Dangerous behaviour from yearling

charleysummer

charleysummer

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I have been helping a friend with a young daughter with their ponies. They keep them on a rented paddock , so no help from a livery yard!

They are lovely people and rescued the ponies, one an elderly mare and the other a yearling (rescued as a 6 month old having been abused and broken to ride :( ) No problems with the mare regarding behaviour, however the youngster is becoming a bit of a nightmare.

The people have no horse background or experience at all, and understandably are wary of them- and show it through body language. The youngster will not be caught at all while he has no headcollar on, he just gallops off when you attempt to put it on (currently trying to get a headcollar on but no joy) and if you get close to him he usually stands a minute if you have food, otherwize he rears up and lands towards you! When he has done this to me, I have just growled at him and sent him away for my own safety, but I don't think the lady thinks much to this as it upsets him.

The only help she has is a self titled 'natural horseman' with horses on the paddock next door, who's answer to absolutely everything is chase it round with a whip for 2 hours (i'm not even exaggerating). I have experience with youngsters, but not enough to have come across bad behaviour , what should I do?

Thanks for reading
 
Sounds like he needs a play mate in the field with him, I'm guessing he's not having much of a childhood with just an elderly mare.

Tell them to bin the NH person. Leave the actual 'handling' of the baby till he willingly comes up to you quietly. He's had his brain fried from over handling with not being mentally mature enough to cope with it or put two and two together. Find him a quieter baby friend and let them live out so he can rear and play about with a horse instead, with the older mare still being alpha over them. She should instil manners. Get them used to coming over to call, throw some carrots or bread or whatever out each time, just get him curious about people again and not stressing about work being done with him.

Give him a few weeks/month till he calms, then if he's too flighty to re-start the halter breaking process outside, get him in a stable and getting used to a stable life. Use the other baby [or the older mare if another baby is not an option] to lead and him to follow her in and out, get used to having a feed routine, someone being in his space in the stable, mucking out around him, etc. Just little bits to make him forget the work done previous and just accepting people in his space again. Then start with getting a rope round his neck and him quiet with that, I'm guessing he's led before so get him yeidling to the rope round his neck. Get him till he's accepting being stroked, starting at his withers I'd suggest then working up to his face/etc. Once he's happy with you touching him without retreating or reacting, then you should just quietly be able to sneak a headcollar on him. Leave him with a bit of string on it, and then start catching him exactly the same till he's quiet with you grabbing the string. Pop another head collar on and off on top of the other one, so he gets used to that routine. Then take head collar off all together whilst still in the stable, and get him quiet to catch loose. Get him used to leading, tying up etc, then turn him back out, and restart the process in the field.

He'll come round. I don't think it's acceptable at all for yearling to behave like that by any means, but it isn't ever really too dangerous...wear a hat if needs be but I don't get too worried working with yearlings generally. They're mentally still just babies...they get body language after being let to live a herd life with older horses, which makes life so much easier. Everything's a lot more black and white with youngsters I find, pressure on or pressure off.
 
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Not much of a rescue IMHO, just gone from one type of abuse to another. :( The family need to be told that they are not capable of dealing with this and are going to end up with an animal that they cannot handle and that no-one else is going to want to. I am sure they had the best of intentions, but this is not going to end well for anyone if it is allowed to continue.
 
YorksG said:
Not much of a rescue IMHO, just gone from one type of abuse to another. :( The family need to be told that they are not capable of dealing with this and are going to end up with an animal that they cannot handle and that no-one else is going to want to. I am sure they had the best of intentions, but this is not going to end well for anyone if it is allowed to continue.
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This they are not equipped to handle and bring on a youngster they would be best trying to rehome it now, the old mare will probably be fine if they could get another older companion for her.
 
YorksG said:
Not much of a rescue IMHO, just gone from one type of abuse to another. :( The family need to be told that they are not capable of dealing with this and are going to end up with an animal that they cannot handle and that no-one else is going to want to. I am sure they had the best of intentions, but this is not going to end well for anyone if it is allowed to continue.[/Q

^^ this
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Ditto the rest. If it came to THEM doing the work with this foal, then I'd say don't bother, get rid and find it an experienced home otherwise he will only bigger and worse.

My post was intended if you [OP] were wanting suggestions on you tending to the colt.
 
YorksG said:
Not much of a rescue IMHO, just gone from one type of abuse to another. :( The family need to be told that they are not capable of dealing with this and are going to end up with an animal that they cannot handle and that no-one else is going to want to. I am sure they had the best of intentions, but this is not going to end well for anyone if it is allowed to continue.
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Yes I agree with this too. I am reading between the lines a bit and guessing that the yearling is still a colt and has not been gelded? If so, that would make a huge difference to his attitude/behaviour. If gelded he will almost certainly be much more manageable. Perhaps they should consider moving him on and keeping the old mare?
 
Thankyou for the replies,

He has infact been gelded I am pleased to say! I have mentioned finding him another home, but they are not keen on the idea so it is really just trying to work with what i've got! He came very very anaemic from a severe lice infestation, the worst I have ever seen, wasn't room for them on his skin; so he was very quiet at first and underweight. Since food has been introduced he's just got stronger and harder to handle. I thought about him having another friend to play with but not sure i'd like to add more ponies to the equation- especially young ones! he has youngsters on the paddocks either side of him that he can run up and down with but doesn't tend to. He finds entertainment in jumping the electric fencing at the moment..

I have told her in no uncertain terms that the bloke is useless, having seen him put his methods in to practise with other horses... but it is hard to explain the above mentioned to someone who doesn't understand the implications of a bad education as a youngster!

It does stress me out , I don't want anyone hurt and I can only be around to help out occasionally. It's difficult to explain that he may need to find another home as they are more 'pet' people and are quite attached.
 
How about advertising for someone to keep their youngster there for free to keep him company, in exchange for helping work with him?

Long shot, but it could work?
 
hopefully though most people who have a youngster needing company would not want him in a home with people who really don't know what they are doing. If he is to stay i would agree with stop doing anything with him that asks anything of him. Be with him, when he comes up to you, give him scratches and a hard feed if having it...or hay - just do things for him without asking for anything in return. I honestly cannot say strongly enough to get rid of that stupid NH man! What the hell does he think chasing him around with a whip will achieve, when this youngster needs calm and consistent handling. god he must think people are heinous, no wonder he rears.

if they won't rehome him to someone who knows what to do, or world horse welfare etc...then they need to leave him be to chill out and grow up. And gain some TRUST in humans who are trustworthy.
 
Sarah westons book no fear no force might be of some help. But the owners need it explaining to them just how dangerous this colt could be. You say they have a kid? Well maybe pointing out how seriously they are putting them at risk will help.
 
HBM1 said:
hopefully though most people who have a youngster needing company would not want him in a home with people who really don't know what they are doing.
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I certainly didn't mean them doing anything with said other youngster, the complete opposite. I meant try advertising for free grazing, in exchange for this yearling being taken on board/looked after by said other person. For someone experienced with youngstock, he'd be no issue. If I was local and someone offered my youngster free grazing,just in exchange for help with one yearling, then I'd do it gladly as it's no different to what I'd be doing anyway...but again, that's just me, and it would be a very limited audience to try and find :)
 
yes sorry, I hadn't thought about if they lived near enough to see them daily themselves - that would be a good outcome for all. :D
 
Agree with yorksg. Imo the best solution now would be for them to move to a decent livery yard with experienced staff on hand to help with everything. And playful company for the gelding. And if they cba to do that, then find every gruesome horror story regarding clueless owners & welfare issues & make them listen.
 
needs to be a suitable livery yard - my experience of them is that every single person has a different approach and advice and what this little guy needs is one set of rules and consistency. I'd say a stud would be better but I expect there is little chance of them doing that.
 
I was thinking more somewhere with an experienced manager, & staff who follow the managers rules, rather than a yard where the owners would seek help from other liveries.
 
I had a few issues with my yearling (who is otherwise really quiet) when she started rearing and kicking when trying to trot her up on the lead. Was told by a respected instructor who is also a WB breeder to use a chain threaded through the halter, across the nose and back through the bottom ring to your hands as a lead-rein - loose at all times except when the horse rears or misbehaves, then the chain comes into action. My filly tried rearing once and did not try it again. Is a lot more respectful on lead. Not sure how to go with a yearling that's been abused though and of course, you are struggling to get the halter on first. But once that's overcome, then you might find that the chain gives more control especially when they rear! The other advice I got was to treat them as another horse in the paddock would - use a piece of poly-pipe to whack them when invading your space (it doesn't hurt but created a loud noise) I've found this too, to work after only a couple of uses. Good luck - sounds awesome what you are trying to do to help this little one!
 
happyhacking:) said:
Sarah westons book no fear no force might be of some help. But the owners need it explaining to them just how dangerous this colt could be. You say they have a kid? Well maybe pointing out how seriously they are putting them at risk will help.
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Yes, definitely - buy them a copy of Sarah's book - I don't suppose they're anywhere near the New Forest so that she could come out to them?

They need to learn how to teach the youngster without scaring him and confirming to him that humans are to be avoided at all costs.
Yanking on headcollars with chains, whacking with poly pipes, chasing away... yes, they'll all get the youngster out of your hair, but it certainly won't improve his opinion of the human race.
 
Yes, you're probably right. It won't help at this stage of his introduction to trusting humans. I was referring to my filly who is quiet and trusting but just needs to learn to respect her handler. She is handled gently at all times except when she rears and performs, the chain automatically comes into action and as soon as she is quiet again it automatically loosens and I can continue with her as if nothing happened, quietly on a loose lead again. Isn't that the way it happens within a herd? a quick kick or nip and then they carry on as normal but the youngster learns respect. The 'chains' and 'pipes' sound ridiculously vicious but that's not the way they are meant to be used.
 
Im sorry but these sort of situations are so depressing...I would be looking up the definition of 'rescue' as this situation dosent seem much better imo.
I would be getting in touch with Redwings, these 'caring' people need a wake up call for someone official before things get to bad...poor ponies.
 
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