Highly Strung baby!

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Beckie65

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Hi i have a section a 3 years old gelding and he is getting naughty, he was the most sweetest little pony when i got him, and now with all this weather he has turned into a monster, i have to leave him in his stable for his breakfast now as he will lunge to bite you in the field, and he will chase me now. He kicked he in the stomach yesterday and i was only walking past him! (he knew i was coming as i called his name)
My cob that i was thinking the other day i just wasn't bonding with him came to the rescue when he chased me and shooed him away bless him.

Do you think he is now feeling comfortable in his new home and testing me or do you think the weather may have anything to do with it? as i've never had a youngster before.
 
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Hmmm

Difficult one. If he's lunging at you and kicking you then that is him being aggressive but it doesn't quite tie in with the fact that he used to be really sweet. I've had an aggressive youngster but it was vile from birth. Not quite sure what to suggest but as he's 3 I would possibly be thinking of sending him away professionals to be backed if he's rising 4. Other than that I did get a behaviourist to come to mine but she refused to work with it. Eventually I did find someone and whilst it never really sorted, it did improve.
 
It sounds like he is trying it on and testing his position in the 'herd', you need to get assertive with him. Don't tolerate bad behaviour from him in any way, use your voice and body language to push him away but keep yourself safe at all times when dealing with him. It could just be that he is grumpy because of the weather but don't allow it to become established, how you deal with this now could shape him for the future. Get some help if you don't feel you can deal with it yourself.
 
hch4971 said:
It sounds like he is trying it on and testing his position in the 'herd', you need to get assertive with him. Don't tolerate bad behaviour from him in any way, use your voice and body language to push him away but keep yourself safe at all times when dealing with him. It could just be that he is grumpy because of the weather but don't allow it to become established, how you deal with this now could shape him for the future. Get some help if you don't feel you can deal with it yourself.
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Agree with this, babies test the limits sometimes, as do human children!! Just horses can do alot more damage if they get away with it!! My yearling (who is over 15.2!) has been testing me recently and caught me in the chest with his hind legs sending me to hospital, I now have a controller halter, and fingers crossed seems much improved, thankfully my boy isn't being nasty just highly strung and nippy! (colt behaviour!) he's completely different at the moment, I do think the weather and being in at night is having some effect. Best thing to do is get them out as much as possible (in a mixed age herd if possible so they can play and be disciplined by their piers) and have access to ad lib hay when stabled so they aren't getting bored, try a horseball too if he plays with it, also a feed ball?////
 
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