Woolly Hat n Wellies
Well-Known Member
My BOGOF baby boy is now 6 months old. I'm not sure how he matches up to others his age. Googling seems to only throw up people whose 6 month old colts are performing airs above ground and studying for degrees in astrophysics.
Graham comes when called, most of the time.
He's alright to catch, he doesn't run away or turn his head away, but he does make it somewhat tricky by trying to eat his headcollar.
He walks on from a pull on his leadrope, or from a light tap on his side with a whip. He stops when told. He doesn't do slow down yet, when he rushes we come to a complete stop and then walk on again. The steering can be a little hit and miss.
He walks in front or behind mum, and passes stationery farm machinery with the engines running, but hasn't really seen moving vehicles up close.
He can back up from the headcollar, and turn his bum round from a little tap with the whip, but has reared while doing this. I've put it down to me pushing too far and asking for too much. I now only ask him for these movements once when I'm handling him, and as soon as he does it I praise him and leave it at that. He hasn't reared since I started doing it this way.
He can pick all his feet up, and has seen the farrier and behaved very well while having a little trim, but still occasionally has a bit of a wriggle if he thinks he can get away with it. He's happy to be touched all over, and to have a soft rope flipped over his back and passed underneath him and brought up to touch his belly.
He can stand still and wait for me to open the gate at the front of the stable without barging his way out, and he stands quietly to have his headcollar taken off again.
He's still very nippy.
How does this sound for a 6 month old colt? Normal? Good? Accident waiting to happen? I've tried to be honest and unbiased in my assessment of him. I'm a little worried as he's outrageously confident and built like a tank, and if I'm not doing things right I could see him very easily becoming a complete terror. I didn't expect him, or want him, to be honest, but he's here now and I want to do my best to make sure he ends up as a civilised little gelding with as much chance as possible of having a good life as someone's treasured pony, rather than a £50 bull in a china shop getting passed from pillar to post because no one wants him.
Any thoughts or tips?
Graham comes when called, most of the time.
He's alright to catch, he doesn't run away or turn his head away, but he does make it somewhat tricky by trying to eat his headcollar.
He walks on from a pull on his leadrope, or from a light tap on his side with a whip. He stops when told. He doesn't do slow down yet, when he rushes we come to a complete stop and then walk on again. The steering can be a little hit and miss.
He walks in front or behind mum, and passes stationery farm machinery with the engines running, but hasn't really seen moving vehicles up close.
He can back up from the headcollar, and turn his bum round from a little tap with the whip, but has reared while doing this. I've put it down to me pushing too far and asking for too much. I now only ask him for these movements once when I'm handling him, and as soon as he does it I praise him and leave it at that. He hasn't reared since I started doing it this way.
He can pick all his feet up, and has seen the farrier and behaved very well while having a little trim, but still occasionally has a bit of a wriggle if he thinks he can get away with it. He's happy to be touched all over, and to have a soft rope flipped over his back and passed underneath him and brought up to touch his belly.
He can stand still and wait for me to open the gate at the front of the stable without barging his way out, and he stands quietly to have his headcollar taken off again.
He's still very nippy.
How does this sound for a 6 month old colt? Normal? Good? Accident waiting to happen? I've tried to be honest and unbiased in my assessment of him. I'm a little worried as he's outrageously confident and built like a tank, and if I'm not doing things right I could see him very easily becoming a complete terror. I didn't expect him, or want him, to be honest, but he's here now and I want to do my best to make sure he ends up as a civilised little gelding with as much chance as possible of having a good life as someone's treasured pony, rather than a £50 bull in a china shop getting passed from pillar to post because no one wants him.
Any thoughts or tips?
