Please help (also in breeding)

[aimee8282]

I posted a while ago about my five month old colt being very mouthy, and everyone said he would grow out of it....

Any advice to keep me sane in the meantime?

He chews mum's rug, hangs on to mum's headcoller, nips my jacket, even takes my hat off my head when I'm doing the belly straps on mum's rug.

I am patient with him, stern no, tap on the shoulder, but it's getting really hard to keep re-enforcing it (especially at 6am when I'm half asleep turning them out!)

Any help would be great thank you

 

[Booboos]

Maybe put something nasty tasting (like the products for stopping cribbing) on whatever you think he might try to bite next and he might associate the bad taste with biting and stop? At the same time maybe divert his attention to a toy or chew he can safely bite and play with?

 

[Equestrian92]

Be sure to tap him on the nose when he bites as tapping him on the shoulder has nothing to do with him biting if you see what I mean, I had a gobby colt who used to undo zips, steal hats and gloves etc. But he soon stopped bitting after repeatedly tapping on the nose and saying no in a very firm voice, good luck x

 

[aimee8282]

Haha I'd need to put it everywhere, I didn't know if it was just to do with him teething but it just wont stop

I need to be firmer with him I think, it is reassuring when you say you have had a colt who behaved like that.

Oh the joys haha All my other horses are mares, this is my first boy!

 

[Enfys]

I had a arab/QH colt, mouthy, bargy, bolshy etc, horrid little pony. His full sisters were the total opposite of him, brilliant from birth, I treated them all the same way, Apollo just came into the world with attitude, even the Vet said "Smashing little colt, chop his balls off pronto though" I think the nippiness is more of a colt thing.

I weaned him at 5 months (with a companion) and within a week he was a changed personality. He wasn't shut in a dark cell and beaten, he'd just lost his herd status and decided life was much nicer with scratches, his own food and lots of attention. By the time he went to his new owners I actually liked him.

Regarding the chewing, SN, I believe, gave me some advice that stopped the nipping, in hand anyway, I held a jif lemon bottle and when he bit me he got a jolly good squirt in his mouth and on his lips - he did NOT like that at all. It didn't work for tails though, a neither did washing up liquid but a bar of soap rubbed on the tail DID.