My Yearling needs alot of training!

[A Yankee In NC]

Hi !

I have not had time to post lately as I have been busy with my new addition...Stuart....my first mini (first horse ever, actually)

I thought that I would share with everyone how things are going.

Well, Stuart is testing the waters just as any young'un. Jumping and biting...behaving badly.

Luckily, I have a patient at our office that owns a horse training facility. Since he comes in weekly for his chiropractic adjustment I pick his brain!

I have had alot of trouble with Stuart biting and he told me to tie him to a wall.....for as long as he fussed ....and then a bit more...then release him.

Well, I tried it this weekend and it worked like a charm! He has been a much better boy since then.

After about an hour and a half he stopped fussing and just stood there resigned to his punishment.

This morning he tried to jump at me and I think that by the weekend I will have to impose a bit more wall time...we shall see.

I know that most of this is due to the fact that he needs to be gelded...but he still needs to learn his limitations.

I am also learning about how to be the "Boss".

Other than the above...he is a wonderful horse and I enjoy him so much. I love to watch him play with his Toys..(a waste basket, an old laundry basket, a few large dog toys and an exercise ball).

When he palys with the excercise ball we both get a work out as I have to run around the perimeter of the pasture area to retrieve it as he pushes it thru the fencing!

I hope to get him a pasture buddy soon after he is gelded. It is true..they are like potato chips....you cannot have just one! LOL

If anyone has any words of wisdom to share I am all ears...getting bitten by Stuart is not fun ...and I bruise up with each bite!

 

[JMS Miniatures]

My concern is that you are tying him up when he misbehaves, does he do fine when he is tied up? Does he know how to tie?

Too me it sounds like he is not respecting your personal space. This is what I have learned and it really helps, get yourself a whip or something long enough and make yourself a hula-hoop and draw it on the ground around you. If your horse steps into that hula-hoop just once try to back him up and using the whip, you youself do not want to get out of your own hula-hoop. If he moves around thats fine, just as long as he is facing you, not his butt lol. I don't care if this boy still has his balls biting and jumping around you is downright disrespect and it probably won't get much better once you get this boy gelded. Also if your boy is pulling and fighting to be tied I would be very concern if he would hurt himself. Every horse needs to learn how to tie, but tieing him up when he is acting up I could just see something bad happen. I'm not there so I can't say he is or not, if he isn't thats great, however I think what I suggested will help out alot in the long run. My yearling he also will test me and sometimes tries to bite me, if I think he is going to do it I bop him on the nose and make him get out of my space. He knows its wrong when he first does it, and he is getting better about it. Only time I tie him up is when he had a good workout where he is pretty worn out and he wants to stand there and be good.

Good Luck!

 

[Sandee]

While I don't believe that tying him will do any harm, I don't think he makes the connection between what he's done wrong and the punishment. I've always been told that horses learn respect for each other and that there is always a "boss" mare. You have to be that "boss"! If he bites (which is one of the THE worst things a horse can do), you should immediately react with a loud NO (or something like that) and a bop on the nose. Not bringing your arm back and flayling around to hit just a quick simple smack. Or better if you can arrange it so your hand, elbow, or whatever part of you is closest just automaticly bumps him the second he bites or attempts to bite. It takes planning and watching but you can position yourself so that as he comes up to bite you connect with his mouth (no love tap) so it appears to him that it was his fault for getting hurt. He'll get the idea - "if I don't want to get bumped I don't get my mouth so close to her!".

 

[AnnaC]

Have to agree with most of what has been said here. I also endorsed not tying him up as a punishment! It is never acceptable to tie up a young horse for any length of time, unless you are there with him, doing things like grooming etc. Has he actually been taught to tie up - it is something that has to be carefully approached - tied to something that will snap in an emergency - rope length absolutely correct in the beginning while learning so they dont either put a leg over it or get their heads down and then come up under it - then there is the correct type of quick release knot to be used. Quite a minefield even if you are experienced in handling young horses IMO.

I think your little man just needs to learn to respect your space, a couple of sharp taps on his nose when he goes to grab you plus a sharp no - this HAS to happen as he goes to bite, no use 5 seconds later!

He will also probably improve if you could get another youngster as a companion. Young horses, like other animals (and children) need others of a similar age to play with, to help reduce all that extra energy.

IMO I wouldn't be asking for any more 'helpful' suggestions from that patient - anyone who can suggest tying up a youngster until he stops fussing, shouldn't be giving advice, especially as he presumably knows you are not yet very experienced with horses.

Good luck with your little man, he sounds just like all young horses - time will help.

Anna

 

[wildoak]

Typical boy behavior LOL. Not to be condoned, but most colts will test you that way. The most determined biter I had finally got the idea when I started working his mouth. Every time he got mouthy, I would rub vigorously in and around his mouth, rub his gums, etc until he said "enough"! Careful not to get yourself bitten of course, but it's a good way to get the idea across without having to whack him (done that too

) It took several lessons but finally he would start for me and the light would come on.....oops I'm going to get that hand in my mouth again.

Jan

 

[Keri]

I agree completely with what everyone's said. My theory: they bite, I bite back. It doesn't take long for them to realize that if they bite, its going to have a punishment. I had a filly that would try and bite me. I had to watch, but as soon as she went to bit me, I smacked her nose and that was it. She's never tried to bite me again. And after she got smacked, I went back to whatever I was doing like nothing ever happened.

I would carry around a hand whip. Lead him around. If he the sort that likes to walk on top of you, lightly tap his neck and say get out of my space. He learns it on the lead, he'll associate it in the pasture. And in the pasture, if he gets close, tap him and tell him to get out of your space. If he becomes more aggressive, then you have the tool to tell him "no." I don't beat them, but they have to know that you are boss mare.

I also tie my horses up, but its not for punishment (although, they would argue otherwise). Tying them up teaches them patience. So they learn to stand still without pawing and not be so nervous all around.

 

[Basketmiss]

You are gonna get alot of answers here-people all being different, they treat their horses different..

Dont turn your back on him. I would say when you first go in give HIM attention, loving on him, rubbing him down, a good ear scratch..

Then go about your business like stall cleaning or whatever.

I know tieing does give horses patience, they learn to stand there and wait...Havent done it for punishment...

If he bites then definently let him know that isnt acceptable! If my boy(gelding) gets in my space or turns his butt to me( not in a threatening way) I always use my hip to swing against his hip, like a horse would to move him out of my space..You could try this if he bites you again, although a horse would pin their ears and bit him back!

Good Luck with him...

 

[Reignmaker Miniatures]

My approach to this type of behaviour has been developed by dealing with a rather spoiled stallion that we purchased a few years ago. He was far too well 'trained' in the game of bite and duck and he LOVED to play it. There was no way my reaction time was anywhere near fast enough to bop him for the transgression so I used 2 things to retrain him. If he was loose and could move away I did what any boss mare worth her salt would do I moved toward him...fast... and made sure my body language told him I was about to EAT him. I would drive him away from me and if any other horse was nearby he was driven from them too. Being kicked out of the herd is real punishment to a horse and I made sure he knew I don't play that game and I don't tolerate it either.

If he was haltered and on the lead (this guy was a real pain in the tush to lead anywhere, he was always grabbing) I did exactly what wild oak described. Grab at me we stop and I will handle your tongue, tug on your lips and generally stick my hands in your mouth more than you like. It worked for me.

As far as tying, all my horses including weanlings spend some time tied everyday (except in the winter) while I am there to supervise them and be sure they are safe. I was taught NEVER tie a horse to anything that will break. Disasters happen when a frightened horse pulls back and breaks what they are tied to. They also will learn that if they don't want to stand there all they have to do is pull back. Better to tie to something that has some give (I use an inner tube to start their training) but is solid and will remain so, and use quick release knots and keep a knife handy in case you must cut the lead.

 

[Marty]

I need horses to respect my space. I'm too old to get the heck knocked out of me by a horse of any size. I do believe in tying up a horse for certain negative behaviors.

No matter which way you decide to correct him, there is that THREE SECOND RULE which is you have three seconds to respond to your horses misbehavior in a negative way. I don't use whips nor do I resort to huge tactics but I do use a variety of correction methods. It's a judgement call on which negative behavior warrents what kind of correction I'd use at that time.

That being said, I do think tying a horse up in certain situations is called for. I am a firm believer in giving a horse a time out period where I do tie them up in the isle way for a bit, attended, where I can see them. It just depends on which situation I am wanting to correct at the time. Tying a horse does have it's place and does aid in teaching them submission if done to correct the appropriate negative behavior. I wouldn't use it on biting however, but I would use it on pitching and rearing and general acting stupid stuff. The punishment needs to fit the crime.

 

[txminipinto]

All are good suggestions and all need to be applied within the 3 second rule so the horse makes a connection. It seems lately I've had more than my share of biters, strikers, and kickers. And those are the actions I will not tolerate in any horse. What I have found helpful is to react to the situation just a boss mare would do. Would she casually punish the offender? NO! She'd pin him or chase him away faster than he knew what hit him. AND wouldn't let him come back until she said he could.

The important thing is to react immediately and make them think they've signed their death certificate. It takes a little time because stallions will constantly test you, but eventually you can get a healthy relationship out of it.

 

[kaykay]

I am a firm believer in making horses stand tied. You dont do it as punishment though its to teach them patientce etc. I never leave mine while tied but I do not brush them etc. The whole point is for them to learn to stand quietly without pawing and throwing a tantrum. Never untie them unless they are behaving or you train the opposite of what you want.

Once ours are halter broke the next step is standing tied

 

[Katiean]

My colt was trying to be boss when it came to feeding. I just make a noise and raise my foot backwards to him because he is behind me at feeding time. By the first time I did that he took off. Now he moves back if I think he is too close. I give him the same actions a horse would do if they want more room. He bit my niece and she bit him back right away and he has never bit since. Try some horse actions on him. My colt is still intact and is a perfect gentleman when it comes to giving me my space.

 

[AnnaC]

I think I may have worded my earlier thoughts on tying horses up rather badly - that's my thoughts badly, not tying horses badly LOL!! See how easily I get confused OH!

As the youngster in question is a yearling and, I'm presuming he hasn't had a lot of training yet, I was trying to point out that horses have to be taught to be tied up. In the posting it sounded as though the advice given was 'if he's being a pain just tie him to a wall and leave him there'. I just wanted to point out that not only could this be dangerous, but it had no point as the little chap had no idea why he was tied to a wall and left for so long.

My saying that at first he should be tied to something that would give if he had a panic stint, did not mean that he should be tied to something 'solid' that would break, but that something like a thinned down piece of string should be tied to say a stable ring, so that the string would break if he should panic and slip over before a novice owner had the time to grab the quick release rope or find something to cut said rope with. We all know that to have a horse that ties up happily and quietly is one of the best qualities you can have in a horse. But he has to learn to do it.

I like the idea of the rubber inner tube, it has that bit of extra give to give 'leeway' should anything go wrong.

My ideas were really directed at the novice owner with a young inexperienced horse. The more experienced folk on here would be able to watch the horse and read its body language, and thereby forestall any silly or dangerous behaviour.

Some really good sound advice is coming through on these postings, I'm sure it will help!

Anna

 

[A Yankee In NC]

Thanks to all of you who had a bit of advise!

Every single word of help is appreciated.

Note: I did not leave Stuart unattended while he was tied..I was raking his poo out of the pasture area and was never more that a few yards away.

I will re-read each reply and try to apply your helpful hints in my efforts to get him to behave well.

Thanks Again!