Naughty Foaly!

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jessikaGinger

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I have a 4month old foal she's brill to handle although does like to chew things/people

However last night she took a dislike to a child at the yard (4yro)
The child was doing nothing wrong just stood talking to me all of a sudden foaly trotted over and started trying to nip at her (child just stood there making no sound as she's been told not to scare the foal) she pulled her hair bobble out :rolleyes: then turned and tried to kick her :eek:

The foal is by no means the bottom of the pecking order in the field so im abit unsure as to why she doesn't like little people??

Brew for anyone with suggestions :p
 
did you not try to stop the foal:confused: even at 5 months old, when we got ours, he wasn't allowed to nip or act up around anybody but especially not my kids and they were both older than 4! A sharp 'NO' or 'OI' was enough usually to make him back off and if he didn't then i would step inbetween him and his target. never too young to learn some manners;)
 
Sorry i missed out that i did try stopping her:D

first i shouted and she literally does not respond at all to voice

i then stood between them and she caught me lighty on the leg (it didnt hurt) with her back foot so i stamped my feet and she ran off

i really arn't sure how to disaplin her as shouting and body language doesn't work but i dont want to smack her :confused:
 
Brew for anyone with suggestions
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Well, having the foal under control when there's such a young child around would be a start.

As for stopping the foal - well you of course know that flapping your coat or arms will send the foal away.

Very glad that the child wasn't hurt. Could have been very nasty.
 
we were getting her pony from the field!

the clapping hand flapping around etc does not send the foal away she is very confident however she does not get in your personal space usually she stands next to you until you put your hand out to her

This is out of character hence the reason i asked for suggestions .
 
jessikaGinger said:
we were getting her pony from the field!

the clapping hand flapping around etc does not send the foal away she is very confident however she does not get in your personal space usually she stands next to you until you put your hand out to her

This is out of character hence the reason i asked for suggestions .
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Well next time, either don't take a young child in the field with you - or have someone carry her.

I've never know a foal not be sent away by flapping (even the boldest one).
 
Hiw does the foals mother respond to her when she misbehaves? I am assuming that at 4 months she is still with the Dam, I am sure that other horses do not tolerate this type of behaviour and will warn first and then bite or kick if the foal doesn't back off, I suggest that you work in a similar manner and under no circumstances allow the foal to damage people, particularly children.
 
I would be keeping the child and foal apart. The fact that the foal is over confident and pushy is dangerous. I'm a firm believer in children shouldn't be inside fields in case there is a accident. Even when my daughters pony is in the field alone I always catch it and take it to the gate for her. Please be very wary in future, a mishap doesn't bare thinking about x
 
MarinaBay said:
Have to say my foal takes an awful lot of flapping to make her move on. The same goes with her much less confident brother.
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There we are then. I'm either rather good at it - or have only every been round nervous wrecks;)

In any event - the simple answer to the dilema is as I posted above. You keep the child out of the field, or have her carried by someone not dealing with the youngstock.

The foal is young and playful - and whilst you have to establish ground rules and discipline you do have to remember their age.

Education and discipline come over a period of time with experience and learned behaviour. And you can never, ever take a youngster for granted.
 
Agree with YorksG
Disciplin needs to be enforced as they get older, especially with bold foals. These turn into the bolshy, rude horses as they get older and stronger.

I've had both my horses from foals and neither would dream of biting or kicking cos it's simply never been tolerated.
 
My foal is pretty laid back when it comes to flapping arms, but when she was in her stable and she turned her bum on me I gave her a shap poke on her bum cheek and she shot forwards and turned around and looked at me, she hasnt done it since. The same as when she first thought about nipping. I poked her on the squidgy bit on her nose. She hasn't done it since. But thats because personally I don't like shouting around horses. It makes me cringe when I hear someone yelling around them in sentences. I can handle a sharp "NO" but soemthing like "monty, stop it, no,monty stop doing that" just makes me cringe!
 
Sorry i should of said the child is not mine she was with her mother going to get her pony and i was going to get mine then she came to see me

Her mother does put her in her place (she is a grumpy chestnut mare anyway) but the foal responds to her mother with a kick back

Im making her sound like a real terror here :( she isn't

I have never had a foal before she wasn't planned so this is complete unknown territory for me
 
jessikaGinger said:
Im making her sound like a real terror here :( she isn't .
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No, you are making her sound like a four month old foal.


And your answer to this situation - now that we know more - is to ensure that anyone who goes in to that field realises that foals are curious, mischievious and inclined to damage unmeltiously (sp) those who get too close and don't know what their doing.

And as far as this particular situation goes - that is the extent of your obligations or concern.
 
Looking at it from the other way a 4 year old child should not be in a field with loose horses as any one of them could knock her over ect.
 
I am far from knowledgable but I had some very strong support when I bred my two youngsters and I had it drilled into to me to not let them push anything, even an inch. Behaviour that could be cute and funny at 4 months is not cute or funny at 2... so I was very strict. I would have sent her away from the child the second she even thought of coming over with an attitude , as not all humans want to be approached by horses, and had she got close enough to try a nip then she would have had a huge send away with clapping shouting and flapping arms till she backed off. The trick is to get in fast enough that they think twice before doing it...

I did allow my (older) children in with the youngsters but they youngsters were trained to keep their distance unless invited in and I taught them to back up quite early on and to respect space.
 
I agree with Amymay, I also think you have to start laying down the boundaries NOW or else you will have a bolshy pushy yearling before you know it. Perhaps your body language is not strong enough, I would get someone in who really knows what they are doing around youngstock to show you the way. personally I would carry a whip to keep her out of your space, you can use it as an extension to your arm and may not necessarily have to actually tap her with it.

However, do not be afraid to tap her with a whip, my current youngster is a happy, obedient 3yo, I tapped (and I do NOT mean beat before anyone starts!) her once, she was 4months old and threatened to kick me which is unacceptable at any age.
 
Thanks for all the replies, I have tons of books but every single one contradicts each other!!
I will carry a whip from now on and see how it goes
 
Our foal went through a VERY bold stage and no amount of flapping or shouting would shoo him away. We got through that stage with a nice flappy plastic feed bag or failing that, I would carry the poo picker with me and holding it up and banging the rake on the plastic scoop did the trick. No smacking needed, just noise and visuals! He was about 3 months at the time, didn't take long to get him out of that habit and he has always been known by the vet, farrier and the trainer to be a very polite little colt.
 
If this foal is that bold you should be able to get one hand on it's nose and one hand on its chest and make it go back !! if any thing that is better than flapping about as you are in control - get a grip of it before it grows up to be a terror

That said my lad went through a nipping / pulling at everything with his teeth stage, specifically my hand with the lead rope in when going to the field - small stones in an empty drinks can sorted that out you just give it a little shake
 
It's funny only last week the farrier told me what a good job i was doing as her manners were impeccable :o

i never thought of stone in a bottle that worked for my dog everytime he tried to poop in the house i will certainly be trying this:D
 
flying solo said:
I would be keeping the child and foal apart. The fact that the foal is over confident and pushy is dangerous. I'm a firm believer in children shouldn't be inside fields in case there is a accident. Even when my daughters pony is in the field alone I always catch it and take it to the gate for her. Please be very wary in future, a mishap doesn't bare thinking about x
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I agree. I never allow children under the age of around ten inside a field with horses in, and even then, they are not allowed in alone.
 
We had one foal, a colt, who was a complete arse.
He would wait for you to turn your back on him to leave the field them canter at you and rear and nip, typical colt was very handy with his teeth! It was all playfullness but I used to wait and hear him coming then swing the headcollar/leadrope at him or even throw it at him.

He too was the type that you could flap etc and he would just stand there and watch the show :rolleyes: No issues about ruining his confidence anyway :p

Are there any instructors/breeders near you that can come out and show you how to deal with the foal, and help you get the manners into her? Its fantastic you have such a bold filly but she needs to know the boundries before she gets bigger, stronger, and bolsiher.

Also is it possible to have the mare and foal put in a field where children do not need to go in for ponies. Or even electric fence the field off so they have their own little section?

If not I would mention to the mother of the child that you are concerned, because the filly is still very "playful" and you don't want her child to be hurt. If she continues to bring the child into the field there is nothing more you can do tbh!
 
I did mention to her mother prior to her being born that i would electric fence a section off and she said nope it's no problem leave them altogether

As far as i know this is the first time the child has been in the field

i had a few lessons when she was 3months for leading etc and she has done great

'usually' she is well behaved doesnt get in my face etc the is the first time she has done this she does know 'back' which i tried & she ignored it was then i stamped my feet & she kicked out and ran off :mad:

I will take all your suggestions on board if she does this again (to me) as for the child i just hope she doesn't go in the field again
 
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