Foal pinning ears back

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varietymix_123

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My 8-month old colt has started pinning his ears back when I go up to him in the field and is not interested in me being there at all - he just keeps grazing and casually walks away. He's been with me for over a month and has always been really friendly and pleased to see and everyone else. He's turned out with two other foals. He leads, is happy to be groomed and touched all over. However, he unfortunately went lame due to a foot issue and was kept in for a week, he's also had the farrier and his vaccs all within a couple of weeks and now seems to have totally gone off people. Can anyone offer any advice on this? Do I need to exert dominance when he pins his ears? The problem is, I'm going up to him and would then be chasing him away when he does it which doesn't seem to make sense....
Please no nasties, would just appreciate any thoughts... Thank you!
 
I would just ignore the behaviour. Just do what you need to do, catch, lead feet etc and leave him alone. I would cut him asap if there are any doubts about his temperament.
 
I wouldn't read too much into it - pinning ears back can be a submissive action. Just handle him as normal, be pleasant but don't molly coddle him. He's growing up, finding his feet within his little herd but he dos have to understand you are not a herd member as such (ie you're not a horse!). Don't try and fuss him unless he comes to you. When you do catch him etc, just ensure you are firm but also make being with you a pleasant experience. He may well feel a bit upset by the stabling episode as it wasn't his usual routine but he will soon settle I am sure.
 
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varietymix_123 said:
My 8-month old colt has started pinning his ears back when I go up to him in the field and is not interested in me being there at all - he just keeps grazing and casually walks away. He's been with me for over a month and has always been really friendly and pleased to see and everyone else. He's turned out with two other foals. He leads, is happy to be groomed and touched all over. However, he unfortunately went lame due to a foot issue and was kept in for a week, he's also had the farrier and his vaccs all within a couple of weeks and now seems to have totally gone off people. Can anyone offer any advice on this? Do I need to exert dominance when he pins his ears? The problem is, I'm going up to him and would then be chasing him away when he does it which doesn't seem to make sense....
Please no nasties, would just appreciate any thoughts... Thank you!
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You need to teach your colt that humans are actually pleasant to be around and that being around them doesn't lead to being locked up, have feet trapped, or being poked and stabbed. Your foal has lived a life of about 30 weeks, and spent one of those without the security and reassurance of his mother or other horses, during which time he had a lot of unpleasant experiences. One week out of 30 is rather a lot for a small horse with limited experience of the world.

Why on earth would you "exert dominance", when a young horse tells you the only way he is able that he associates you and other humans with unpleasant experiences? How about teaching him, via nice scratches and tasty feeds, that humans are actually - on balance - bringers of good things. You want an adult horse who's going to be pleased to see you, not one that's harbouring a suspicion based on humans being sometimes nice and sometimes, for no apparent reason, animals who do nasty things to him. Sure, it is possible, once your foal's mental bank account is full of the nice experiences he's had with you, to do stuff that's not so much fun for him - but at a time when his experience is very limited, you really need to be thinking about topping up that bank account with positive experiences.
 
Agree with both posters above. Don't read too much into it, do as you have always done, continue with the positive associations with you such as scratching, stroking and all the groundwork you are doing. If it turns into something unpleasant, deal with it as it happens.

My yearling developed this behaviour when walking in the stable after previously being fine. She started pinning ears back and "shouldering" me. Very dominant and assertive of her, shows she has a backbone! I just kept pushing her back with the usual "back back, stand, good girl" and after about a week, it stopped and she will wait for her food to be put down politely. It's about consistency and setting boundaries of what is and what is not acceptable. No force is needed, just quiet repetition can be all it takes.

The only exception was when she lunged to bite me... I did have to do my scary human impression and send her cowering to the back of the stable! So do keep wits about you! Especially with a colt!
 
My yearling does this when I take his feed in..if he is stabled, which isn't often. I also bred him and he is the most mild mannered boy ever. There is not one ounce of malice or annoyance in him, do I don't think it always means tgat. In fact I know it doesn't as Riley is not that way at all. He is also a colt and very easy going. I wouldn't read too much into it..but definitely give him plenty of scratches..not all foals want constant attention.
 
Just treat him as you normally do and he'll be back to normal before you know it, just remember he's a very young baby and agree with the above. I bought Lenny as a 4 month old foal and he'd never been handled in his life before and it's been an uphill battle getting him to trust people, he's now 2 and went in for a big operation last week for a retained testicle, he didn't blame us just didn't want to go into the trailer to come home :D but once home he's been a happy little soul and you would not thought he'd be like when we first got him, just happy positive handling. :)
 
In my experience, after basic handling, the best thing to do with a foal/weanling/yearling is to leave them alone with their own kind until you are ready to start training them to be riding horses. No human is ever going to be as interesting to a horse as another horse, and the only real interest they have is obtained via bribery with food. Over handling is FAR worse than no handling.
 
Personally, I wouldn't worry about it as others have said, but on the other hand I wouldn't give ground either. He is probably testing the boundaries and seeing what he can get away with like teenagers everywhere! (Sorry kids!:)).

My two colts were left in with a stallion and a gelding and they are the nicest and best behaved I have ever had as yearlings. NEVER threaten or show aggression at all. I thought the stallion was occasionally being hard on them but no doubt he was punishing dumb insolence as it has worked!

I also have two foals, born in June, which are untouched except coming up with their mothers. They will sniff my hand and perhaps allow me to put a finger on a nose but that's all. I am not bothered until they are weaned when the fun will begin.

Out of interest, I did some brief "approach and retreat" with the boldest foal just to see what would happen. First she turned her bum towards me and then came up and struck out with a fore foot (missing by a large margin) so I will continue to leave alone until they are brought inside to wean. She's never done this before. BTW, I ignored this behaviour as I don't think she intended to make contact, just testing the boundaries as I was acting as a subordinate in her language. I'd rather have respect than super tame.

BTW, amymay, there are not so many differences to dogs! The basic psychology is similar even though the language is different. Puppies are taught not to bite by their siblings and a lone pup often has to be taught not to bite its human owner. They bite a litter mate and get bitten back, so don't do it again. Same thing happens within the herd with horses as we all know.
 
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