Help with 2y/o

FrankieNunn

FrankieNunn

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Chelmsford, Essex
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I'm helping a friend with there 2 year old as they just haven't got the time it needs. I've been around horses my whole life but never actually brought one on. He used to be really good pick up all his feet, touch him all over etc etc but after being gelded he now throws his legs all over the place and won't even let me touch them. He seems relaxed with me as If I do anything else his lip goes floppy and he really doesn't mind!
Does anyone have any tips on what I could do with him and how to move forward as feel like I am getting no where! 😔
 
He's two..and having his kevin phase..turn him away to grow up. He won't forget anything he has been taught.
 
He's 2 - in kindergarten!! Have short, sweet sessions ending up with something he enjoys and finds easy....but you need to encourage him to use his brain.....the basic Parelli games will give you ideas for things to do and the principles and responsibilities show you the way....with regard to handling his hooves remember 'approach and retreat' start rubbing his shoulder and continue rubbing down his leg - start going back up BEFORE he gets antsy!!! Then go back down while he is relaxed....when you can rub all the way down to his hooves and he is happy, you can start to teach him to pick them up. Use a definite cue. I use a light squeeze on the chestnut for the forelegs and a squeeze on the hock for the hindlegs...
 
I don't agree with kindergarten. .and with respect all horses are different and some two year olds NEED to be out in a field as they just aren't emotionally mature enough for anything ... some are great and can...humans have to accept some can't and work with the one you have..not the one you want.
A couple into parelli came to view my two year old last year. They brought an array of games and paraphernalia to use at the viewing. Other than a long lead rope I told them to put the rest away. What on earth was he expected to learn in a short viewing. Baffled the cra* out of me..
 
HBM1 said:
I don't agree with kindergarten. .and with respect all horses are different and some two year olds NEED to be out in a field as they just aren't emotionally mature enough for anything ... some are great and can...humans have to accept some can't and work with the one you have..not the one you want.
A couple into parelli came to view my two year old last year. They brought an array of games and paraphernalia to use at the viewing. Other than a long lead rope I told them to put the rest away. What on earth was he expected to learn in a short viewing. Baffled the cra* out of me..
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I agree with your comments about viewing! All you need to know is how the horse responds to light pressure!! I was not suggesting long sessions, as I said, short and sweet. After all human kindy is half a day a few times a week, not all day every day!! So short, perhaps a quarter of an hour? sessions, at the most 2ce a day, and turned out the rest of the time.....in hand walks around the area (quiet roads!!) are good as well.... but I can't agree with 'turn out and ignore'!!!
 
When I got my 2 year old I couldnt do anything with him, acually was a month before he turned 2. I had to gain his trust :) He was covered in mud from belly to toe and it was all matted into his hair mane and tail and feathers. I started off my just putting his headcoller on and grooming down his neck, then ever day Id get a litle bit further, I would then treat him with carrots (I know some people would disagree here, but it worked for him) Then I started grooming him round his belly, each day I would get further and further.

To get him to pick his legs up took me a couple of weeks I think :) I started off by brushing his legs with a soft brush but I kept a part of my body touching his so he knew I was there, then after a couple of days grooming his legs, I then decided to try pick it up, and he let me do it but sometimes would fall down because he didnt have the correct balance (I came on here for help from fellow H&Hers) I then did exactly the same with his back legs and kept my body touching his and picked his foot up. Now I can basically do anything with him and hes only 27 months old, but I disagree with the 'turn out and ignore', youngsters need teaching things earlier on in life, god help me try and do all the stuff I have done with mine when hes fully gorwn, that would be a nightmare and an accident waiting to happen. This is my personal opinion though :) I think you should just try and carry on doing small things in short periods :)
 
Alyth..please show me where I said "turn out and ignore" ? Actually, don't bother looking, you won't find it, as I didn't say it. Please don't put your own interpretation on what I said.
 
I used to walk mine out in hand around the woods and farm tracks just for half an hour or so, gets them used to seeing stuff and makes them easy to handle from the ground, lots of turnout at that age is important but then so is everyday handling, thats all I did with my two year old arab colt, his a 9 year old gelding now and the easiest horse to handle.
 
HBM1 said:
I don't agree with kindergarten. .and with respect all horses are different and some two year olds NEED to be out in a field as they just aren't emotionally mature enough for anything
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Maybe but in the case of the OP I think it would be a good idea to do some training to enable the feet to be lifted and to generally gain the horses trust again after gelding. Can't see the problem with that!

I've had several young unhandled horses over the last few years, I have taught them to pick their feet up by first using a 'hand on a stick' (glove filled with shavings attached to a crop) - gently use this to stroke all over their body starting off with somewhere they enjoy being touched and gradually stroke down towards the legs. The joy of using the hand on a stick is that if they do kick or move you don't get hurt!! If he does pick up a leg or move away then keep the hand on him and only remove it when he stands still. Once you can do this without him moving it's safe to start using your hand :D
 
Sounds like, if he used to pick his feet up, that he's learned that thrashing/lashing/generally being stroppy means he can do what he wants and not lift them! Mine went through this phase. For reasons I still haven't figured out it was farrier visits that triggered it and then made it worse.

Anyway I went back to basics. He wasn't bothered about having his legs touched and had just decided he was going to lash out instead of lifting them. I used a soft rope to lift the foot. Put it back down straight away and move on to the next foot. Next time lift them with the rope but for a little longer, increasing each time. With the rope you can keep a hold if he thrashes and therefore he learns that kick does not equal putting foot down!

Just loop the rope and keep the two ends in one hand so you can let go easily if necessary - just don't unless you have to. Also make sure he is balanced before picking up every leg and not just the first.
 
He's on 24 hour turnout with 2 other horses and I go up once a day for roughly 30 minutes. He leads fine walks all around the yard no problem. He loves the attention and will follow me all around the field it is just this problem with the feet. Someone else told me about the rope so may try that one!
 
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