New member with yearling - convince me NH is best !!

[Toffee_Monster]

Hi everyone:p
I'm Toffee_Monster, AKA Nat, and im new to this board but have seen some good advice so far (been browsing for a while) and so thought i'd join and ask for some advice for my yearling, Toffee.

Ive owned my yearling filly for 2 weeks now and whilst she's been well handled and is not scared about much at all, its clear that she thinks she has the upper hand with humans.:mad:

She will lead nicely (apart from trying to eat the rope constantly) and will now back up when i tell her (i followed kelly marks "perfect manners" for this). She will now pick up all feet for me and stand (9/10 times) nice and quietly for me. She has learnt to have her feet washed and is happy for the hose to be on front feet (but not yet hinds) and ties up like a diamond. :)

However she hogs the gate (plenty of grass in field and she has 2 good friends but isnt too joined to them that she wont leave the field alone) and tries to barge out when i'm getting my other horse , Molly, in to change rugs, etc. And today she tried to herd me up :eek:.
I took the other girls rugs off and as i walked back down the field with the rugs toffee decided i was a rug montser and was trying to scare me off - told her to bugger off but she kept running round me shaking her head around. I really had to keep my wits about me as it was as if she was herding me up and she kept bucking - Naughty pone.
In the end i'm afraid she got a right telling off and i shoo'd her off with end of rope and as a result she proceeded to gallop round the whole field with tail in the air and bucking all the way - soon to be put back in her place by Molly.

Now this is certainly not something i want to happen again and whilst a few people have suggested join up / NH, i wodnered if you could give me some info to covince me that this would work for me and Toffee :rolleyes:

Thanks in advance
Nat xx

[Bay Mare]

To be honest I'm not going to try and convince you because everyone has a different way of working. As a youngster I would be working on basic manners and basic handling, the rest of the time I would want the foal to be a foal. Personally (as in what I would be doing) I would be doing some basic clicker exercises but only for very short periods of time and also basic handling.

It sounds more like she's playing rather than trying to exert her authority over you or being 'naughty'. She's still a baby, it's what babies do :)

I wouldn't, however, wanting to be even considering 'Join Up'. It's not something that you should or need to do with every horse and certainly not a foal.

Do you have someone around who's experienced with youngsters who can help you?

Good luck with her :D

[shandy84]

It does sound like she's playing also if you get tense it'll be more fun for her.

Is this your first youngster, my first one was quite an experience :)

[pengapenga]

Hi welcome to NR:)

It sounds like she was playing with you, which is not something you want to do as they can give a mean kick!

Work with the ground manners as you have been doing. Walk in the paddock with a lead rope and swing it round if she gets boisterous again. Also when in the paddock ask her to back up and give you space.

I have a little filly and she knows her place with me but will try and play with my daughter, so I have been really strict on my daughter being in the paddock and have taught her to move the horses legs without moving hers, if you can do this you are showing her you are higher up in the herd than she is.

She sounds like a character:) We would love to see some pics:)

[Toffee_Monster]

Thankyou guys
Yes its my first yearling (well she's nearly 2 actually), ive had horses from 2yr olds though so have done the handling stuff before, and Molly y other horse is welsh and weve always had to re-inforce ground manners to her :rolleyes:
YO has had youngsters aswell so is helping me out.

I am letting her be a baby, she is a baby for 23.5 hours per day ! But i really do think thats its best to do handling at this stage which will give her a head start for later years!

I know its probably her way of playing but its still not ideal and not nice to have to worry when in the field. I will continue with her ground handling and taking a rope in with me - i did that this morning and flicked it at her quarters when she ran around me and she soon got the picture

She is a real character PP :p There are some tiny logs scattered about the field and she aims at them when stretching her legs and loves popping them. She also loves the hose and tries to suck it when you fill up the water buckets (see piccie 4)
Anyway heres some piccies for you

http://img4011.photobox.co.uk/08011545f038e776e4db0e2d8f5f93c6a5e18ecf8a922bcd9de1b20e21a02175bf42fda8.jpg

http://img4011.photobox.co.uk/38742265bc3a515fc06dd73072271e0bd397e954771776d47a10119e2e9c00a243d115f6.jpg

http://img4011.photobox.co.uk/40731814603575dc7a37fb216806d62ff22bf836757e55fae4af420d369563ec552b979c.jpg

http://img4011.photobox.co.uk/6646365976724e213270d961f35e4a4bf46352fac7fa5fd8949399bf9b2ce6437ea462d6.jpg

[pengapenga]

TM she is lovely:D she has mischief written all over her:)

Good luck with her.

[Lovejoy]

Teehee - what a pretty girlie you've got!! I have a filly and my wise advice is:

1. Get a large vodka
2. Not take it too seriously cos next week it'll be something else.
3. Be chuffed that your wee pone has got a fantastic spirit!!

I used to really worry about every little thing with Squiggy, but now I just ignore the bad and praise the good!

[HorseWhisp3r3r]

Be careful not to over handle her as you will be given yourself a whole heap of problems. As Bay Mare suggested to which I totally agree to let her be a foal. If you can lead her, pick her feet up etc I would turn her away with some horses her age and a matriacal (sp?) or older horses that will teach her horse equitette. Somethings only horses can teach other horses, when I read that horses are playing with people especially youngsters, people may well percieve this as playing but in reality the horse is trying for the upper hand and in the end will try and be the boss and usually will succeed.

Welcome to New Rider and the best of luck with your youngster.

[Ashleymac87]

Hi,
I don't know anything about join-up. But i have been doing parelli with my 3yr old. Pat parelli starts training his foals from the momment they are born. so now is the best time to start working with your horse, the earlier the better.

My pony is very mouthy and has such a great spirit. I have been doing parelli with him since christmas you really have to be patient, for the first time yesterday when i was playing the seven games with him, i noticed a real change, i am starting to see some real progress.
i would say the good thing about parelli is that there is lots of things you can do with you young horse without ever riding. people at my yard have commented on how calm he has got. (he is a very spooky horse).

the 7 games you play with your horse are dominance games, so the idea is that by playing these, games your horse will learn to respect you and eventually wouldn't dream of trying to round you up. your horse will except you as leader.

parelli is not the only way to go, but it is working for me, two weeks ago i wouldn't dream of going into the school to train him alone incase i got hurt. but now i have more confidence in my abilities and i now feel safe with my horse. if you want to find out more check out the website. there is a free dvd you can get from there.

[aeron]

One thing I always try to keep in mind is that youngsters must be allowed to play, but not when I'm working with them... they are free to gallop around the pasture like maniacs, but as soon as I am near them, it's time to get serious (for my own safety and theirs). I keep a rope on me at all times, and that way if a youngster is getting too close or having a fun buck or kick near me, I can send it off. Eventually they learn that this is not acceptable behavior when they are near me. I am starting a youngster on my website and showing the step-by-step progress... don't know if you will be able to see it, but have a try: my website is www.naturalhorsemanship.biz and then click on Flip That Horse! I've put two episodes up so far about a 2 year old un-halter-broke, un-catchable filly. The episodes are also viewable on youtube... seach under my youtube name: Aeronriding, or search Flip That Horse.
Good luck and have fun with it!!

[Toffee_Monster]

wow, thanks, that made good watching
i shall continue to use the end of the rope to frive her away when she tries it then

i'm sure it will come ok, i think she's just having a baby moment an seeing what she can get away with

[wonkeywoody]

I agree with what the others' have said.
In a herd situation she would be allowed to be a foal, same as you wanting that for her, but in the herd she would never be allowed to dominate 'Mum' and certainly not question her. This is what you want to continue with.
I started Parelli to cure my youngsters' dominace of me. It has certainly worked and am kicking myself that I didnt have this 'set of tools' in my box a few years ago...............