What to do with new colt?

[Ellaandbailey]

I have bought a Welsh colt due to arrive on Friday. He is about 9 months old and he is pretty much unhandled. He has a head collar on but that is as far as his training has got. What would you suggest to do with him to gain his trust and keep him occupied? And what age can I start things like free lunging? Not tight circles and no jumps, just getting him used to listening to voice commands?

 

[MotherOfChickens]

What would you suggest to do with him to gain his trust and keep him occupied?

bung him in a field with other young colts. handle for short periods regularly to get him used to feet being handled and being led. leave the rest until later.

 

[catroo]

Not ideal but I'd have him stabled from the off with frequent (many times a day) handling. Ideally would like a small paddock you can herd him to and from the stable so he can get out for a bit.

They generally come round really quickly and once confident with basic handling he can then get turned out. I'd be wanting a herd with ponies of similar ages but obviously no mares till he's gelded (if you're not keeping him entire).

Then leave to be a youngster, frequent handling for farrier/worming checking over etc. Personally I see no benefit in free schooling, he will learn voice commands from general handling.

 

[Equi]

At 9 months old, he would be not doing much other than learning to halter lead and general manners. Why would he need lunged?

 

[Elf On A Shelf]

First off geld him. Let him be a youngster. Don't be tempted to over handle or under handle, no need to free school - total waste of time for a yearling.

 

[Ellaandbailey]

I won't be lunging him for a long time yet. Just wondering what age to start doing that sort of work with him. And I am not going to put him in a field at this time of year as he won't be rugged and there's no chance he's going to let me get a rug on him any time soon. He will be stabled next to my other horse and as soon as I can lead him, he'll go out into a small paddock to stretch his legs everyday. Thank you for your replies.

 

[Cobby93]

If it was me, I would put him in a stable and get him used to having a head collar on, halter broken etc then get him used to things like brushed and having his feet picked up/picked out. These are all important milestones that you want him to reach while he is young, rather than having an argument about it when he is much bigger! Personally I would not turn him away just yet if he is unhandled.

 

[Elf On A Shelf]

Why would you rug him?!?! He is a native pony who has spent the winter so far naked! You'll boil him! I take it he has been living out at the place he was born with the other youngsters!

 

[Caracarrie]

I have bought a Welsh colt due to arrive on Friday. He is about 9 months old and he is pretty much unhandled. He has a head collar on but that is as far as his training has got. What would you suggest to do with him to gain his trust and keep him occupied? And what age can I start things like free lunging? Not tight circles and no jumps, just getting him used to listening to voice commands?

Did you not think about this BEFORE you bought him?

 

[Equi]

I won't be lunging him for a long time yet. Just wondering what age to start doing that sort of work with him. And I am not going to put him in a field at this time of year as he won't be rugged and there's no chance he's going to let me get a rug on him any time soon. He will be stabled next to my other horse and as soon as I can lead him, he'll go out into a small paddock to stretch his legs everyday. Thank you for your replies.

He won't need rugged, why would he? Have you ever had a young horse before? If not..are you sure you are ready for one?

 

[Ellaandbailey]

I know what I am doing with him I just wanted other people's input on training things like tieing quietly. If he was going out into a field then I would like to put a waterproof rug on with no fill to prevent rain rot, I know not to put big rugs on him as he will have a thick coat. But he won't be going out as the fields are way too wet and the shelter has been taken down to be rebuilt in summer. He has been indoors for the past month but not been in a stable. He was in a large barn with other colts. I am perfectly competent in looking after him and have trained other horses before. He is my first unhandled horse.

 

[Elf On A Shelf]

He wont need a rug to keep the rain off. His coat will be thick enough to deal with any rain. Foal coats are the thickest coats.

 

[ycbm]

I know what I am doing with him I just wanted other people's input on training things like tieing quietly. If he was going out into a field then I would like to put a waterproof rug on with no fill to prevent rain rot, I know not to put big rugs on him as he will have a thick coat. But he won't be going out as the fields are way too wet and the shelter has been taken down to be rebuilt in summer. He has been indoors for the past month but not been in a stable. He was in a large barn with other colts. I am perfectly competent in looking after him and have trained other horses before. He is my first unhandled horse.

You intend to permanently stable a nine month old native pony colt who has so far lived wild? That is a seriously bad idea.

 

[JJS]

You intend to permanently stable a nine month old native pony colt who has so far lived wild? That is a seriously bad idea.

I have to agree with YCBM. At that age, he needs company and plenty of time outdoors; what he won't need is a rug.

Also, one very important question: do we get to see some foal pictures?

 

[Beausmate]

If you are seriously considering using a rug on a healthy, unclipped feral Welsh pony, not to mention not turning him out with others, then I don't think you do know what you are doing with him.

If it will lead, tie up, let you touch it and have its feet picked out, that is all it needs as far as training goes for a while yet.

He will also need to be out, with suitable company.

 

[rara007]

This sounds like a welfare issue tbh OP. Think about it for a bit from the ponies point of view. Rain rot is pretty much unheard of in unrugged healthy natives, much more common in them under rugs.

 

[honetpot]

I know what I am doing with him I just wanted other people's input on training things like tieing quietly. If he was going out into a field then I would like to put a waterproof rug on with no fill to prevent rain rot, I know not to put big rugs on him as he will have a thick coat. But he won't be going out as the fields are way too wet and the shelter has been taken down to be rebuilt in summer. He has been indoors for the past month but not been in a stable. He was in a large barn with other colts. I am perfectly competent in looking after him and have trained other horses before. He is my first unhandled horse.

He needs to with other ponies, if he is in a stable with another one, for company, like where he has come from. They are kept that way for a reason.
There is no need to rug him, and I am sure given the chance he would love to go out in a muddy field and have a play with someone. If you stick him in a stable on his own with no company and no turnout you are going to end up with a nippy naughty pony.
To be honest I hope this post is a wind up, but if not you really shouldn't have bought it. My nine month colt comes in for a feed and a hay net, with company and then goes out with company, in the mud and the wet. He has the farrier every six-eight weeks and is wormed, that's all the handling he has.

 

[Equi]

Rain rot comes from wet horses being too warm - typical conditions found in horses with a light rug that sweat because they don't need the rug. Don't pamper a native horse - big mistake!

 

[Ellaandbailey]

I have arranged for him to go to my friends field with her geldings once he is handled. I am not putting him out without prior handling as I'm worried he won't come back! He won't be rugged.

 

[AdorableAlice]

Get him cut asap and he will soon be friendly. He will need 24 hour turn out when he is cut to keep any swelling and infection at bay. All he needs is to accept his halter and lead politely, have his feet/legs handled in readiness for the 6 weekly farrier visits and to have a good worm control programme put in place. Organise his jabs.

No rugs, no bucket feed, no work and no fannying around making a fool of him.

 

[LD&S]

Get him cut asap and he will soon be friendly. He will need 24 hour turn out when he is cut to keep any swelling and infection at bay. All he needs is to accept his halter and lead politely, have his feet/legs handled in readiness for the 6 weekly farrier visits and to have a good worm control programme put in place. Organise his jabs.

No rugs, no bucket feed, no work and no fannying around making a fool of him.

This and buy Sarah Weston's book No Fear No Force

 

[shanti]

I have arranged for him to go to my friends field with her geldings once he is handled. I am not putting him out without prior handling as I'm worried he won't come back! He won't be rugged.

Honestly it's much better to do little bits each day while he is out in a field (even standing/sitting in the field while he wanders around is great training for a youngster) rather than stick him in a stable and over-handle him. You seem like you are in a hurry to get him working. Are you gelding him?

 

[DabDab]

Yeah, this situation is the reason that it is always far better to get youngsters at between rising 3 and rising 4. It is very hard to provide the right environment for anything younger in the average livery yard or horses at home setup. But, you've bought him now, so your best bet would be to find a nearby stud to livery him at for a couple of years

 

[throughtheforest]

My horse was stabled 24/7 as a colt by some idiot. I'm guessing whoever bought him didnt have a clue because the horse in question now wind sucks and he has obviously been effected physically and psychologically by this. He finds it difficult to grow a full winter coat, has long-term digestion problems and hoof problems too. They are much better outside un rugged with others as company...

 

[popsdosh]

Get him cut asap and he will soon be friendly. He will need 24 hour turn out when he is cut to keep any swelling and infection at bay. All he needs is to accept his halter and lead politely, have his feet/legs handled in readiness for the 6 weekly farrier visits and to have a good worm control programme put in place. Organise his jabs.

No rugs, no bucket feed, no work and no fannying around making a fool of him.

I wouldnt cut him for a bit as the weather needs to be a bit more settled first . He does need turning out when cut but mud and frost would just put me off. It would be a good idea to get a first Tetanus vac into him. If he was mine I would be sending off a sample for worm egg counts before giving him a decent wormer. Its always handy to know what burden they are carrying as it will give you an idea of what the control regime has been like.

 

[jumping.jack_flash]

Why buy a 9 monty old colt, if you don't know what your doing? You should not be lunging youngsters, as your damage their soft joints that are growing.

And, as someone else said, geld him. Being an entire in the wrongs hands is a miserable life.

Geld him, enjoy him, but no lunging! X

 

[windand rain]

OP i bet you are sorry you asked now. I do however agree he should be out 24/7 in good company If you are gelding him at some point wait until it is either guaranteed to be frosty for 10 days or the spring but the vet will advise. As above he will need to be out to recover. Handling is a different matter while I used to buy welsh foals off the hills they did spend one night in to be wormed, touched and haltered it doesnt usually take more than that if the are not completely feral. then out with ponies that are easy to catch as they learn more from other horses than you. I then just do the bare minimum in the field put on and take off a head collar maybe once or twice pick up feet etc but basically let him be a horse.

 

[Sukistokes2]

This is what I did with my feral colt when I got him......

He had never been handled, he was 11 months old . He had a halter put on as he was carried onto the box, I released him in to a field with my mare as company. A week later we cornered him in to a stable, he was gelded and health checked by the vet. Over the next few weeks and months I spent time getting to know him and winning his trust. As soon as he learnt that I brought the food and I would stratch his neck he was quite friendly. He was quick to learn about being groomed, he like that. What helped was him being with my mare, who mothered him and looked after him and showed him the ropes. It would have been nice for him to have had play mates but it was not possible. I had a RA in to help with leading, he was led out to and from differnt fields with the mare. This was all he did until he was three. I then taught him about tack and other things going on and off him. At four he was backed. He is now a kids pony.

If you let him go in a field you might not get hold of him for a bit but he will come around. My pony was not rugged until he was five. Only after he was clipped for the first time.

 

[Cortez]

If you are seriously considering using a rug on a healthy, unclipped feral Welsh pony, not to mention not turning him out with others, then I don't think you do know what you are doing with him.

If it will lead, tie up, let you touch it and have its feet picked out, that is all it needs as far as training goes for a while yet.

He will also need to be out, with suitable company.

This ^^^ And no, you don't know what you are doing.

 

[pennyturner]

Some good advice here OP. Definitely dont' rug, and don't stable. Turn him out, and use the season to your advantage; the grass is crappy, so if you leave a headcollar on him, he will soon be coming to you for a bit of carrot, and you'll have his trust.

Things you can teach him whilst he's still small (NO lunging - you'll damage him):
- Tying up quietly with a hay net whilst you brush, pick up feet, lift tail etc. By all means pop a numnah on and off to get him used to the idea.
- Leading, turning, halting in hand. You can introduce voice commands as you do this, which will help him later.
- If it is safe to do so, there is no reason why you should not take him for walks. He will find this interesting, and associate being caught with going out to see the world, avoiding the serious separation issues that many ponies suffer from. He will see and get used to lots of scary things this way, which will make him a safer ride when the time comes.

Most of all, geld him, and enjoy watching him in his field, being a horse.