Very new and very confused owner, help needed, please!

[Silvaticus]

Hello to everyone! I`m new to this forum and I would really appreciate some advice with my weanling/colt.

First, some context, because I think it could help with the potential attempts to help. I have around zero experience with horses and owning a horse was never in my plans, it just happened.
6-7 months ago my brother bought a small foal that was going to be slaughtered. He already has a huge horse and enough space so he thought they`ll keep eachother company and he also felt pity for the small guy. They got along well until two months ago when plans changed. He was planning to buy a mare for his stallion, the man who was taking care of them wasn`t available at that time and the new handler was really bad. So the little horse ended up back in the possession of the neighbour he bought him from the first time and was going to have the same destiny, slaughterhouse.

I decided to do a good thing and bought him. I have around 2000 square meters of pasture in the back of my property, I figured he could live there happily. I have built a stable, nothing fancy but enough to keep him off the rain, wind and cold and safe at night. Also an enclosure of about 5x15 meters until I manage to fence off rest of the pasture.

I should mention that all these happens in a village in Romania which is relevant because no one here ever heard of "positive reinforcement" or such, horse education is based on force and violence. So this young horse was kicked, beaten, yelled at a lot in his short life. I have tried to be a good owner and he seemed to be friendly and easy to handle at first. He comes to me, responds to my voice and I can easily handle and tie him in the stable. Outside it is another story. He barges out each morning like crazy and jumps and kicks for 10-15 minutes. Also runs fast and aggresively towards the lowest point of the fence like he would jump but changes his mind in the last moment and crashes into it with his chest. I have changed and reinforced the fence a few times. Then he is calm and either grazes or comes to the fence to interact with me. That was nice for two weeks or so, after that he started to nibble and bite. It seems to be with good intentions most of the time but not always. He also rears like crazy sometimes with no apparent reason, I interpret it like a sign of dominance, he`s trying to show he is the boss. Not when I`m near him but I kind of avoid that so I don`t get myself kicked.

From what I read, it would be good to lead him on a rope and start some exercises but he sure doesn`t look anything like the calm horses that are shown in videos!

Local help doesn`t seem like a good idea for the reason mentioned above. He`ll just get his a$$ kicked until he behaves and I don`t want that.
Most of the information and advice that I have found online doesn`t really apply in my case. I know it would be good to have him graze with other young horses and a mare, to spend more time with him or to get professional help but those are not possible.

I`m sure I didn`t paint the entire picture and I`m missing important information but if someone is willing to share a few words of advice, it will be greatly appreciated. Please ask anything that could help you better assess the situation. I`m not expecting miracles or fast changes, I just want to know how I can handle him safely.

Regards,
Silvaticus

 

[sarcasm_queen]

He absolutely needs to be with other horses. If you can’t provide that, then you need to sell him to someone who can. A lot of his manners will be taught to him naturally by other horses.

 

[AdorableAlice]

Is he gelded ? if not he needs his nuts off pronto.

 

[Mrs. Jingle]

Has the pony been castrated? If not that would absolutely be first priority. He MUST have some company too. If neither can be provided sadly PTS might not be such a bad thing for him if the alternative is the cruelty you describe.

 

[JenJ]

Welcome to the forum.

He NEEDS company. If that's not going to be possible with you, then I'm afraid you need to find him a different home. You can have the absolute best of intentions to follow the best methods of training, but without company, he will never be able to relax or 'be a horse'.

 

[Silvaticus]

Thanks for the quick answers!

I`m not sure if that was clear from the original post. Selling him means he becomes dog food. I guess nobody wants to bother with a young horse that can`t be used yet.

Yup, I`m aware that company would be ideal but that is not possible, at least not at the moment. On a side note, 90% of the horses in the countryside here live alone for most of their lives. You won`t see large pastures with happy horses running in herds. They do their job and then back to the stable.

AdorableAlice, gelding is on the to do list. I was told he should be at least one year old and I don`t think he is yet.

 

[AdorableAlice]

Thanks for the quick answers!

I`m not sure if that was clear from the original post. Selling him means he becomes dog food. I guess nobody wants to bother with a young horse that can`t be used yet.

Yup, I`m aware that company would be ideal but that is not possible, at least not at the moment. On a side note, 90% of the horses in the countryside here live alone for most of their lives. You won`t see large pastures with happy horses running in herds. They do their job and then back to the stable.

AdorableAlice, gelding is on the to do list. I was told he should be at least one year old and I don`t think he is yet.

If his nuts are down he can be gelded, the older he gets the more of a brat he will get. Do it before the flies are about.

 

[ycbm]

It's very difficult for us in such a horse loving country to get our heads around how horses are treated in places like Romania. So please excuse me, but the rest of my answer is from a very British point of view.


There are worse fates for a horse than to be quickly and quietly dead.

Living on their own is entirely unnatural for a horse and for a young one doubly so.

A lone horse lives a life of constant stress because in the wild the lion takes the weakest and if there's only one of you then you are always the weakest.

You will keeping him on well under half an acre and that simply isn't enough space. You're currently keeping him in a tiny pen, which is completely unacceptable.

I'm really sorry, I know you mean well, but you haven't done this chappy any big favours by stopping him going to the abattoir. He is likely to get more and more difficult for a very novice owner to handle as he gets bigger and stronger, even if you do have him castrated. The pattern of being able to threaten humans has already been set.


What will his future be if you keep him? Again, if you intend to sell him into a working home, you will not have done any favours keeping him alive in that environment for him to become somebody's mistreated workhorse.

I'm sorry not to be more positive, especially to a newcomer to the forum.

 

[Nocturnal]

It sounds like he’s just being a baby horse, the behaviour you describe is very normal for a colt and would usually be managed by the other horses in a herd. Can he not live with the other horse you mentioned before?

 

[KittenInTheTree]

Geld him, and get the rest of your field secured so that he has space to be a horse. Add another horse or pony as company for him. At the moment, he is being mentally tortured - alone, insufficient space when turned out, and stabled too much. I don't care how your neighbours do things. You are not them, and he is your responsibility. Do better by the poor animal. You have the space, so use it.

 

[TheMule]

There are worse things for a horse than becoming dog meat. And unfortunately many of them are caused by very novice owners who wanted to 'rescue' something but who has no knowledge and a totally unsuitable set-up. But, you're here asking for help, so if you can listen to the advice and give him a more appropriate lifestyle then you might be ok.

 

[Silvaticus]

To ycbm: hehe, yes, I find that to be a very British point of view indeed!

I understand and know it is unnatural and far from ideal. But worse than death? That`s quite a statement. Would that apply to any lonely, unhappy, malnourished, unadapted humans? We have lots of those too.

I am not planning and not expecting anything of him. I wanted him to survive, that`s all and I`m still hoping I can do that with some help. And I would give him away for free if I`d know he is treated fairly. It is more of an animal rescue situation, with my limited possibilites and lack of experince.

Nocturnal: The horses mentioned before, will have a pasture to live on in a couple of months so it could be possible. But they are a pair and they are huge (they call them Belgian horses here) so I`m not sure he will be accepted.

 

[bonny]

You could perhaps get him a different friend, sheep or a goat, not ideal but a lot better than nothing ?

 

[ycbm]

To ycbm: hehe, yes, I find that to be a very British point of view indeed!

I understand and know it is unnatural and far from ideal. But worse than death? That`s quite a statement. Would that apply to any lonely, unhappy, malnourished, unadapted humans? We have lots of those too.

Humans are able to rationalise their situation, horses can't. Few humans live in societies which can legally kill them if they are permanently stressed and unhappy, but in those countries which do there are plenty of people volunteering to end their lives.

There are many fates worse than death for both horses and humans.

.

 

[Silvaticus]

Bonny: I was considering that option. It wouldn`t be easy but it could be a nice solution.

 

[Silvaticus]

ycbm: humm, you should be introduced to DSBM bands, you have some peculiar ideas!

 

[ycbm]

ycbm: humm, you should be introduced to DSBM bands, you have some peculiar ideas!

My ideas are based on 50 years of horse ownership knowledge and are mainstream for the UK.

Bonny: I was considering that option. It wouldn`t be easy but it could be a nice solution.

Please don't fool yourself that this is any solution, never mind a "nice" one. Horses need horses. Normal horse interaction is physical and mental on a level no other animal provides. And I have seen two of my own horses attack sheep, it's not always an easy mix.

I realise that I've been negative enough on your thread now, and it pains me to have to think about how horses are still treated in other parts of Europe, so I will leave you to it.
.

 

[Pearlsasinger]

Ycbm is being realistic and I'm afraid this poor horse is likely to have to be shot before very long because he is likely to injure you badly if you continue to keep him as you are doing.
Far better for you to arrange to have him pts before you both suffer much more. There certainly are fates worse than death for horses in the hands of well-meaning but completely ignorant novices.

 

[bonny]

Ycbm is being realistic and I'm afraid this poor horse is likely to have to be shot before very long because he is likely to injure you badly if you continue to keep him as you are doing.
Far better for you to arrange to have him pts before you both suffer much more. There certainly are fates worse than death for horses in the hands of well-meaning but completely ignorant novices.

That’s just so dramatic, it’s a foal and a small one and presumably muddling along reasonably ok. Horses don’t have to be kept the way we do, all over the world they manage them differently. I would try opening up more space and getting some kind of company and I for one wish you luck.

 

[Pearlsasinger]

That’s just so dramatic, it’s a foal and a small one and presumably muddling along reasonably ok.

It doesn't sound to me as if colt or extremely novice owner are muddling along reasonably OK.
But you would say the grass is blue if most folk said it was green, we are quite used to you.

 

[JenJ]

That’s just so dramatic, it’s a foal and a small one and presumably muddling along reasonably ok.

It's not though...

That was nice for two weeks or so, after that he started to nibble and bite. It seems to be with good intentions most of the time but not always. He also rears like crazy sometimes with no apparent reason, I interpret it like a sign of dominance, he`s trying to show he is the boss. Not when I`m near him but I kind of avoid that so I don`t get myself kicked.

 

[stangs]

You’ve got a colt who’s not got enough room to get his energy out, who’s got handler who doesn’t know how to set boundaries, and who’s not got any herd mates to play with or who would teach him manners or who would act as lookout for him when he sleeps. And the longer he is kept in this situation, the more difficult it will be to rehabilitate him.

He would probably be better off with the two Belgians, even if they ignored him or threatened him. Not being around other horses during a critical learning period means that even if you do want to find him a friend later, he may not be suitable to keep around other horses because he won’t have learnt those crucial social skills.

I have tried to be a good owner and he seemed to be friendly and easy to handle at first.

He was probably easy to handle at first because he was in learned helplessness and had no clue what was going on. Then he found his feet and started taking out his frustration and boredom on you. The rearing and the nipping are things that he would be doing with a playmate if he had one.

I know it’s difficult but keeping a horse - and particularly a young colt - in this situation you’re doing is not good ownership. And, if you were as interested in positive reinforcement as you say, you would know that the first step any good R+ trainer takes when modifying behaviour is changing the animal’s management to be more suitable for their needs.

At the very least get him some livestock (at least two sheep or goats - don’t force them to live without a conspecific too) to act as lookouts and give him some social enrichment. But you will need to make sure that they have an escape route away from him, because a being stuck in a small space with a bored colt will otherwise be dangerous for them.

Also look at what enrichment you can provide in his enclosure to try and stimulate his mind a little more (e.g. scratching posts, puzzles, treat balls, a horse toy he can chew on, etc). It won’t improve the behaviour significantly but it might hopefully ease a little bit of his boredom.

And then get him in with the Belgians pronto. He will thank you for it.

 

[FieldOrnaments]

I understand and know it is unnatural and far from ideal. But worse than death? That`s quite a statement. Would that apply to any lonely, unhappy, malnourished, unadapted humans? We have lots of those too.

I am not planning and not expecting anything of him. I wanted him to survive, that`s all and I`m still hoping I can do that with some help. And I would give him away for free if I`d know he is treated fairly. It is more of an animal rescue situation, with my limited possibilites and lack of experince.

A quick, painless death is far better than twenty or thirty years alone and miserable. That's a hellish existence for such a sociable animal as a horse.

Unfortunately in your current set up he is well on his way to hurting you and probably himself as well.

He needs gelding and placing with other horses, and if you want to keep him you need someone who will show you how to handle safely and effectively, for both your sake and the horse's.

If you cannot do these things find a willing farmer with a gun - giving away a bolshy mannerless intact animal is not doing it any favours either.

 

[Arzada]

OP I happened to watch this earlier. Michael Peace, a UK experienced trainer, brought in by experienced horse owners to work with their colt. Even during the training the colt has his pony companion with him. You may find the video relevant, interesting and informative.

 

[Gloi]

It sounded like the Belgians might be a mare and a stallion which wouldn't be safe to put him with. Best to hunt around for someone else with a young pony or donkey where they can be together either at your place or theirs.

 

[Silvaticus]

Thanks again for all the replies!

I was hoping for ideas to help me out a bit in my/our current situation and a part of the answers and considerations did that.
I`m also okay with the more critical replies as long as they have some useful insight and it donest`

The Belgians are a stallion and mare and she is probably pregnant by now. My brother has bought a couple more acres for them near our (adjacent) properties. But that pasture needs fencing, shelter, water and probably other things my inexperienced self cannot foresee now. My colt

 

[Silvaticus]

I can`t find a way to edit, sorry, I pressed "reply" before finishing the message.

What I was saying is that it will take a while until that place is set up and I hope we don`t hurt eachother in the meantime as some of you have warned me.
So I still have to look for a short term solution for the bad behaviours, if there is any. Again, with the resources and conditions I have and knowing that it is not the best setup.

 

[Gloi]

It is coming spring when colts tend to get more frisky so if you get him castrated asap it would be good. Your vet may also know of somewhere suitable he could live, you never know.

 

[Silvaticus]

OP I happened to watch this earlier. Michael Peace, a UK experienced trainer, brought in by experienced horse owners to work with their colt. Even during the training the colt has his pony companion with him. You may find the video relevant, interesting and informative.

Thanks for the video! The behaviour in the first seconds is similar to what I`m dealing with.

 

[Equi]

The only solution is to never be near him to avoid any injury to yourself. Sort out the paddock, get him gelded, then sell him.