Please help, my foal is causing big problems!

yes when he sees other horses on the yard or in the school, he gallops about and calls to them, I can't sort the fencing, it is not my property and they won't so I am moving them.
 
do you still ride your oldie?

You also haven't said if he is gelded yet.
By easily sorted I meant the solution about escaping isn't terribly complicated.
 
I am moving them to a quieter more secure place on Friday, if he doesn't settle after that I will have to try and find somewhere with some younger horse he can go out with, but as I said, it took months for me to find this new place. He hasn't been cut because my vet refused to until it becomes dry, I think I may have to insist it is done sooner.
 
No, he is only 11.2 hh. The kids take him for a plod occassionally. The reason I was seeking advice was because in all those years we never had an issue, I didn't see this coming.
 
I only asked that about the oldie because I wondered if not whether it would be worth considering putting him on retirement livery somewhere so that you don't need a companion for him and the youngster can then go on youngstock livery somewhere too.
At least you know from friday he will be safe if he cannot get out.
 
and I thought he would be a good companion, previously we have put lots of youngsters the same age with him and he has been brilliant for them, he is a pro at this. But the foal would rather be with the other gelding and he can't be because my friend doesn't believe in turning horses out together, because they get attached and it is inconvenient.
 
obviously I would rather not send them both away, especially the pony, you have to be so careful about their weight etc and I monitor him so closely I would worry about him so much. He has been with me since the day he was born at the stud.
 
Yes that is an option but I have been put of by the fact that the day he was first turned out he ran through the electric tape about 10 times, so I took it down.
 
My now 9 month old (had her from 4 1/2 months), once tamed and handled (!) went out with two mares. One was elderly and the other an adult. She stuck with them, and got on fine but never played.

I then moved her to be with an immature 3 year old and an adult who keeps them in line. She is very playful with the youngster, she constantly plays and he is constantly pestering her to play. The adult gets involved when the youngster gets too rough! I really feel this set up is much better for her socialising.

If I felt this didn't work with mine, I would also consider sending her away youngstock livery.
 
its a shame as the pony the foal loves is really great with him, plays with him but also tells him off, where as I think the older one just tells him off a lot.
 
Difficult situation. Perhaps the older horse is just to old to cope or be much fun for a youngster.
I've know of youngsters successfully turned out with adult horses but maybe your old horse is a little too old and would appreciate a quieter pace of life and the youngster needs to run and play.
Are there any other yards in the area that could offer herd turnout - so youngster goes out with a few, rather than bonding to just one?
Good luck - don't think you will find an easy answer, unfortunately....
 
its hard to be exact with heights, the dressage yard where I used to work had a yard of full siblings, their heights ranged from 15.2 - 17.1.... the same pedigrees exactly
 
Just wondering when you electric fenced did you show the foal the fence first? They have to learn how to respect it - if the first time they see it they get through it they learn that if they barge through quickly the zap stops. It's a difficult thing to undo unfortunately.

When I first introduce a horse to electric I put them on a long line and back them into it so they get a zap on their bum, and rush forwards. That way they learn to run away from it rather than through it.

Don't discount electric - once they respect it they are fine.
 
Ditto what EQuIDAaE said about the electric. I've just taken on (fostering) a couple of Dartmoor hill ponies, rising two years and feral off the moor. They were turned out alone with the electric on, so nothing to make them go through it, everything was fine. They did annihilate it the following day when chased by Tinner on the first group turnout but there has been no problems since. We don't have mains so I'm relying on battery power, and afewdaysagoirealisedthat yes. There was power, it was turned on and clicking, but the ****** sheep had chewed through the cable that attaches to the fence grr!

Your youngster sounds a nice type, any connection to Penpont Ponies new paint stallion?
 
I am glad you have a field that is better fenced, hopefully that will contain the foal.

You say you have owned the pony for 21 years, she is half blind, and wants nothing to do with the foal. I hear you that the pony is used to dealing with youngstock. Until recently I was used to riding big horses in challenging conditions for 5 hours plus a day. These days I ache after an hour.I have had trouble with people adjusting to my new circumstances, after all I have been someone who would ride anything, and physically I look the same.

The pony is older, and probably feeling her age. I reckon this is one baby too many for her ATM.

Does the new place have a younger companion as well as a better fence? That may be the answer, maybe someone else there has a boisterous horse and a quieter one, and you could swap partners in the field?
 
No, no relation, he is by an A Tru Rolex Colt. There are no other horses around, just my two. We are not going to a livery yard and I only have just over an acre for the summer so can't even borrow something to turn out with them 😞
 
fatpiggy said:
Have you ever seen what can happen to other species including humans when they grow up in artificial communities???
Click to expand...

many horses are in artificial situations and unless they live out in the wild will continue to be. Most things we do to horses are artificial. What about bathing a yearling, putting it in a lorry and taking it to a show? That is artificial. If you were to send a foal/youngster away to a livery situation how on earth would you bond with it or be able to be with it to teach it things?
 
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