Help needed with yearling behaviour!

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littlewhittle

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Hi there, don't know if anyone can help me....

I have a TB yearling filly, we bought her with her mom when she was 6 weeks old, she hadn't been handled at all when we got her. I spent a lot of time with her building trust etc and she now, leads fine, I can tie her up all day long if i wanted to (don't of course!) she has her feet picked out etc, in fact she is very independent and was absolutely no bother to wean either. Only problem I do have is that she pulls the most hideous faces sometimes, she has only attempted to bite me twice and she got a sharp smack and fright from it but she still pulls these awful faces usually at feed time or with people she doesn't know that look nervous!!, i've been nothing but kind to her (but also firm) she has never been ill treated whatsoever, will she grow out of this do you think or is it just the way she is?? Her mother has the most lovely temperament you could wish for, i've never seen her ears back!
 
Sounds like a typical yearling thug!

Be firm with her - don't let anyone who doesn't know what they're doing handle her - and be patient.

We have a two year old at my yard who is currently doing his best to intimidate everyone and everything at the moment. He was an angel as a yearling - but is going through it at two instead. He's a lovely chap really - just chucking his weight around a bit.
 
9 times out of 10 she is fine but she just seems moody!.. the other day i was washing the mud off her feet and i felt her teeth around my shoulder!! she didn't actually bite down, I gave her a hell of a shock.... the little bugger!!!

Thanks for your advice, its very reassuring to know i'm not bringing up a savage!!
 
try as well using a voice command along with any physical reprimand

then get it to the stage where only the voice reprimand is necessary

use the voice command every time she pulls a face - whatever it is use the same word and most importantly in the same tone of voice

as said above - for a while only you should handle her until she has learnt the command to behave and then you use the vocal command if she tries it on with anyone else
 
All youngsters try it on from time to time, testing what they can get away with.
As long as your firm but fair you should be fine.
Some horses pull faces for no reason.
My youngster has learnt to pull faces by copying the gelding next door. He does it but doesn't follow it up with anything.
 
my youngsters have all following the same cycles as my son - just when you think you;ve cracked something with them they enter a new & unique phase - either horrible or brilliant - the reassuring part is at this stage, provided you deal with whatever appropriately - can be really short lived! I've had horses all my life - a significant couple from 2 year olds but I've never had ups and downs like the ones I have had since I started to breed - ahhh the formative years!! Good luck, I'm sure she will be fine
 
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