until they know how to walk on a loose rein with you at their shoulder, trot up in a straight line similarly, allow a judge to walk round them without kicking back or spooking and stand still(ish) while other horses stand or move around them at close quarters. That's the minimum expected. Not easy to do I know but you need to practise the leading especially at home, practice is the key. I wouldn't bit a yearling but I would use a control headcollar if need be and get them walking somewhere (everywhere) 2 or 3 times a day - any pratting about gets them turned as many times as necessary until they walk on quietly. Get him out and about to see other sights, traffic etc. Teach him to stand while been groomed and to move away from pressure. All useful things for his future ridden career as well as the show ring and a chance to build a relationship with the colt which means that he should listen to you while at a show.

If his owners aren't prepared to work with him at home they really shouldn't expect you to try and train him on the show ground...if not fair to either of you (as you are being set up to fail) nor is it fair to the other competitors who have to concentrate on staying out of your way instead of showing their animals.

ETA. as for the biting - push his head away from you every.single.time he tries it. Don't let him have the opportunity EVER. Don't hand feed or let anyone else do it. If he was older I'd say carry a metal curry comb and let him try nipping that but really, it's not his fault that he's uneducated, is it?
 
Last edited:
Cbmcts...
I had to laugh at your first part of that as I always say to the owner will just be kicked out with him being like that, lol
Today was the worst I saw him and today was the only day we didn't have a walk/trot round the arena, when stood waiting for the judge to see us he stood patiently an when stood up for the judge he stood quiet(ish) he settled in his walk and sometimes would walk sideways and occasionally turn his head in to bite me it was just his trotting he just keep bouncing!!
At home when I try practise he sometimes just plants himself and I need the owner to go behind him he only really does this at home and then when she gets behind him he shoots forwards and on his way past me he throws in a little nip on my arm or leg!!
 
cassiejames600 said:
Cbmcts...
I had to laugh at your first part of that as I always say to the owner will just be kicked out with him being like that, lol
Today was the worst I saw him and today was the only day we didn't have a walk/trot round the arena, when stood waiting for the judge to see us he stood patiently an when stood up for the judge he stood quiet(ish) he settled in his walk and sometimes would walk sideways and occasionally turn his head in to bite me it was just his trotting he just keep bouncing!!
At home when I try practise he sometimes just plants himself and I need the owner to go behind him he only really does this at home and then when she gets behind him he shoots forwards and on his way past me he throws in a little nip on my arm or leg!!
Click to expand...

Practice is the key - have a long lead rope or a schooling whip at home so you can send him forward by flapping it behind his girth (NOT beating him :) ) He is very young and tbh if he was mine I wouldn't be showing much this early as it could blow his mind. I would be using the time at home to do teach him what he needs to know...

As far as throwing a nip is concerned! he should never be going past you as you should be at his shoulder at all times so out of the way of teeth. It's all about not giving him the chance to ever have a chunk out of you.

Joking aside, he's little now and cute but in a years time he will be bigger and stronger and this behaviour will be unacceptable and positively dangerous. Then, not being placed in the ring will be the least of your worries.
 
I'm seriously not having a go at you here honestly.
I think that maybe he should be with a more experienced handler for a while until he learns the ropes, and then that handler could maybe hand over to you and give you some training.
I think if you were ready to train this youngster then you'd know what to do, if that makes sense. As you don't, rather than practise on an owner's precious youngster, I think you should hand over to someone with more experience.
 
I am thinking about leaving it until near on the end of the show season now and from now until then practise practise and more practise,

Tiny pony....
As he isn't mine I don't want to do nothing that upsets the owners you wouldn't know but they do so much for me to allow me to show were I don't have my own horse..
Every horse is different and something that works with you and your horse might not work with me and this one and I'm trying to find ways on improving him as you can see on here I've been given lots of advise and ways to improve him that I'm just giving ago at all of it at th moment, if this was my horse I most prob would turn to a professional and give them the horse to be trained and then the lead given back to me
 
He is playing with you and treating you like one of his mates - he should be respectful towards humans.

If he happened to catch hold of you with his teeth you could be very badly injured.
I can't give you any good advice as I have never had to deal with a naughtly colt, but in general the "boss" horse always moves the other horse's feet - makes them get out of the way, so if you are getting out of the way of this colt then he thinks he is in charge.
 
Don't get me wrong guys I always tell him off firmly when he bites or goes to bite me and I never and never have shyed away from him when he goes to bite or rears or doesn't walk forward
Every show we done or even when I've gone to see him on a non show day he bites me and I have been left with an scar or too an plenty of bruises like today! One day (my own fulault) he was being really nice and calm and I kissed him in the nose and he just turned and bite my chin left a horrible red mark made it swollen and bleed slightly
 
Anything he does doesn't scare me but at shows I get really annoyed and impatient with him, the owner thinks because of that he plays on it more at shows but today I was calmer than useless and ignored his rearing and just kept walking forward, I didn't stop or anything
 
cassiejames600 said:
Don't get me wrong guys I always tell him off firmly when he bites or goes to bite me and I never and never have shyed away from him when he goes to bite or rears or doesn't walk forward
Every show we done or even when I've gone to see him on a non show day he bites me and I have been left with an scar or too an plenty of bruises like today! One day (my own fulault) he was being really nice and calm and I kissed him in the nose and he just turned and bite my chin left a horrible red mark made it swollen and bleed slightly
Click to expand...

Is this for real ?

The more I read it the more I am alarmed, this foal seems to be out showing every minute of his young life. He is ten months old and already ruined. Geld him and chuck him out with some mature horses that will teach him manners.

When he has settled get someone used to colty behaviour teach him how to be a well adjusted young horse able to go on and have a happy life.
 
He isn't out every minute showing!???
His last show was 4 weeks ago! And in that time he has been out in the field every day and in at night!!
 
I have a 10 month old colt and there is no way he is ready to go to a show!
Slow it down with him as others have said it is so important to get the basics right. Get him gelded And start right from the beginning with him and keep going back over the easy stuff. Keep the sessions short, I only do about 30 mins max (normally less) with mine before giving him a break. Always always leave a session on a good note. And most importantly enjoy being with him they are babies for such a short amount of time. There will be plenty of time for showing later on. If I was in your shoes I would call it quits for showing this year maybe by the autum he will be ready but he sure doesn't sound like he is ready now. It is so easy to overfaze them at this young age I've done it this weekend with mine. We had a bikers rally next door and it has stressed him out to the point he was trying to jump over the stable door!
If you really just want to show then I would find another horse for this season and take the pressure off the colt.
 
He's 10 months old, not even a yearling yet. Colt or not, no way should be acting like this. Get the basics established - ie, catch/lead/feet trim/tie then turn him away and let him mature. Let him learn what respect means out in the herd first! He's not going to learn it solely from a human. He's too baby mentally and honestly, I cannot stand over-handling anything less than 18 months. If you need to show them that badly [and yes, I do come from a showing background also], then do so only if they're ready! I'd much rather miss the baby years showing for a horse that's not ready, and bring them out spot on when they're at a better mentality to.

He may have the best breeding and siblings or not...that does not make it guaranteed cert that he should be out there doing the same now or reach the same level! If that was the case, how many grand national winners do you think we'd have.
If you cannot cope with him now, whether you've dealt with other youngstock gelding and mares before or not, then honestly, leave him be and let his owners deal with him. If you have to come onto an internet forum to ask for advice on this level with a 10month old colt and have no-one within a personal reach to come with you and help, then for both his, the owners and yours sakes, I would pass on him. Do you personally get anything out of it, or are you there just to get bitten/tossed around? Fast forward 2 years if nothing is solved, you're going to have a much bigger, much more imposing stallion on your hands.


ETA - Not meant personally. But I've had enough of older colts and horses who have been spoilt from the same way.
 
Last edited:
With the absolute greatest of respect, you don't sound experienced enough to deal with a "typical" young colt.
Get the owners to find someone who is, before he is utterly ruined.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top