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Patricia Bell
Member
Username: Boomer
Post Number: 128
Registered: 1-2006
| | Posted on Thursday, Oct 5, 2006 - 4:48 pm: |   |
What kind of exercise is ok for a 6 month old? She's really a temperamental filly and was hoping that some exercise would interest her.. |
Ann
Member
Username: Dres
Post Number: 946
Registered: 10-2000
| | Posted on Thursday, Oct 5, 2006 - 6:30 pm: | |
Patricia, I would not do any forced exercise of a young horse.. let them have 24/7 turn out for 3 years, with some hands on halter training from time to time..
On the first day God created horses, on the second day he painted them with spots.. |
Sara Wolff
Member
Username: Mrose
Post Number: 1731
Registered: 1-2000
| | Posted on Thursday, Oct 5, 2006 - 11:07 pm: | |
I would agree that lounging, at least, is bad for a young horse. However, if you have a good horse to pony from, imo the young horses enjoy "getting out" and seeing things, and it's good for them physically and mentally. |
Diane Edmonds
Member
Username: Scooter
Post Number: 421
Registered: 9-2000
| | Posted on Friday, Oct 6, 2006 - 7:31 am: | |
Hi, Patricia with my temperamental weanling we did mind exercises. Picking up feet, loading in the trailer, long walks down the road and trail, backing up, and standing still. I don't think concussive exercise, such as lounging is good for a youngster. Better to work on their temperamental brain. |
Dennis Taylor
Member
Username: Dtranch
Post Number: 291
Registered: 3-2003
| | Posted on Friday, Oct 6, 2006 - 8:07 am: | |
In my opinion, once the initial halter work and handling is done, I pretty much like to leave them alone to be a horse for a couple of years. An occasional ponying trip outside is about it. Sometimes, I just let them hang out in the arena when I work other horses. Don't know why, or if it accomplishes anything, but fun to play with them a little.
DT |
Chris Doyle
Member
Username: Christel
Post Number: 190
Registered: 8-2005
| | Posted on Friday, Oct 6, 2006 - 9:02 am: | |
Patricia, I agree w/ the rest. Constant turnout for foals with fellow foals as pasture mates that will induce exercise is how I handle my foals.
I handle my foals as little as possible after halterbreaking. By the time they are weaned they do know how to stand tied to have their hoofs trimmed. I do not handle them much at all until the fall of their yearling year.
Keep in mind too that foals have little attention span, they are only good for about 10-15 minutes of training at one time, when they get bored and/or combative its time to quit, of course on a good note.
Chris |
Patricia Bell
Member
Username: Boomer
Post Number: 129
Registered: 1-2006
| | Posted on Friday, Oct 6, 2006 - 1:13 pm: | |
ok, I won't sweat it then. I will let her be a kid. I'm going to put her in with another colt in about a month. I'll just walk her around the pasture area once in a while. She's just kind of mean, pins her ears and turns her butt and kicks at me a lot. She rears too. She is interested in me, she follows me around when I'm out there with my mare. Patience, Trish, patience! I'll keep telling myself that!  thanks guys.. |
Sara Wolff
Member
Username: Mrose
Post Number: 1736
Registered: 1-2000
| | Posted on Friday, Oct 6, 2006 - 2:04 pm: | |
our foal is trying to get you to chase her and play tag with her!
How is your mare with foals? Often turning youngsters out with a patient older mare or gelding will teach them manners better than you can! They'll put up with a little nonsense, then put a halt to it in no uncertain terms.
We used to have an older gelding that was wonderful with foals and yearlings. We had a yearling once that rushed the gate when I came to bring them in. This guy was so anxious to come in he'd about run you over. This gelding watched this behaviour a couple of times; next time he nipped the yearling pretty hard and pushed him out of the way. A great lesson for the yearling, who never rushed the gate again. |
Patricia Bell
Member
Username: Boomer
Post Number: 130
Registered: 1-2006
| | Posted on Friday, Oct 6, 2006 - 2:10 pm: | |
She's with a 13 year old TB mare now. She doesn't seem to pay much attention to her even though Hope follows her around like she's her momma. She did try to nurse once and the mare kicked her and squealed. |
Shawna
Member
Username: Qh4me
Post Number: 195
Registered: 3-2005
| | Posted on Tuesday, Oct 10, 2006 - 5:07 pm: | |
I can relate... I have posted a few times now with baby issues. Kicking, rearing, all the same stuff as you are experiencing. Best thing I did was turn him out with the rest of the herd.
He learned manners and quickly. He is much better today for it. I would think that as soon as you put the other colt with her, she will be better.
The other mare who ignores her isn't teaching her much. I was lucky and had a spunky 3 year old 1/2 brother that I put him with. If the baby reared, he would rear, if he would kick, so would the other, bite me and I will bite you back. I cringed a few time watching them, thinking someone is going to get hurt, but they managed and he learned his lessons.
Best of luck! |
Kami Brooks
New Member
Username: Kamibroo
Post Number: 3
Registered: 6-2006
| | Posted on Wednesday, Nov 1, 2006 - 10:06 am: | |
I have a colt that went through the kicking rearing thing and made a point of knocking him down and back. He didn't have any fear issues and my thought was that at 2mos I can do that to teach him, but at 1yo I won't be able to. He learned pretty quickly and I could see him run up, think a bit, then stop. When this happened, I'd do my best version of playing (kind of free lunging him around his mom, dodging back and forth).
All was well and good until 4mo, when his brain cells slipped and he ran up and reared up against me... again I shoved him off with a sound smack on the butt and made sure he knew it was not okay. He's not done it since and we are still good friends. Next week, I'm finally getting another colt for him so he will have a playmate and hopefully they can bounce against each other to their heart's content.
The point I wanted to make was that the rearing, kicking thing is something that I would not ever ignore. Its better they learn NOT to do that now then have to teach it to a yearling or adult.
Kami |
