Temper Temper...

[leannesanx]

Does anybody elses horse have actual toddler tantrums? Mine always throws a big thrombie if I'm taking too long making his tea. These are examples of things he does:

Scrapes his teeth all along the breezeblock walls of his stable.

Snarls at the horse next door to him (suppose that's a typical horse thing though)

Throws buckets

Empties his water bucket all over the floor.

He even once, when I was taking FAR too long, enptied his water bucket (tub trugg style bucket) and ripped it all down the edge and accross the bottom.

Does anyone else have a horse like this or is mine just a new level of brat?

 

[AmyMay]

Why not make his tea prior to bringing him?

 

[leannesanx]

Because I can't just feed him as soon as he is in. He needs to be brushed, rugged up etc before he gets his tea. So technically it's not just the time taken to make the feeds it's that too but then by the time I go to get it, he has lost his patience.

To be fair he is a lovely horse, teatime and breakfast are his only vices. Other than that you couldn't wish for a better horse.

 

[benson21]

Donovan is like having a terrible twos toddler sometimes! Leading him out to the field when we firtst had him, I growled at him for doing something or other, cant remember what it was now, and he just stomped with onwe leg, straight into a great big muddy puddle! I was covered in sloppy cold mud! Not funny!
I was standing outside bensons stable on afternoon, with his feed bucket empty in my hand. he was in a stable with a heavy oak door on dropped hinges. he picked the door up with his teeth, and threw it at us! Literally!

 

[leannesanx]

Awww just looking at the picture of him, he has a very cheeky face! Well I'm glad Alfie isn't as strong as yours....or at least doesn't realise he is!

 

[Loulou2002]

Yes mine does! scrapes her teeth on the weave bars, squeals and does little rears, also bangs the door. My other horse scrapes her teeth acrooss the front of the door......we now have extra long chew strips that come halfway down the doors!

 

[Tnavas]

There is no reason why you can't make up his feed, then bring him in and do all the brushing, rugs and stuff and then you can give him his feed srtraight after you've finished.

Just thinking of him running his teeth across the breeze blocks is making me shudder!

 

[AmyMay]

There is no reason why you can't make up his feed, then bring him in and do all the brushing, rugs and stuff and then you can give him his feed srtraight after you've finished.

Just thinking of him running his teeth across the breeze blocks is making me shudder!

Exactly

Or feed him, then 'faff'.

 

[leannesanx]

That's pretty much what I do but the 30 seconds it takes me to go get his feed from the barn is far too much for his standards. And it's not like I can just leave his feed outside the stable or nearby while I brush him because I think his head would actually explode then.

Yes the teeth scraping makes me cringe too but every time I get his teeth done the dentist says there are no problems. It seems to be an attention seeking thing because he does it if I am stood outside my friends stable talking to her and daring to not give him 100% attention. The bad thing is that it works too because I have to go over to stop him doing it because it's just awful and I know that's just reinforcing his bad behaviour but I can't help it.

 

[benson21]

I was always advised not to give into these attention antics. benson used to make such a racket when waiting for his tea, but, through ignoring him, then giving his tea when he was quiet, he soon learnt that making a noise was getting him no where!

 

[stencilface]

Does he have access to hay whilst he's waiting?

For years we used to make up the feeds (some on 24/7 turnout) and have the horses causing havoc outside, chasing around etc, now we feed them hay first to give them something to occupy them, then mix up feeds, keeps them happier! (They always have a little left over from the morning - but fresh hay is always tastier )

 

[leannesanx]

Does he have access to hay whilst he's waiting?

For years we used to make up the feeds (some on 24/7 turnout) and have the horses causing havoc outside, chasing around etc, now we feed them hay first to give them something to occupy them, then mix up feeds, keeps them happier! (They always have a little left over from the morning - but fresh hay is always tastier )

Yes he always has hay ready for when he comes in but he wants everything at once, the diva.

 

[Hawks27]

Do not worry i rescued a half wild 2yr old 3years ago and ive had a few rescues / nevrous problem horses and have never seen anything like my little filly in all my days. I went to open the door and she tried to nip past me i litearally popped my arms oout and yelled 'NO' what insued was a hour and half temper tanturm i stepped out shut the door and left her too it rearing running round in circels squeeling throwing herself at walls stomping her hooves eyes rolling in back fo her head drenched in sweat absolutely livid. i spent a year doing her groundwork teaching her to behave and over time realised she wasnt' scared or nervous half the time she was just a terrible paddywhacker even after she became hadnleable and all in all quite a sweet easy horse she still had the odd day where she got frustrated and just had the most outrageous paddys often lasting a good half an hour. in the end i jsut resorted to standing thier on the end of the long line laughing at her whilst waiting patiently for her to stop. alternatively she was put back in the stable and left to paddy it out until she was willing to be more reasonable. She was certainly the most rewarding challenge i have ever been faced with most people said i should have her destroyed she was such a loon thankfully all though tempremental she is a lovely little riding horse now

 

[Hippona]

Mine come in and eat....when they've finished and are settled and happy.....then I groom, rug change etc.

I would expect if you were hungry, being made to wait whilst people faffed around making tea, changing rugs and grooming would irritate you also....

 

[tiga71]

Izzy doesn't like staying in if his mates have been turned out. He sometimes has a strop and pulls his rugs off the rug rack.

He is on part livery so this is only when I am coming up to do something.

 

[leannesanx]

As I mentioned, he has his hay so it's not like he's being made to starve. I don't really think ten minutes for a brush and a hoofpick is asking the world.

 

[Loulou2002]

Mine come in and eat....when they've finished and are settled and happy.....then I groom, rug change etc.

I would expect if you were hungry, being made to wait whilst people faffed around making tea, changing rugs and grooming would irritate you also....

Depends what your routine is........i get mine in and ride rather than feed first. Also you have to take into consideration liveries making feeds up etc. Even if mine have been fed if they hear a scoop of nuts going into a bucket they think its feed time again.

 

[Hedgewitch13]

Tie him up when you get his feed? If it's only for 30 seconds he should be fine and not be able to ruin his teeth or his water bucket!!

 

[Christsam]

Mine! I cannot make his tea before bringing in as otherwise he knows it is waiting and just tanks up with no regard for anything else. Since leaving his tea out of the stable and bringing him in he is so much better. When I go to get his tea (i have to go other side of the yard to get it) he is shouting, banging the door etc. If I am later down at the weekend then the buckets are overturned and water everywhere. If I am there talking and not paying him attention he bites things, bites me, yawns in my face, tips his bucket over. If I have a rug over his door whilst changing then he pulls that off the door. I put it down to him being 3 though and hope he grows out of it!

 

[leannesanx]

And I know your pain Tiga71, if I leave any rugs hung in Alfie's stable, they are on the floor by the morning not only covered in wee but somehow trampled round and round until they are blended into his bed. Needless to say I don't do this anymore!

 

[siennamum]

Mine is the same. He is such a prat. I really don't see why having to wait 5 minutes while feeds are being made up is such a big deal. Sometimes it is made in advance of him coming in sometimes not.

 

[leannesanx]

Mine! I cannot make his tea before bringing in as otherwise he knows it is waiting and just tanks up with no regard for anything else. Since leaving his tea out of the stable and bringing him in he is so much better. When I go to get his tea (i have to go other side of the yard to get it) he is shouting, banging the door etc. If I am later down at the weekend then the buckets are overturned and water everywhere. If I am there talking and not paying him attention he bites things, bites me, yawns in my face, tips his bucket over. If I have a rug over his door whilst changing then he pulls that off the door. I put it down to him being 3 though and hope he grows out of it!

That bit about him yawning in your face has really made me laugh!!

 

[Nannon]

I won't feed mine straight away as they then charge from the field lol I get them all in change rugs, groom and ride etc then get the feeds - my ex racer runs around his stable once he hears me mixing it, he's fine when I'm putting the food in the bucket but when I give it a quick stir he's like feed me! Second the bucket is in he's fine and you can mess about with him - weird pony at least he's not really protective over his food like my welshy, I actually put his headcollar on and took him out halfway through his breakfast for the farrier yesterday and he was like oh ok haha bless

 

[leannesanx]

Must be a thing with Welshies....

He has never gone hungry a day in his life (I've had him from being 6 months and knew the people who bred him) but you would think he was a rescue pony that used to be starved and never knew where his next meal was coming from the way he is with food!

 

[Littlelegs]

When mine have had what could be described as a temper tantrum, its usually because they think they are being asked to do something unreasonable from their pov. If its reasonable imo, I'd look into why they think it isn't. I'm not into just giving them their own way all the time, but for me it makes no odds if they eat prior to faffing, so I don't see the point in making them wait. And if I wish to ride first, they get a minuscule handful so they still think they are getting fed. Or tied straight up outside from field with a net so the routine is different to that they associate with feed.

 

[pottamus]

I would be feeding your horse first to avoid a load of hasstle and stress for all parties. Horses are not like children, they do not rationalise and think if I stand quietly it will be over and I will be fed. They only think of food because they know it is on the way.
We try to put our human habits and rules onto horses...expecting them to behave in certain conditions, making them wait for food and it does not wash with most.
If my horse was showing those signs of annoyance at having to wait for his tea, it would be in his stable when he got there...as my lads is to avoid just that situation.

 

[Hippona]

I would be feeding your horse first to avoid a load of hasstle and stress for all parties. Horses are not like children, they do not rationalise and think if I stand quietly it will be over and I will be fed. They only think of food because they know it is on the way.
We try to put our human habits and rules onto horses...expecting them to behave in certain conditions, making them wait for food and it does not wash with most.
If my horse was showing those signs of annoyance at having to wait for his tea, it would be in his stable when he got there...as my lads is to avoid just that situation.

Agree.

If they come into their place, then they are expecting to be fed.

If I was bringing in to ride first, I wouldn't put him in his feeding place, I would tie up outside his stable to groom and tack up. Then he would know it wasnt tea-time, but work time.....

 

[Cortez]

As I mentioned, he has his hay so it's not like he's being made to starve. I don't really think ten minutes for a brush and a hoofpick is asking the world.

But apparently he does..........

 

[benson21]

I would be feeding your horse first to avoid a load of hasstle and stress for all parties. Horses are not like children, they do not rationalise and think if I stand quietly it will be over and I will be fed. .

I must of been lucky with Benson then, because thats exactly what he learnt. While he was kicking the door, he was ignored, and he had to wait to be fed. As soon as the kicking stopped, he was fed. After a few weeks, he gave up kicking the door.

 

[swintondesire]

My 16months old is welsh and he can be a buggar sometimes too. he screams on when he sees me with his bucket and bangs his door. also if i walk pass his stable with it to get some water he goes over to his hay net and rears up at it.. which worries me as its a large hole net and if he got his foot caught! He will turn sideway on at the stable door when i go to take his bucket in which i cant understand why he does this as he would never kick me or bite me so i use abit of straw to waffed him out my way and he goes to the back of his stable with the most gumpyest face ever. There has been a few times when he has walk right out his stable and then realised i had his feed bucket in my hand in his stable and he turned around and came back in silly horse but that was at first he wouldnt push past now. I also have a coner feed maneger as he is terrible for kicking buckets.. he still trys and makes alot of racket when being feed. the YO also said he cant get there fast enough in the morning before hes kicking of and this is his only down fall. I can brush him and faff on when hes eating because hes great once he has his food. YOU WOULD THINK I NEVER FEED HIM LOL!