NEED SOME ADVICE....Anyone with an Answer?

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Lottie83

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Hi,
I've got a 3 1/2 yr old, whos stabled by night, and out depending on weather during the day. Hes broken, and ridden maybe 2/3 times a wk, lunged and handled well. Hes really grumpy in his stable, especially at teatime. We've owned him about 6 months and he was protective with his tea when we first got him, but just generally moving him over, putting a rug on etc, hes becoming grumpy and reluctant biting and got his ears back when your there. Hes in a block with an empty stable opposite, and the only other horse he can see is a mare that bites the side of her wall and pulls faces at the horse next to her (which he can't see). Do you think hes picking up on her bad vibes, or is it just being young and he'll grow out of it? Any advice really appreciated! Thanks
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Some horses in my experience are just naturally grumpy but if it was my horse I would check out the obvious things like back & teeth are all ok & not hurting him. Horses do not copy behaviours from other horses, this is scientifically proven in research into the incidence of stereotypies (vices). Horses that express the same patterns of behaviours usually do so as a reaction to being under the same type of stress which is the trigger to the behaviour. I am confident your young horse won't have copied the behaviour from the other mare, but I would look at other reasons why he might be grumpy or associate being handled by people as possibly triggering pain.
 
Thanks for your comment, Hes had all the obvious done, i.e. teeth, back checks etc. Hopefully, he'll grow out of it, I'm hoping its just us in his space and hes gotta get use to it!
 
You say turnout depends on the weather - does this mean it is quite restricted at the moment? May be he just needs to go out more?
 
yeah, turnout is limited at the moment, due to water logged paddocks. maybe he is just lacking turnout and being out?!!!
 
I think maybe it is turnout and company. Most do need more company than he may be getting, can the mare not come nearer, or he go nearer to her? Can he not go out on a surface may be an hour or so before tea?

(I had a horse once that was very grumpy when she had bang on her leg once and not so much when she got over it, but you know that's not his problem.)
 
If you have the time, I've hold the feed bucket for him. He should associate you with good things, not guard them from you!

He's probably been fed in a herd with that attitude, but definitely young enough to retrain.

I'd groom him / do whatever around him whilst he is eating, so he gets used to it.
 
Yeh, I think we'r going to start to hold his feedbucket, then maybe he wont associate us as a threat! Hopefully, we'll get there, just gona take time, and lots of ducking and dodging his teeth! Luckily he hasn't got his full teeth yet, so wont hurt as much!!!! thanks
 
It will be the isolation - particularly if his neighbour isn't friendly. My youngster hated stabling originally - she's got much better now though as only good things happen in there. She'd always been in a herd before I got her so being on her own/separated from the others was distressing. Time helped, also being fed in there helped. A big help was finding her itch-spots and standing in there with her for 30mins at a time grooming and scratching. She found it v soothing. Simulated a fieldmate I suppose. Anyway she is much better now.
 
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