Help! Yearling getting a big big for his boots!

lisan

lisan

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The last couple of days Helens yearling has started being really naughty when led, Friday morning when I put him out he ripped the leadrope out of my hands and ran off, rounded him up fairly quickly not a problem. This morning I put his two year old fieldmate out first, went back to get him, had a nice hold walked him quietly towards the field, when he took off again, I could not keep hold. Managed to catch him and he did it again. The third attempt I put the leadrope around his nose and was determined he would walk nicely, well then he reared an reared, plunged and took off again!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ended up herding him in the field when Helen turned up and managed to get the leadrope off him!

This afternoon I took May for a hack (on our own) and the cheeky lil yearling had got into our field before I even left yard! He's scared of May and never attempted to go in our field when she is out! So I get back an the nice lady across the road offers to help me put him back where he should be. We clipped a leadrope each to each side of his headcollar and the little s** did it again, dragged both of us until we could'nt hold him! Again rounded him up and chased him back into his field, but its getting beyond a joke now

I've never dealt with a youngster before and don't know how to handle it, I did'nt shout at him or smack him, just spoke firmly - not that it did any good - but I can't be doing this this trauma everyday!! He also did it to his owner Helen yesterday.

Helpies please, don't know how to sort it!
 
It sounds as though he needs to learn some halter respect Lisa... which unfortunately is not really something that you can be doing, it is his owner that needs to decide to do this with him. It can take quite some time for them to start learning respect once they have learned how to get away.

When I had Richard Maxwell out to Troy I learned so much in a very short time, as did Troy. But what Max stressed was that this is not something that can happen over night, it requires the handler to be determined as he said sometimes it can take a few hours to get one particular thing through to them. It is definitely something that requires time and patience.

Just a starting point for you, as it sounds as though you are the one handling him the most, I would get a pressure halter (Richard Maxwell sells them on his website) and start to make the yearling respect that in his stable by asking him to move his quarters and shoulders around with the pressure. As soon as he moves one step let the rope go loose. The other thing you could think about getting (or his owner can) is a 12ft rope. It gives you so much more control and if they pull back you still have hold of them and it is amazing how quickly the realise they cannot get away no matter how much they throw themselves about.
 
Thanks Rebecca, his owner has a control halter which she will now use on him - it seems he has just clicked he can use his strength against you and get away! Will tell Helen, lots of handling practice, and patience!! I only put him out a couple of mornings, but he has been fine up to now!
 
And honestly, a 12ft rope is one of the best things I have ever bought! It isn't like a lunge line which can hurt when you pull away and it gives you that extra space if they are pulling away and breaking free.
 
i wounder if its the yearlings trying us out, mine to is getting to big 4 her boots , she even bullies her own mum, until last week wen my new horse came and went straight to the top of the pecking order, ha now my yearling is being put in her place and has gone back to that yapping stage where they submit, and its great its like i got my baby back...
 
Yearlings are like teenagers - testing their boundaries and learning to use their own strength. It's pretty common to have problems then and honestly I wonder about the horses who don't need a little correction at this point because I find it either crops up when they're that much bigger and stronger or they're so soft that's almost a problem in itself.

He needs to learn NOW to give to pressure, to "come forward" and to "go forward" which is pretty much all he'll ever need to learn and which is essential to both his training/development and your safety.

Someone has to spend some time with him getting his ground work sorted out. You could get hold of pretty much any book/video and go from there - that should work for you if he's pretty reasonable and you have a little experience of your own. If you feel he's getting out of hand and/or you need a refresher course in handling youngstock yourself then I'd seriously recommend getting someone in to work with the horse and then with you and him together to make sure you're on the right page. I find that one session, or a session now and then, is usually enough and you'll probably learn as much from it as from hours of video. Plus someone good will be able to individualise your program for you, the horse, and your situation.
 
Sounds pretty normal behaviour for a youngster - as said above - testing the boundaries is what youngsters do!

Problem is, everyone has to be handling him in the same way - if one person handles him firmly, and another lets him get away with murder, he is more likely to be a pickle for the person handling him firmly - tho with time, he may learn he has to behave for that person - it'll probably just take longer.

I think you & the owner need to get together & agree a course of action that everyone will stick to. The naughty youngster of today is the problem horse of tomorrow if left unchecked.
 
We had problems with Calli when she was a yearling. You may remember. in particular in winter. She is now 2 and brilliant. Even when turning her out in the spring field after the mangy winter turnout field she only jogged a little bit. We ended up with her when she was a yearling using 2 lead ropes. I suppose rather like a control headcollar. One rope was fastened as normal. The second one was clipped on to the square at the side, over her nose and through the square on the other side. Normally clipped lead rope in right and and the one over the nose in the left hand and lose. When Calli pulled or started to prat about, Becky would put pressure on the nose one, after asking her to walk, and only when calli went back to walk did the pressure of the nose rope release. As it was a lead rope it didn't mark her or anything like that but gave that extra bit of control. Must be a yearling thing eh???
 
Thanks for the advice guys, will have a chat with Helen tomm and come up with a plan of action, but think it would be good to get some outside help too!

He escaped into our field again when I had put May back out this afternoon, believe he lasted all of two minutes before running back under the fence to where he was supposed to be after May gave him a good telling off!! Wish I could have seen that! He is really scared of her!!
 
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