Youngsters behaving badly

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Gooby

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Im looking after my friends 1yr old while she is away. She has recently gone on box rest and is normally very fiesty and stressy but now a bit more so than usual. It is impossible to muck her out while she is in the stable as she is so unpredictable so my OH will walk her out while I dash around getting her stable ready. While she is out though she will kick, buck, strike out with her front legs and turn her back end to you. She almost kicked the vet in the head yesterday when he was trying to look at her front leg
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Is there anything we can do when she does this to correct the behavior? We still have her for another week and for a few more weeks throughout the rest of the summer.

Thankies
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tie her up outside! give her a little feed while your doing it to keep her mind occupied, toys, take her for little walks around the yard everyday just to ease her stress and give her some 'fresh air'. hope this helps.
 
I agree, I bet she's just so bored. For now go sweed on a string route or something cheap then when owner is back have a long talk about how you can deal with this, if she has any tricks etc and is she willing to buy toys/ consider changing management like a small pen rather than in a box. I'm just a bit wary about saying do this/that if it isn't your ned, just keep safe for now!
 
Thank you for the suggestions!
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She has never been tied up before otherwise that is probably what I would do! My OH walks about the yard with her and lets her have a bit of a munch on the grass which keeps her happy enough for a while. This dangerous behaviour isn't unusual for her, she is generally like this even with full turn out. We dont have any 'pen' style set ups on the yard, only an outdoor school which I think she would almost certainly jump out of (fence jumping is her favorite hobbie!
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) I think ill just have to keep my hat on for the next week until I can hand her back to her owner!
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Thanks
 
I agree with you both but it would be helpful to know why she is on box rest, not that I am being nosy but if it is a cracked bone problem then the last thing you want is for her to be moved about. A vet will have said box rest for a reason and it should mean just that and no little leg stretches around the yard or anywhere outside of that box. I know it's difficult even when it's your own and for that reason alone, I would say always have someone with you that could perhaps hold her on one side of the box with her bum in the corner then move her over for you to finish off; holding a feed for her could help a lot. You could always think about deep littering her while she's in so you have to be in there less too, it's easy enough to muck out properly again when she's finished her BR but it would be a quicker and safer option for now.
Discretion is better than valour any day, stay safe.
 
The vet has diagnosed it as laminitis but has said because of the way she is we can take her for short walkies on the yard while we do her jobs. Before box rest she was not on any feed just out at grass but as I said she frequently gets stressed and jumps the fence so we have thought it may be this which has induced it? Going in the box with her is not really an option as at any point she could start one of her bucking/kicking fits. Both my OH and I have been trapped in a corner by her (before this) when trying to put her feed in. At the moment we are managing to put a headcollar on her by giving her treats over the stable door and slipping it on while she is distracted. It is because she bucks/kick/strikes out which is why we are having so much trouble. Is there anything we can do to make her understand this is unacceptable behaviour? (before somebody gets hurt . which will probably be me knowing my luck!)
 
I can't understand anyone who does not handle their youngsters or teach them the plain basics of manners; it defies logic because you end up with the situation you are finding yourself in through no fault of your own. Besides which it is very unfair on the youngster because it doesn't understand the boundaries of good manners at all times and will, consequently, be told off for things it does which should have been picked up from day one of its life. It's far easier to teach something the right way from the start than to have to correct it later when she will be that much bigger and stronger so able to retaliate when it doesn't suit her, which is what's happening now. It really was unfair of your friend to leave you with her monster; not only unfair but unsafe for you too, still that's not going to help you just now!
If you have a leather headcollar and her stable is safe with nothing sticking out anywhere then I would leave it on 24/7 until she returns. If you only have nylon, then you can't do that, it's not safe.
I'll probably be shouted down for this but if she was here she would be getting a few sharp shocks and corrected sharply when she started misbehaving. That doesn't mean I would leather her, far from it but I would be fully prepared to correct her quickly and sharply whenever she put a foot out of line. Kicking, biting, barging or misbehaving when led all come into that category and probably my best friend would be a bit of blue pipe! It makes a loud noise they don't like but doesn't hurt them. If I was leading her out and she misbehaved, I'd strike her across her chest, if she kicked out I'd smack her quarters (keeping hold of her head of course. She's a yearling now so quite capable of being bitted which would give you better control. When leading her, keep hold near her head and wedge your elbow in her neck before her shoulder which will give you some brakes and keep her head towards you so she can't reach you with her hinds; if she strikes out at you then strike her across the chest with a loud 'no' and insist she keeps walking. If you do that enough times it might just get through that it's not acceptable!
TBH, there's not a lot you can or should do as she's not yours but you should be able to reprimand her if she's bad, nobody should tolerate dangerous behaviour from any animal without taking steps to guard themselves.
Good luck and give your friend a few choice words when she comes back; it's unforgivable to put you in danger. I'm afraid I'd also be telling them they will have to find a professional yard for her when they're away again, it's very unfair expecting you to cope with such bad manners. Sorry if that comes across as harsh but it's your safety I'm thinking about.
 
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I can't understand anyone who does not handle their youngsters or teach them the plain basics of manners; it defies logic because you end up with the situation you are finding yourself in through no fault of your own.

I'll probably be shouted down for this but if she was here she would be getting a few sharp shocks and corrected sharply when she started misbehaving. That doesn't mean I would leather her, far from it but I would be fully prepared to correct her quickly and sharply whenever she put a foot out of line. Kicking, biting, barging or misbehaving when led all come into that category and probably my best friend would be a bit of blue pipe! It makes a loud noise they don't like but doesn't hurt them. If I was leading her out and she misbehaved, I'd strike her across her chest, if she kicked out I'd smack her quarters (keeping hold of her head of course. She's a yearling now so quite capable of being bitted which would give you better control. When leading her, keep hold near her head and wedge your elbow in her neck before her shoulder which will give you some brakes and keep her head towards you so she can't reach you with her hinds; if she strikes out at you then strike her across the chest with a loud 'no' and insist she keeps walking. If you do that enough times it might just get through that it's not acceptable!
TBH, there's not a lot you can or should do as she's not yours but you should be able to reprimand her if she's bad, nobody should tolerate dangerous behaviour from any animal without taking steps to guard themselves.


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I agree with you 100%

The owner will definately have her hands full if this behaviour is not straightened out whilst the horse is young!

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I'd have been ashamed if any of mine behaved like this - and yes, I did have my rather large 2yo on box rest after colic surgery, which included in hand walking 2 x 10mins (easy for a vet to say
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I'd agree with the others - keep yourself safe, wear a hard hat and gloves, at all times, lead her in a bridle if you can, failing that a lunge cavesson can give more control, use a lunge line, and carry a whip or blue pipe to protect yourself.
To muck out, see if you can borrow a different stable to put her in temporarily, or your boyfriend will have to grin and bear it.
And when the owner comes back, tell her you won't help her again unless she instills some discipline. I think it is important not to let them do anything as foals/weanlings/yearlings, that you don't want them to do as 17hh 750kg adults....
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S
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Thank you for your honest reply! I will send the OH out to find some blue piping in the morning! I dont mind looking after her horses when she is away (she does the same for me) but when she left the youngster was out 24/7 and I was supposed to be checking her over in the field but the day she left she went hopping lame and we had to get the vet out. Thanks for the advise and Ill maybe suggest I come down with her and help her work with the youngster to get her manners up to scratch!
 
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I've never heard of a yearling getting laminitis before.

Neither had I which is why we are thinking maybe its her being quite stressy which has brought it on??
 
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I've never heard of a yearling getting laminitis before.

Neither had I which is why we are thinking maybe its her being quite stressy which has brought it on??

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I'm not sure, but if that vet has diagnosed it as laminitis then...

Even cows have started getting laminitis apparently...
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Oh Im not disputing the vets diagnosis as she had a strong digital pulse in both her front legs but its just seems odd as her field isnt particularly lush grass, she wasnt on any feed and she is a little bit ribby as well. I went on the laminitis trust website which said that it could be stress induced which would fit with her.
 
I'm another than cannot understand why people don't do basic handling with their youngsters
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My youngster is 10 months old now and is handled every day. She may not always go at the speed you want her to
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but that is coming along now. She will stand nicely for the farrier and to be groomed and is safe to be around
 
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I went on the laminitis trust website which said that it could be stress induced which would fit with her.

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oooh didnt know laminitis could be brought on by stress either...

I think I'd be stressing out more being stabled constantly in this lovely weather. Can she see other gee gee's or got any toys to play with and amuse herself whilst she is in?
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You are doing a good job, looking out for her welfare whilst the owners away...keep smiling
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The vet has said she can start going out for short periods next week if she stays sound, however turning her out is going to be a challenge and catching her will be near impossible Ive been told. Yes she can see her field with her 2 playmates in and there is always 1 other horse stabled opposite from her so she isnt on her own. Ive been hiding bits of veg in her stable for her find and put one of those boredom breaker toys in with her. When she doesnt think anybody is there she is very quiet in her stable but as soon as anybody is on the yard she starts thrashing about, clearly wanting to be let out
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