Yearling behaviour?

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domane

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Please can someone advise whether this is normal behaviour? I have a 13hh hairy coblet who has just turned a year old. He's been with me 4 weeks so we're still very much getting to know each other.

He's been handled, leads well, ties up and doesn't mind being groomed. Will follow you around in the field so he's very sociable, happy to be petted anywhere on his head except his ears and prone to nipping/mouthing a bit too (previous owner hand-fed treats, I've stopped this practise though from day one!). Not too keen on feet and legs being handled yet but we're working on that. He was gelded 3 weeks ago. I brought him in today, tied him up for about 10 mins and did a quick groom, quick pick of of feet and rubbing hands down legs (not that keen on brushes there yet). I'm very conscious that baby's have short attention spans so he went into his stable, loose, to eat a small token feed. He gets fed in one of those recycled tyre bowls and he paws at it and sends it flying so ends up eating off the floor.... hence going in his stable - bit more contained! I remember my previous yearlng doing this, pawing the ground a lot so I'm not altogether worried.

Brought him out and tried to apply a little cream to his muzzle. Have done this a couple of times before and he's objected slightly but today, with no warning - whoosh! He went vertical... hooves in line with my shoulders!!! I growled at him and carried on applying the cream and up he went again. Now... obviously I am going to re-think this process and take it back a few steps but I just wondered whether a yearling rearing as an objection/evasion is "normal" and something they grow out of, or whether he's unusual? I don't ever remember my previous coblet rearing so today was something of a surprise, but I'm not hugely concerned as he's very young.

Anyone have thoughts/advice/experiences to share, please?
 
Oh yes. Yearlings are stroppy little blighters. When mine was that age she took against having her mane brushed and tried that trick at every oppertunity. I always carried on brushing her mane and she always gave in eventually.

They are getting older and testing their position in the pecking order - they want to see if they can be above you.
 
Well that's a little more reassuring thank you :) I will admit that I really wasn't best pleased with him and frog-marched him back to his field purposefully, grumbling all the while under my breath... I think he got the message because he actually trotted along behind me, meek and mild, first time he's trotted in-hand. That's what made me think he was testing boundaries rather than being truly "scared".

The irony with this is that I've been trying to teach him to trot alongside me and he hasn't sussed it at all so it turns out that the secret was to get mad!
 
Ah good, sounds like he got the message!

Oh how I remember those wonderful yearling days!!! :D As long as you are consistent and firm you'll be fine. But don't let your guard down - yearlings are apt to surprise you with some new 'trick' when you're least expecting it. They keep you on your toes, that's for sure. :)
 
My 22 month monster has suncream on his nose and first few times didn't mind but after the 4th day moved his head around so much that more went on me than him so i switched to the sun sticks which you can use on kids and cheap as chips on Ebay and he doesn't mind me putting this on him...in fact he tries to eat it before it gets to his nose!!!

I've had him since he was 12 months and he's only reared once when leading him in from the field one night but i managed to smack him on the tummy which is a vulnerable spot and 3 sharp pulls with the lead rope... he hasn't done it since.
I read about it in a Robert Maxwell how to handle a youngster book...never thought i would need to use it but it's a reminder that youngsters are unpredictable.
 
AengusOg said:
Any horse which is held against its will is likely to rear.
Click to expand...
Er.... is that comment aimed at me? If it is, then I remind you - he reared... hooves up by my shoulders..... hardly being tied down or "held against his will" or he wouldn't have been able to achieve that! Yes he was wearing a headcollar and yes there was a lead rope attached to it, the end of which was in my hand... he's a baby horse and had just been led out of his stable. Does that count as "restraint"???
 
Sounds as if you're doing a first rate job with your baby. Just thought this might help - 2 years ago I took on a 14.2, 12 yr old rescued gipsy cob mare. She was close to death from ragwort poisoning but she was brought back from the brink. But she will always burn badly in the summer sun due to acute photosensitivity so she was stabled during the day - but she still needed suncream on when she was turned out at about 5 or 6pm. The first time, she decided that I was trying to rub sulphuric acid on her face and stamped about in a terrible huff. The solution was to let her move wherever she wanted to, within her stable that is. I just followed her quietly wherever she stamped off to, loose lead rope in one hand and a puddle of suncream in the other. After stamping about with her "NO" face on for a bit, she would settle enough to sniff the puddle of suncream - which was a bit warmer by now from being in my hand. Then she'd finally let me gently smear it all over her muzzle. Whole thing took about 2 mins max after we'd sorted out how she felt comfortable having it done. Hope this helps x
 
LOL, if you think yearlings are bad, just wait until he turns 2!!

They are a bloomin nightmare at times, just like kids.
But, carry on the good work, count yourself lucky he isnt bigger!

My lad was a 15HH yearling and didnt he just know it! As for rearing, he punched me in the boob!!

Hasten to add, hes a very well behaved 3yr old (giant) now.
 
Naughty boy! Most seem to have that stage though, even the quiest ones. Piper tried it once and got such a *******ing he never bothered again.

He may not try it again now it didn't work, but the growl may not have been enough to put him off. Next time I'd give him a right *******ing then the second he's back down, continue doing whatever you were doing as before: not only will it make rearing unpleasant, it also don't achive what he's wanting (the suncreaming it stop). I've have a 'temper tantrum' rearer before (adult horse) and it's probably how she 'learnt' to rear - she did it once, it got the response she was looking for (i.e whatever she didn't like stopped - quite possibly suncreaming in her case, as she had a big pink nose) and jotted it down in her book of tricks.

On the suncream front - do you use normal human suncream? Only it smells horrible to horses and shoving it right on their nostirls isn't very fair. Piper hates it too (he normally gets horse sunblock (Gold Label Sunguard is dead good) and stands like an angel ) and makes a fuss about having it on.
 
ahhh, the evil nose cream. My share is 17 and has just started to stand on his back legs when the suncream comes near him. He's a bit different though, as he should know better, so he gets a smack and shouted at. Then he sulks and stands still. (yep, what do you think to that 'AengusOg' ?!)

If he wasn't nibbly, i might suggest a little treat when you put the suncream on, but that might not be a good idea with your boy, so i'm no use i'm afraid!
 
If he was only gelded 3 weeks ago he's JUST starting to feel a little less sore - but is probably still a bit suspicious of anything you do to him (remember what they did to me LAST time!!)

Be sneaky with the cream -put a bit on your hand and then rub his face and nose with the back of your hand until he is happy, then turn your hand over and 'splat' it on. That's if he HAS to have it.

I would be inclined to do as little as you HAVE to with him for the next 4-6 weeks - and ONLY do easy things. AVOID confrontation that might lead to a fight and concentrate on the positive. Also remember that you will probably STILL get coltish behaviour. Just because the testosterone is no longer there, doesn't mean he suddenly forgets the behaviour that it fuelled! Coltish behaviour is CAUSED by testosterone -but it is also LEARNED behaviour - it has to be UNlearned!

So - basic handling, be firm - but fair! Let him know what is unacceptable, but don't expect him to be perfect overnight, and don't be TOO hard on him if he's naughty. He's in a new place, in an 'altered' condition, and you need to build trust as well as discipline!
 
Thank you all for your comments.... it's very reassuring to know that it's not just him and that the rearing can be a baby thing that hopefully he will grow out of. I've not attempted to cream his nose again - yesterday both the boys spent the day in their stables as it was just SO hot. The irony is that for such a pink muzzle, he doesn't have the first inkling of any sunburn yet!!! I may well invest in a fragrance-free sunblock stick and gradually attempt to introduce that instead.

In the meantime I'm concentrating on building on things that we've already started in a positive way... he's really improved with picking up his feet in the past few days and I'm so OTT with the praise that it's a bit embarrassing if any other hoomans are around, but it seems to be working so I don't really care!! I'm trying to use the principle "praise the good, ignore the bad" (providing he's not endangering my safety). I do feel that he's starting to settle a bit more now, possibly due to his hormones but thanks again for all your helpful comments and advice.

This is the cheeky wee boy, btw:

MeetingAlbi16thMay2010012.jpg


MeetingAlbi16thMay2010014.jpg
 
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Quote:
Originally Posted by AengusOg View Post
Any horse which is held against its will is likely to rear.
Er.... is that comment aimed at me? If it is, then I remind you - he reared... hooves up by my shoulders..... hardly being tied down or "held against his will" or he wouldn't have been able to achieve that!
Click to expand...

I suspect that AengusOg is merely making the point that it's quite usual behaviour. One of the first things they'll do is go up........
 
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