Why is my horse such an a hole?! (a rant)

[Boulty]

Need a rant about my idiotic, ill mannered layabout with all the common sense of a pet rock & about as many braincells!

For those who don't know I bought the fuzzy thug aged about 3 1/2 the Summer before COVID. He'd spent most of his early life amongst other young highlands in a mixed herd & had been well handled. Initially kept him at the yard of someone who backs & reschools horses for a living & he lived with her 3 horses on an equicentral system... This lasted until just before lockdown when we were asked to leave with little notice as he kept going through the electric tape fencing. (For various reasons some of which were to do with him, some of which were to do with the fence). No progress was made backing him in this time as erm well winter!

He then went to live on a large track livery in a big mixed herd until the start of Autumn 2020. He seemed to enjoy himself there & got on well with the other horses but I could realistically only see him once a week due to distance so again not a lot of progress with any work.

He then moved to a yard within walking distance of where I live, settled in well with the 1 other gelding & 2 mares & promptly went off behind / had sore SI area & suspected hindgut issues likely linked to grass flushing (& his desire to stuff as much in his gob as possible). Several visits to the osteopath & physio later plus a few changes of instructor (first person turned out to be a bit flakey & also sent me some rather odd messages) & we were finally getting somewhere at the start of this year. So of course he decided to slice his face open which is on the home straight of healing now! In amongst all this we also discovered he's got bilateral sidebone in front (not lame just lands very laterally which didn't improve with resolution of back issues hence an x-ray fishing trip... General consensus is be aware of but leave alone)

Unfortunately earlier this year the other gelding was pts & a new livery moved on with another mare. She is lovely & the horse is the sweetest most inoffensive horse ever so of course the thug took an instant dislike to her & has tried running her into fences / the pond / hedges. We separated them then he got injured (occurred when he was in with one of the horses he knows already so likely unrelated to new horse) & she was turned out with the others whilst he was on boxrest for weeks & got on fine with them.

After initially going back out with the horses he was already fine with we did a reintroduction of devil spawn & lovely mare & after being awful to her on the first day & making her run laps of the field things seemed to settle down. After several weeks of all being ok they were all tried back together & for about 5 hours all was fine & they were happily grazing together until without any apparent provocation he ran her into the hedge again. Literally no idea why as it took years of owning him to see him even put his ears back at another horse, he's literally always just wanted to be everyone's friend (although in an annoying space invadery way)

Unsure if she's panicking & running into things because she's just trying to get away or if he's actually driving her there (on both occasions it was YO keeping an eye on them). Unsure where we go from here as we can't have them seperated into 2 herds forever but he also clearly can't be trusted without supervision. Ideally I'd like him on overnight turnout in the near future (24/7 isn't a realistic option for him or even in a muzzle he'd be obese... Also I feel he ought to have a break from muzzle wearing every day) but obviously not unless we can find a way forward where everyone is safe. (& No we can't fence the ditches or hedges off question has already been asked, he also doesn't settle on his own so having the other 3 seperate from him isn't an option & the setup of the yard means everything works better with them together)

Why does this horse not understand that it took me MONTHS to find somewhere happy to take a known destroyer of things (he has also taken out an internal stable wall by rubbing his arse on it & has a stable chain as he otherwise knackers the top door bolt through leaning on it) & that if he gets himself evicted again I may have to sell him as he's nowhere near talented enough to be worth this level of hassle (not that I'm suggesting anyone else would want him either!). I'm not in the habit of selling horses but I don't know of anywhere within sensible travel distance that would allow him on if he does ruin things where he is (I looked into about 100 yards last time & contacted about 50... Not up for doing that again!)

Rant over but just soooo pissed off at him right now!

 

[J&S]

He is a highland, from my experience with them as RDA ponies they can be thugs! I can't quite make out if he is properly broken in and ridden yet but if he is, I think he needs a job. I would suggest that working him hard would solve all your problems!

 

[Lois Lame]

Amusing read, Boulty.

If a job fails to instill some manners, maybe he does need to find a home where he's not housed with horses who are not to his liking. I feel sorry for that poor mare.

 

[Caol Ila]

He is a highland, from my experience with them as RDA ponies they can be thugs! I can't quite make out if he is properly broken in and ridden yet but if he is, I think he needs a job. I would suggest that working him hard would solve all your problems!

My Highland is the most civilized equid I have ever met. He hasn't got a thuggish bone in his body. Is that not normal??

 

[BBP]

I had to keep BBP and my new youngster separate for about a month before he stopped trying to murder him over the fences. BBP isn’t remotely the thug type but is a very emotional horse who doesn’t manage change well and for whatever reason just hated the new one coming in. Sometimes you have to accept that our timescales for getting them in together just aren’t okay for them and we have to give them longer apart. In my case the youngster solved it by jumping a 1m20 gate to get into a small space with bbp and by the time I arrived at the end of that day they got on fine and quite like each other. Definitely not the way I would have chosen to do it!

 

[Highmileagecob]

He is flexing the alpha male muscles! In my experience electric fences do not work for heavy cob types. they are either sat upon for recreation or simply ignored. Taking offence at another horse is usually to do with territory and dominance; they are sorting out who is herd leader, quite likely he was lower down the herd pecking order at his other yards. Native breeds need to be in work to stop them looking for mischief! They can be the naughtiest in the herd otherwise - and wait until he learns to take the fence down because next door's grass is greener! Just speaking from experience!

 

[ihatework]

These types are a PITA.
I’d just check he isn’t riggy with a blood test.
Then he can damn well do a lot of work - that usually brings them into line

 

[J&S]

Caol Ila, please note I said "can" be, certainly not ALL are!

My Highland is the most civilized equid I have ever met. He hasn't got a thuggish bone in his body. Is that not normal??

 

[Widgeon]

It does sound like he needs something more productive to occupy his naughty brain....lots, and lots and lots of hacking?? You must be some kind of saint to have contacted fifty yards....very funny post btw, have you thought about monetising the thug via a blog or similar? Perhaps sponsored by some sort of doping supplement for cattle or elephants.

 

[pistolpete]

Oh bless you Boulty! I feel slightly responsible and have much sympathy as my highland adventure has ended in tears in a different way! At least F is friendly! I’m going to PM you.

 

[TPO]

He is a highland, from my experience with them as RDA ponies they can be thugs! I can't quite make out if he is properly broken in and ridden yet but if he is, I think he needs a job. I would suggest that working him hard would solve all your problems!

I have friends with Highlands and have liveried with them in the past. All well bred either showing or working lines and all very sweet and clever!

Give an inch and they will take it. The show ones do a bit of everything to keep them fit and interested and that seems to keep them out of trouble. The working ones do a fair shift lugging stags off the hills so they are too tired for any trouble.

Is yours just out with mares? I used to be a big fan of mixed herds but not so much these days, especially small herds. It might be worth looking for a geldings only yard?

Is he in ridden work now? Might be time to ramp that up and also some brain training. Not a highland but my gelding needs a snooze after 20mins of groundwork (not lunging) where he's had to do a lot of different things.

 

[irishdraft]

Poor you sounds like a nightmare. My answer would be work and plenty of it, by whatever means you can manage, would also help with the waistline issue as well.

 

[maya2008]

I would add to the comments above saying he sounds like he needs to be in plenty of work - even the injuries sound like they are connected to a bored native playing too hard. Difficult to fix now he’s injured himself so much though and had so much time off - is he currently sound? Could you get cracking?

 

[dorsetladette]

I think he needs a job to do. And a job that requires brains as well as brawn. He needs to be mentally and physically challenged to settle him. Try to aim for more mental exercises so he doesn't get to fit. As if he's fit and not mentally tired he'll still play up in the field. Natives are clever little so and so's and the saying 'the devil makes work for idle hands' is never truer than with bored native youngsters.

 

[Boulty]

Sorry for lack of clarity he's only half backed currently... It's been a bit 3 steps forward 2 steps back with the many many disruptions! (& I only got clearance from osteo that his back was in a good enough state to start sitting on him at start of this year) Was just at the stage of starting to establish start, stop & steering with someone walking alongside when he did his latest injury. Hoping to restart things next week now that I've got vet clearance, just waiting for physio to do last laser session this weekend & check for any tight spots. He has done LOTS of walking out inhand, longreining, polework, obstacle training etc in the past year when not off games for one reason or another although not so much in the last few months as at one stage I couldn't even really have a headcollar on him unless the noseband was undone (still not allowed anything any tighter fitting than a loose headcollar for the next 2-3 months but did get the ok to put a bit in again last week although his jawbone is still thickened & has a small dent in it there's no fractures or sequestrum & it's significantly less swollen than it was a few weeks ago)

 

[pistolpete]

Really hope work can start and soon and he shows some signs of growing up. Fingers crossed.

 

[Boulty]

For those interested this is what he did. You could stick your fingers in & touch his jaw bone.


Living the thug life in his bank robbers mask (which he hates)

 

[pistolpete]

He looks lovely and slim

 

[Jellymoon]

I started reading this expecting to feel sympathy with the horse, but he does sound like a total pita!!
Isn’t he gorgeous though !
I think I’d probably sell him though tbh…couldn’t cope with the stress of that, and someone else might have a better set up for managing him and be able to get him working.

 

[honetpot]

I just see him as a pony that needs to know his place in the world, I have had several Highlands, and they are a like a small tractor with a brain, and everything has to be made to withstand their bodyweight. They weigh as much as a horse but because they are so compact they can apply pressure in a concentrated area, basically everything is made to be Highland proof.
I find 'naughty'ponies need to be turned out with a very dominant pony, it doesn't have to be big or aggressive, and it helps if there is some else to play with, so they can use up a lot of energy play fighting. I used to buy in young Highlands with supposed handling issues, and turned out with a boss pony, they toe the line quickly.
You need somewhere with mains powered agricultural voltage electric fencing, and it has to be on full power all the time. They touch it once and they never go near it again, this even with the most determined, but it has to be strung and tensioned. He needs to learn to respect it, that it really going to hurt not just a tickle he can ignore. If they are very attuned they can hear the tick through the line and know when it's low or off.
Where you seem to be has lots of things he can rub on, and they will rub themselves and often not be aware they are likely to cause an injury.
I know you're frustrated, but in forty years of owning ponies, all this is just a variation of normal, and solvable. He looks a lovely pony, and I am sure you will sort it.

 

[Widgeon]

He looks lovely and slim

Ha, that was my first thought too. You're clearly doing lots right OP! Sorry he is so unappreciative....I hope he settles a bit soon and is well enough to start some ridden work.

 

[meleeka]

I started reading this expecting to feel sympathy with the horse, but he does sound like a total pita!!
Isn’t he gorgeous though !
I think I’d probably sell him though tbh…couldn’t cope with the stress of that, and someone else might have a better set up for managing him and be able to get him working.

Me too. I’m usually of the opinion that no horse is just naughty, there’s usually a reason for it, more often that not physical discomfort, but OP your horse does indeed sound like he’s just a bit of a knob. You can’t say he lacks character! ?

I hope you can crack on with turning him into a civilised member of society soon ?

 

[I'm Dun]

I sold mine. I was heart broken in the run up to it, but as he went I just felt relief. He was the smartest young horse I have ever owned but he didn't give two figs about fencing. Post and rail was fine, but otherwise he went over, under or through. He was fine in work, but an absolute nuisance if not kept busy.

His new owners have chucked him out in a small herd and let the bigger adults entertain him and he's very happy now. He needed a job and to be out with others in decent fencing.

As much as I like the breed I would never have another. The worry about weight is enough of a problem, but a significant number are terrible with fencing, and there's more than a few who are thuggy little gits!

 

[I'm Dun]

You need somewhere with mains powered agricultural voltage electric fencing, and it has to be on full power all the time. They touch it once and they never go near it again, this even with the most determined, but it has to be strung and tensioned. He needs to learn to respect it, that it really going to hurt not just a tickle he can ignore. If they are very attuned they can hear the tick through the line and know when it's low or off.

Mains worked for mine, although he went along it several times a day testing it with his whiskers! It was like containing a velociraptor some days!

 

[tristar]

of golly, please sell or give him away

love to hear you are having some horsey fun in the near future!

 

[Squeak]

Nothing helpful to add that others haven't said better, just wanted to say he's gorgeous

 

[Boulty]

Completely agree with the comments that in an ideal world he'd be somewhere with correctly tensioned & maintained electric wire (the track miles & miles away that he lived at during covid were VERY hot on their fence maintenance & he never even tried going through it but I can't find anywhere near as good out my way ... Rotted posts with threadbare tape portioning up postage stamp paddocks is more the norm) but such yards are like unicorn poo & the only one locally that comes vaguely close won't entertain the idea of him. Again in an ideal world he'd have more friends his own age but in the real world as I said most places either won't have him or have fencing I know he'll destroy for fun or keep them in all winter. The absolute ideal for him probably would be a track system with proper permanent fencing but they really ARE a pipe dream here in West Yorks. He does still respect my YOs big mare it's just unfortunate that she doesn't tell him off nearly often enough (possibly because he's now the only boyfriend material around & she fancies him)



Oh & the trimmer, vet & physio all agree with those of you who say he's just a bit of a knob.