Tell me this behaviour is normal.....please!

[bicky]

I kind of know the answer to how I'm feeling but need to ask all you peeps as I'm having a slight flat spin!

Teddy is nearly 11 months and I've noticed how ultra confident and cocky he's becoming. Nothing too bad, although all 4 feet are leaving the ground quite a bit at the minute. His routine remains the same and my handling is consistent....he's now used to his dually headcollar and we've been trotting him up in preparation for his first show next Sun (5th June).

I had a friend visit recently who immediately said she thought he had a sly look about him and would potentially always have an 'unpredictable' streak. He can show the whites of his eyes and he doesn't always act the way I would like but......he's 10 mth old! It has, in the past, been difficult to pick his feet up and he doesn't like being alone.....but he hasn't kicked out for ages and I can now graze them seperate....albeit he can still see kinzzy. When he's in his stable, he's got his mirror and loves it! He has started chewing things which he never did but it could be his teeth. Leading him to his field, he's started to rear, buck and basically prat about.....I stay very calm, wait for him to stop and walk on as normal....rightly of wrongly. On the plus side, you can groom him all over, spray him, do his feet, weigh tape him, rub plastic bag all over him and I generally feel safe to do all that!

I've owned young horses before (kinzzy for one) but never had a foal from birth.......is he behaving normally? Does my friend have a point....I was rather shocked that he gave that vibe off straight away! Anyone with youngsters please let me know what you think? He always comes up to me in the field for a scratch although I'm not sure he's totally bonded with me yet!

[bimba]

I think it's normal, TJ and I still go through phases of falling out over everything I ask him and then all of a sudden it just stops. I think by remaining calm and following routine you're doing the right thing in that you're just reinforcing in his head that behaving like this doesn't actually achieve anything and is therefore pointless. I know he's still quite young but maybe he's starting to produce testonsterone which can have a massive impact on their behaviour, TJ became the devil pony until he had his knick knacks off and was rearing, biting, squaring up to Mac, lashing out, the full works but he's never been that badly behaved since - I reckon when they're young it's just a bit much for their little brains to handle!

[CityLights]

all normal dont worry and just casue he is giddy now doesnt mean he will be a pain in the future or being calm now doesnt mean he will be in the future either, he is probably chewing casue of his teeth but check he is getting everything he needs in his diet, vitamins and minerals etc, he is possibly giddy casue he is trying to play with you casue he doesnt have another baby horse to play with does he? and kinzzy im guessing isnt the most playful with him, but your doing the right thing just ignore the behaviour and he will soon realise its boring and your not a play thing, foals take a long time to bond though anyway i think so dont worry if your not totally clicked yet and babies can alck a bit of personality,

[Zeitgeist Mom]

Originally Posted by bicky

I had a friend visit recently who immediately said she thought he had a sly look about him and would potentially always have an 'unpredictable' streak.

What a beastly thing to say! Some friend. Touch of the green eyed monster perhaps?

I would say that is perfectly normal behaviour for his age. Generally any horse that is unpredictable or 'sly' would have been made that way by humans. I've yet to meet a horse that was just downright nasty, despite a good, kind upbringing. Horses are not naturally nasty or vindictive. they only become that way do to bad experiences. The nice thing about having a horse from a foal is that you know he doesn't have this type of hang up.

Youngsters can be very difficult to handle, but it is not due to any lingering genetic 'bad' trait. It is just about being a baby, and learning their boundaries. I think your friend is just trying to appear like she knows something about horses and is showing off. Personally I think she sounds downright ignorant.

[Bek B]

Sounds typical of a young male horse.

As long as you remain consistent and determined he'll soon begin to learn that the antics are a waste of energy.

[fairyfeet]

Its typical of any young horse male or female, and might get worse before it gets better I'm afraid. You still have the 'terrible twos' to come.
All they are doing is exactly what kids do, pushing the boundaries to see what they can get away with.
In a herd situation they'd be put back in their place by the older mares, taught herd manners etc.
Firm consistent handling, not letting them 'win', but kindness not force is the way to go.
Ignoring bad behaviour and rewarding the good, works fine as long as its not dangerous behaviour, that needs to be stopped immediately.
You sound as though you are doing fine so don't worry to much, its all natural.

[bicky]

Thanks folks, it makes me feel much better than you lot also think its normal boy stuff. He was gelded very early, 5 months old so he behaviour isn't related to that. He is fed suregrow, good grass, rockies 5 star lick and is out 24/7. Some part of the day they graze apart and for the rest they are together to groom each other, play (if Kinzzy lets him) and eat!

[Jill]

What would we do without our friends, eh? They always know the right thing to say to make us feel better, never give advice unless it's asked for, and if they can't find something nice to say then they don't say anything at all!

Ditto the above, and perhaps she could explain exactly what she means by a 'sly' look? Does she always attribute human feelings and behaviours to animals?