# Coltish Behaviour?



## leanne1122 (22 May 2014)

Hi, 
I'm just looking for abit of advice about my soon to be 1 year old colt, he has very suddenly become naughty. I've had him since he was around 5 and a half months old, for the first couple of months he had to live in his stable and was good for the most part. He would go through phases of being naughty, nipping and bounding around the stable with me inside. But this was all sorted once he had been turned out and he released some of his energy. From around the middle of april he has been living out in a winter paddock on hay and has been golden for the last month. On sunday evening he got moved into a new summer field, this field has really long grass, literally up to my knees. On monday when i entered the field he went to nip me and then when i shouted 'no' he reared at me. Later that day he pawed at me and reared at me a further two times while in the field. I didn't back down or move, i simply shouted 'no' at him and he ran away from me. Wednesday he got brought out of his field and taken down onto the yard, he was good, had a groom etc. When it came to time to lead him back to his field he was fine for about 3/4 of the way. He then tried to nip me, when i shouted 'no' he continued to rear multiple times at me and in the end i ended up walking him round for around an hour until he calmed down. Repeating the same process over and over again. Once he had walked round calmly he got put back into his field. He's biting everything in site, leadrope, headcollars and wooden posts. He isn't putting his ears back or anything so I'm not sure if he thinks I'm there to play? In no way do I think this behaviour is acceptable, I'm not there for him to play with. He seems to become more and more frustrated the more times he is shouted at. Today my boyfriend went into the field and he reared at him and was pawing, at which point I gave him a whip to hold out infront of him to not let the colt get too close. This worked amazingly well, he stayed at a distance and later we went up to him. Ensuring that we went into his space and not the other way around, at this point there was no biting or rearing. He is not fed any hard feed and this sudden change in personality has only been since he got put onto the rich spring grass. Could this just be a phase like the others? He is still whole and will have to stay this way intill autumn as summer is in full swing at the moment. I'm just looking for people's opinions on what this is and if anybody has had the same type of experience? Any help is appreciated, thank you


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## leanne1122 (22 May 2014)

I feel like I should also add that the colt does have a mare in the field next to him but isn't showing any signs of being interested in her.


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## AengusOg (22 May 2014)

This is perfectly normal behaviour given the circumstances and that he is a colt.


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## Char0901 (22 May 2014)

Is he turned out alone? 
I know you said he has a mare next to him, but he needs pals to play with.
Maybe he's bored if he's alone. And when you come along, its play time.
Imagine not talking to anyone for an entire day, when you do speak to someone you'll be chatty as hell!
My boy is 1 and is turned out with another yearling, his 2 year old half brother, a 3 year old mare and an older school pony. I have to say I'm surprised how much they actually do play.


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## Pinkvboots (22 May 2014)

He must be so bored on his own, and its about normal for yearling colts to be naughty, mine spent most of his time on his back legs when being led just got used to it in the end, he never tried to hurt me just liked rearing, once gelded never reared again being led.


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## Alexart (23 May 2014)

Poor foal being stuck in a stable for so long!!!  Sounds like a very bored baby to me who needs buddies to play with to burn off his excess energy, youngsters need to socialise to learn to be normal horses and how to behave, isolating one on it's own is the worst thing you can do and will only end up in a battle the bigger and more frustrated he gets as he obviously sees you as something to play with!  I hope you have a 6ft fence between your colt and the mare or he'll either get over it and cover her or get stuck trying and potentially badly injured trying to get to her when she comes into season, or she'll kick the hell out of him, maybe find a stud for him to go to to be with a bunch of other youngsters and adults?


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## Sandstone1 (23 May 2014)

He needs friends to play with!  Young horses need to play and also need to learn manners from other horses. Get him some mates.


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## twiggy2 (23 May 2014)

is there a reason he is still a colt?

and is he turned out alone because he is a colt?


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## leanne1122 (23 May 2014)

He's still a colt as he has only dropped one ball at the moment. I'm hoping he'll have dropped the other by the end of the summer. 
He's not on his own, he's in with another gelding. The mare is in the other side of a 5ft electric fencing.
Which he respects. 
He was in the stable as he came to me unhandled, stayed in his stable for around 3-4weekd then had daily turnout if the weather was good enough. He would stand at the gate neighing if it was raining or too muddy.


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## Sandstone1 (23 May 2014)

I would try to find a couple of youngsters to turn him out with. He needs to learn he can't play with people but he will learn from other horses. Also it will help to have him fielded asap once he's ready.


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## leanne1122 (23 May 2014)

There are no other yards in my area that will accept a colt, If he was gelded I could move him. I'm only on a small yard with one other gelding and mare, so more than one gelding for him to play with Isnt possible


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## HBM1 (23 May 2014)

He is trying to play with you as he would another youngster. He does seem to  listen when you reprimand him though.  Mine would always take a sneaky nip when I was leading him out and not paying him attention.  Colts nip.  Until he can be gelded, can you find him a colt livery somewhere?


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