Do most young horses go through a 'teenage' phase?

georgiegirl

georgiegirl

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I got autumn as a rising 5yo and the first year has been fabulous. We've been to all sorts of place from byeh classes at big busy shows to nannying 'naughty' horses out on hacks. I seriously would have described her as one you 'could put granny on'.

Early autumn we took her cubbing. Basically it blew her brains completely resulting in rearing, plunging bucking etc things she has NEVER done which was a complete shock. needless to say i lasted an hour and took her home.

It took me a while to get her out hacking properly again without her forever searching in the distance for hounds etc but it seems since then the times shes been to shows etc shes been particularly on her toes and full of it?

what she does is never in a nasty/nappy way its just pure excitement which we have never had with her before. Shes been to big county shows and started xc this year and never batted and eyelid.

She hasnt been ridden for the past month (bar once or twice) due to the weather so is having a bit of a holiday so we'll see what proper work brings in the new year.....

Someone please tell me its just a phase of not being teachers pet and that she'll grow out of it!??
 
We have a pony who is now 6. During his 3rd and half of his 4th year he was a saint.
For no reason at all as reached 4.5 he turned into a devli child. He reared and bucked without reason and as a pony most of the time my then 11/12 year old daughter was on him. He had what can only be called teenage tantrums. When each outburst finished, he would stand with a look on his face that said - did I really do that? We checked all the normal things and found he was very defensive in his shoulder area so spent hours massaging him in oder to desnsitise him.
At the same time we dealt with his behaviour by giving him 2 weeks of work on, 1 month off and when riding thoiught ahead all of the time so he couldnt take over (he has a very over active brain!)

Slowly, slowly he has turned into what one national judge has called 'an exceptional pony' and we are very excitied about 2011 as he has so much potential.
Ironically, dealing with his behaviour has also helped my daughter to become 'an excpetional young rider'(same judges comments) as, despite his vertical airs above the ground she only fell off once - the first time he erupted.
Stick with it - they do turn round in the end.
 
i got my boy when he had just turned four. He was a superstar. nothing phased him and he look life in his stride. although when he turned 9 he turned into harry enfields kevin. Everything was scary, he took tantums if he didnt want to be ridden and in general he was just a big brute. Although this year he turned 11 and the horse i used to know has returned. he dif went through a terrible teenage stage. Glad its over tho hehe
 
every horse I have known from a youngster has gone through it Usually when they are coming or in their 6th year. Then magically they return to normal at 7. Welshies are so perfect at this you could almost set your watch by it (so to speak)
I had hilarious fun when my friends perfect welsh mare turned into Kevin almost on the 1st Jan of her 6th year, just as I had been telling her since she was 2 :D
 
soulfull said:
every horse I have known from a youngster has gone through it Usually when they are coming or in their 6th year. Then magically they return to normal at 7. Welshies are so perfect at this you could almost set your watch by it (so to speak)
I had hilarious fun when my friends perfect welsh mare turned into Kevin almost on the 1st Jan of her 6th year, just as I had been telling her since she was 2 :D
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I have 2 young Welshies, so I have that to look forward to then!
 
Rauti definitely hasn't (got him when he turned 4 and is now 10...), Frodo hasn't either apart from one buck during the lap of honour at his first prize giving ceremony, but he is 5 so maybe his teenage phase is still to come?
 
mystiandsunny said:
All the ones I've known have done it around 5yo. It varies - from just being a little more bolshy and opinionated, to full on teenage tantrums, depending on the personality of the horse.
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Same with my experience! My youngster is turning five this year, and has been a saint so far, I'm preparing myself for the worst :p.
 
Yes definitly.

Around 5-6. My late grey mare went through a teenage phase and my chestnut who is the same age as yours is finding his strength lol.
I find they are more 'reactive' than normal. Mine try on naughty behaviour every now and again to see what they can get away with and are just a bit more jumpy and unpredictable.

It's hardly surprising really, they are getting stronger and more confident and are learning what's right and wrong. Also I think when they are 4, they haven't a clue what is happening at shows ect and they are quiet and listening and relying on you. Whereas as they get a bit older they start to *think* they know what's happening when they are out and about and they start anticipating and over reacting.

My grey when she turned 8 suddenly settled right down and she was a pleasure, she had grown out of her Kevin stage, she was happy and secure and she knew what was what.

Oh I did take her to sponsored rides and she was fab but it would take her 3 months to come down from the high! I hunted my old horse when he was 16 and he was awful, it wound him up for ages after going. Some horses don't settle to well to hunting, I tried taking my old boy 7 times in a row to see if he would get better, he didn't he got worse, scared the hell out of me and he was a schoolmaster in his teens! My friends horse on the other hand can go out once or twice and she's a rolls Royce hunter. It depends I think.
 
mystiandsunny said:
All the ones I've known have done it around 5yo. It varies - from just being a little more bolshy and opinionated, to full on teenage tantrums, depending on the personality of the horse.
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This.
Lacey was a superb 4yo then when she turned 5 she became very opinionated! Not nasty but would like to question what you were doing thinking her way was much better. She's now turned back into the lovely horse again now.
(Although she's always lovely ;) )
 
i would say that yes they do :eek:
my 5 year old has been a rat bag this year. he was lovely as a four year old but i put that down to him not being very fit/ being unsure of himself etc. as a 5 year old he's very fit/much stronger and so we've had a fair few 'toys out of the pram' moments- generally this has been when in the school at home- totally refusing to listen and work. at shows he's an angel- i think because he's still unsure and so needs me more- at home he's super cocky! :rolleyes: in the last few months he's been much better behaved so hoping that he's finally grown up :D
 
its an odd one! Nothing she does is ever 'at' something or something you've asked her to do. It just seems silly childish exuberance which we have never had once with her before! I think its a combo of the hunting blowing her brains that day and her feeling much more stronger - hopefully she'll get over this new found feeling of wellness soon!
 
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