Handling big naughty colts!

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seabiscuit

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Any tips on how to handle very agressive and naughty colts? I'm looking after some of these, and I've never come across anything like these sort of horses!
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Rearing in your face,strking out, charging at you, double barrelling...biting like a maniac- this is just in the stable when trying to basically groom/rug them.

I was brushing one and managed to stop him biting by holding his face away and saying a firm 'no' every time he tried to bite and 'good boy' every time he stopped, and it really seemed to work and he totally shut up and was as good as gold for a good ten mins, and stood there like a lamb, seemed very quiet and happy. Then I was briefly stroking his nose and he just suddenly reared up and charged at me!
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Is it best not to pander to them? perhaps always have two handlers in the stable, one person holding the horse in the chifney and the other one grooming/rugging? Any advice/tips much appreciated!
 
All the youngsters I have had a hand in were taught to tie up from quite a young age. All the youngsters were tied up in their boxes to groom, change rugs or skip out. They very quickly got used to this routine and enabled us to handle them safely - anything that bit was tied up very short and they seemed to get bored of trying to get you. We always carried half a broom handle when leading out the boisterous ones or stallions and just used it to tap their necks to keep them at our shoulder and remind them of their manners - but never as a punishment. The worst ones were always those that had been overhandled in the wrong way by well meaning owners and spoilt
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Mmm, these are rising 4 year olds ( too old to be called colts really!!) Tyeing them up is not allowed (.valuable colts and they can't risk them or something?
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The broomstick is a good idea tho, thank you- i will try that, and maybe just hold it up in front of them in the stable... that may ward them off!
 
Have you got a short-ish length of plastic hosepipe? Sometimes it helps as you can give them a sharp tap on their chests without risk of getting hurt yourself and it makes a funny noise which gets their attention quickly but doesn't hurt them!
 
Definitely don't pander to them. If you aren't allowed to tie them up you should have 2 handlers, one to hold in a chifney and the other to deal with the horse. Tying up is a basic discipline that all young horses should learn. It is part of their education and manners. I start by threading a long rope through the ring and back to the handler so if they pull back they don't get loose but also don't get hurt. When they have learnt to stay at the wall then they can be tied up. I would have thought that your employers would be on dodgy ground not letting you tie them up if there was an accident.
 
I have to ask, what do your employers suggest if they won't allow you to tie the horses up? What have they done in the past? Have all the previous staff been eaten?
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It does depend a bit on why they're biting. I have one now that bites out of anxiety. He does get "colty" and think he's all that, but he's most inclined to really try to do damage when he's worried. He's got better with some firm correction and as he's got down with the program. But I had one awhile ago that would lunge at us with teeth and feet (also a no tying job as had been bought for more than the flat I live in!) and I hate to say, but he and I had a few real "come to Jesus" meetings before he decided it wasn't a good plan. At which point he became lovely.
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Will the owners let you correct them? What method do they use? And does it work?
 
O_B - TarrSteps is probably in the know about this, I think she's been "challenged" by some lately.

ISZ and kit279 - I love that plastic pipe, I even have it in different colours.
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It's mainly big fat ginger Arthur who needs the volume turning up when I ask him to do stuff.
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[ QUOTE ]
Have you got a short-ish length of plastic hosepipe? Sometimes it helps as you can give them a sharp tap on their chests without risk of getting hurt yourself and it makes a funny noise which gets their attention quickly but doesn't hurt them!

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this is what i was going to suggest to !!
 
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O_B - TarrSteps is probably in the know about this, I think she's been "challenged" by some lately.

[/ QUOTE ]

Why? Just because I was happy the first day I DIDN'T get bitten?
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The pipe works very well (I only have a boring blue one now, but I used to have one like a bendy straw!) but you have to be careful with the really dodgy colts, as they can strike at it and, by extension, you!
 
Dont interact with them just go in do the job and come out again.
Colts/stallions like nothing more than playing with people and the more you pander to them the worse they get.
I dont agree with not tying them up, all of the yards i have been on and bought colts/stallions etc from tie them up in fact the one we bought on saturday the first thing they did was rack him up and he is a 3 year old.
Body language is one of the things that works best as well go in as if you are in charge ,dont give him the chance to ask if you or him is boss.
Not that we have ever had to use it but a piece of blue pipe and a good thwack across the nose as they lurch towards you will shock them but be warned you cant just keep tapping them as they think it is a game.
If you are going to smack it with a bit of pipe make sure you mean it ,do it once but do it properly and get his respect.
its either one good one or not at all because if he thinks he can play a game with you ,you are going to be on the losing side.
 
Thanks all, will try the pipe..

Employers are not the usual handlers for these colts, they are there for a short stay. Methods of dealing with them seemed to be ignoring them when they nipped, with the odd smack every time they got the teeth in
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, and getting the hell out of the stable when they reared/double barrelled...
I would say that one did this because he thinks he is god and is far too proud of himself, he really has no respect and is very very bored, and the other colt it was more of an anxiety thing judging by his expression- but there seemed no rhyme of reason for what triggers him ..
 
Fab, thank you Groomsbridge- will try that. The interaction thing was definately where I was going wrong, and some of these colts just thought it was all a big game and wanted to play.
Hopefully will have a better time with them this week!
 
How about not tying them up but teaching them to tie up. I did this with my colt and it really helped because it also got his brain cells engaged.

I used a long rope (I have a Parelli one that someone gave me years ago) and just threaded it through the tie ring. The good thing about the parelli ropes is that they are shiny and slidy. Then I put some pressure on to make him release to that and step up to the tie ring. He got it eventually, and all this was done in his stable so no danger of him doing anything.

I didn't once tie him up, but it allowed me to do things with him as though he was.
 
Not read the replies, but Dually Halter - i just got one for Jupi and hes now like a little lamb. Hes not reared in my face (only when excited and not thrhough his own fault just babyness) but he was very pushy and bolshy and bity. Got a Dually, used it on the weekend for the first time and he was so quiet and calm in it i nearly forgot i was handling him! Excellent piece of equipment!!
 
I'm currently working with yearlings in NZ and they all, without exception, tie up beatifully. One of the girls told me she'd been to the UK and wasn't allowed to tie yearlings up as they were too valuable and I didn't believe her.

Sorry no help to the OP. I think they are tougher on the horses out here though but its paid off in this instance with the yearlings and their handling.
 
Kit - I remember the first time I was stood on my own in a lane armed only with a length of pipe. Farmer told me that when I saw the bullocks coming to wave it at them and shout a bit and they would go through the open gate to the new field and not down the lane 'over' me
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. Great! I tell you, it took all my nerve to hold my ground and I felt a bit of a loon waving a flimsy bit of pipe at tons of beef on legs but it did work and I only lost one in the hedge
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If you are not allowed to tie them up and do not have someone to hold on to them, I think Dressage_Diva's idea is the best plan.
Personally, if I was not allowed to tie a stallion up while grooming it, I would not groom it!
 
I don't get the "too valuable to tie up" thing. Racehorses tie up and classic winners, etc. are as valuable as a horse gets. If colts get the upper hand they are a danger to their handlers and themselves.
 
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