How do your 2yo colts compare?

[BigYellowHorse]

Might be a little bit of a potty thread but just looking for a bit of guidance as to how my colt is compared to everyone else's present experience and past experiences - or whether Im doing a stinking job and someone needs to come and rehome the beast.. Im hoping its not the latter, I'd be a little sad I'll also keep it as short and sweet as possible!

He's rising 2, will be 2 in a couple of weeks, 16hh wb. To me he is quite a breath taking horse .. especially the time he got away from me and took off across my dad's lovingly, freshly drilled crop of wheat

Its his temperament I need a little advice on, he's nice in the yard and stable - can sometimes come bowling over to you and bash right into you, if so he does get an elbow in the chest and I get him to move back away from me.

He doesn't nip, we nipped that in the bud (ha!) pretty early on. He does occasionally forget himself which is quite funny as you can see his mind working and somewhere along the metal tracks the opened mouth turns in to a big yawn..

My major concern at the moment is our leading. Winter was a disaster, the fields got trashed and he didnt weather at all well out in the large field. So had to spend a couple of months in a hardcore turnout paddock with his chum. Leading him was a nightmare as he just didnt have the space to have a good and proper burn so soon as you did take him ot the turnout all he wanted to do was kick his heels up and go. It was upsetting for me as my main aim with the horses is to let them be what they are; horses. This winter's plans, there is an A, B and C plan just to cover my back!!.. are already being put into action so we don't have a repeat of the last - which was make as much good as I could from a bad situation.

Now he's out 24/7 with the same chum who does a very admirable job keeping him in line. Leading wise just in the yard and field, there is marked improvement from the winter but you can't let him get away from you other wise he will bronc and I don't trust myself enough to use a bit with him and tend to opt for a leadrope over the nose. The other day was the first proper day we went a little further in hand and he did have a tantrum half way through which ended with me getting extremely cross and got him to back up several paces, please don't think Im a horse beater, I very rarely get cross with any of them but he was just getting so full of himself, he did end up with the end of the leadrope laid across his bottom. Which actually worked very well and the whole situation was back to calm and lots of praises and ended on a really good note.

So does this sound like things are going well? Is he en par with others his age or a total rebel?

Just to add the fillies who were left with little handling over the winter months are still an absolute delight!!

 

[sallyf]

From weaning ours whether they are colts ,fillies or gelding will all be leading 2 horses to each handler and we rarely have problems.
For the last 6 years all of our horses have had to be able to lead like this as otherwise with 20+ horses about the place it would take forever to move everything around the estate.
Sometimes a 2 one might feel too big for its boots for a day and it will get a reminder in how to behave and that will be the end of it.
My foals/youngsters have free rein till they are weaned and always have companions to play with in the field so i expect them to behave in hand.

 

[BigYellowHorse]

From weaning ours whether they are colts ,fillies or gelding will all be leading 2 horses to each handler and we rarely have problems.
For the last 6 years all of our horses have had to be able to lead like this as otherwise with 20+ horses about the place it would take forever to move everything around the estate.
Sometimes a 2 one might feel too big for its boots for a day and it will get a reminder in how to behave and that will be the end of it.
My foals/youngsters have free rein till they are weaned and always have companions to play with in the field so i expect them to behave in hand.

sounds like perhaps our leading isn't upto what it should be.. admittedly we are making some good and positive steps in getting on top of the tantrums. Just guess its a case of getting tougher seeing as it had a positive effect.

All the other babies lead beautifully though, just so I don't sound too much of a nancy!! lol

 

[sallyf]

sounds like perhaps our leading isn't upto what it should be.. admittedly we are making some good and positive steps in getting on top of the tantrums. Just guess its a case of getting tougher seeing as it had a positive effect.

All the other babies lead beautifully though, just so I don't sound too much of a nancy!! lol

It sounds like he just needs to learn some ground rules and is trying his luck being entire.
The main thing is to try not to treat him any differantly just becuase he is a colt.
We deal with a lot of colts and stallions on a day to day basis with 4 here at the moment ,6 last week.
Our own are all very good but there is a huge variance in the outside boys we see and im sure some of it is due to lack of social skills on the horses part purely because of the way they have been kept and handled when young.

 

[BigYellowHorse]

Thanks Sally, Im hoping that this winter will be better, summer time he has 7 acres between the 2 and I've got a 5acre field he'll share with another gelding, its got a big barn and a concrete area to stand on out the weather, so better than the other field I planned to use.

Summer he'll definitely get handling everyday, we had a similar problem last year I got him in the February and by the end of the spring he was leading nicely and for the rest of the summer. I hoping it will follow the same sort of trend. He's a nice horse and really hope I can produce him into a nice upstanding young man so he does me proud.

 

[Louise_88]

We are new to colt ownership - bought when 6months now both rising 2, one 16h the other 15.3. I have to say they are pretty much angels at the minute. They stayed out 24/7 for as long as our fields would allow this winter, then they came in at night so they had lots of leading, handling. One is very timid but lovely to lead and deal with. The other (16h)however did go through one stage of testing out who was boss and so I did more leading in new situations, where his lack of patience showed but after one session of him attempting to push the boundaries and me explaining to him that I set the boundaries and they arent to be pushed has seemed to have sorted it! They go out with our geldings - they are seperated from each other as there playing had begun to get a little much where as the geldings play with them but also put them in the place, it's working pretty well so far - I hope it continues!

 

[Kallibear]

To be honest it sounds like you need to get a bit ' cross' with him more often!

It depends on their temperament but most youngsters, esp the big athletic muppets, get a bit big for their boots at some point. They need to be swiftly and sharply reminded of their manners. Constant gentle reinforcement of 'manners' is fine and dandy but most need an occasional sharp shock to remind them that there WILL be nasty repercussions if they don't do as they're damn well told!

The fact that he's still doing it regularly suggests the current method isn't working. My big now 3yr old had the occasional yeehaa moment on the rope but it was infrequent and very obvious that, in his excitement, he had quite literally forgotten to behave. He tried it once AT me and got such a shock (screaming arm waving manic!) that he never tried it again. Some would maybe have tried once more.

It sounds like you need to rethink what's acceptable and stick to it. Remind him once, then insist he bloody well does as he's asked! Make a mental list of things which are Not Acceptable ( includes rubbing on you, nudging, headbutting, walking into you, shoulder barging, dragging or pulling, bouncing up or down or basically doing anything but walking politely beside or standing patiently) and correct him if he tries. And if he tries twice :get 'cross'! They're much happier once their world is black and white.

 

[BigYellowHorse]

Thanks for the replies - have to admit the getting cross really has worked well.

Very much back to being a better behaved animal, its got to back to my voice now being adequate to get him to back off. I think I need to remeber if he does start to forget the lessons I have learnt about getting cross being a very viable option! ! Lol

I'll keep everyone updated how it all goes, know ill be posting again in a month or 2 as I need some crital comments on whether I can do anything to improve him for futurity! Watch this space!

Thank you again!