When do the "kevin" years begin?

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peanut

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Is 5 1/2 too early for the "kevins" to start? Is it the tail end of the baby phase? Or is it the weather/grass or something?
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Moo is an id x tb and has always been a strong character, but over the last couple of months she's been more full of herself and more of a handful than ever.

She had been schooling really well and my RI has always remarked on how much she seems to enjoy it. Just recently she has started to argue with everything I ask her to do.

Out hacking she is getting quite strong with me. When I ask her to trot she will often break into canter so I have to keep bring her back to trot. When she's allowed to canter (because I've asked for it) she gets terribly excited and can put in some flying bucks. She's also more spooky/silly than she used to be.

Btw, her back and tack have recently been checked.
 
When I got Titan in June last year he was just over 5 and unbroken, so I spent the summer breaking him and hunted over the winter. Since then he's had a bit of a 'catch up' education - showjumping, x-country, showing, pleasure rides, a bit of dressage. He started getting a bit strong and pulling out on hacks this summer and is a lot stronger hunting this season. I think it's partly down to him gaining in confidence and me trusting him more but he will have a bit of 'teenage strop' occassionally, especially when asked to do something hard in the school. He's not one for hard work when he could be stuffing himself in the field!
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Fudge is ten but wasn't broken til late, this year he's definitely had a 'kevin' year! It's almost as if he grunts I don't want to and you can't make me like a real 'kevin' teenger would
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I always think that the 'Kevin' stage happens between 12 and 18 months after breaking. Barney, my Shire was an absolute dream to start, loved his schooling, as soon as his balance in canter became more established ... he started! Its quite funny to see a Shire tanking in canter on a 20m circle and trying to nap at the gate and run out with his shoulder. Has also tried it on out hacking by planting himself and shaking his head in temper
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He's 5 by the way.
 
[ QUOTE ]
Never mind when they begin, I want to know when they end

[/ QUOTE ]

Me too! Have I really got this until she is 10?
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And they say that IDs mature later than some other breeds.
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i schooled a horse for a friend one summer, about a year after he'd been backed and turned away. he was quite sweet for the most part, then it was like someone told him he was 18hh and didn't have to be bossed about by some 16.3 human bean.... he started parking himself randomly and refusing to move. I had one ride where i sat flapping arms and legs as hard as i could for 10 minutes, looking totally like something out of thelwell, complete with someone on the ground trying to lead him forward, before he would move. a few days after that i went for a lesson, had the same problem getting there, a reasonable lesson (where he was an angel) and then he wouldn't leave the yard and the RI had a lunge whip cracking off his behind and he was walking backwards towards it..... he's fine now tho, suddenly grew out of it, almost as quick as it started!
 
Hee hee this post has made me smile. I think it depends on how strict you are in letting them get away with a Kevin moment and obviously on the horses's nature. My boy is 6 now and still has the odd moment but on the whole is much better. We used to have arguements about whether he was actually going to go forwards or just spend his whole time walking backwards.
 
flash had his first 'Kevin' moment on his 5th birthday, had a couple of months being an absolute GIT, I was really wondering what the hell I was doing when he was refusing to go forwards, bucking, napping, doing little rears and spinning, but touch wood he has been ok for about 6 months now. He's too lazy to put much effort into anything, so all his efforts were a little half hearted!
 
I got told that every horse will have a Kevin year before it gets to 8yo... I think its normally around 5 when they ahve been getting ridden regularily for a year or so and are starting to have questions asked of them, they either get OTT and enjoy the challenge or try to run away from it...

My lad is 5 now and does have kevin moments, and my mare is 4 so i'm not looking forward to next year!!!
 
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