Not getting On With New Horse

[Supercali]

Hi all

I got my cob last Saturday and I knew that he was green in the school but great out hacking.

Anyway, get him home and he is seriously testing me to the point that I am sat here wondering whether to sell him or not!

He is sooo bolshy, bargy, dragging me to the haylage (which unfortunately is stored outside as I don't have a barn).

I have been doing groundwork with him in a NH rope halter and he started off okay but the each day he seems to get more resentful and strong willed and really does not want to do what I ask him and tries to bite or swing his bum at me. I am only keeping these sessions to about 10 minutes.

I tried him on the lunge and one day he was fine, the next day he starts to charge at me with his ears back.

He hasnt actually bitten or kicked and just threatens but my patience is wearing thin now and I admit that I have 'snapped' a couple of times and shouted at him - I feel really guilty for this.

When you tie him up to groom or tack him up, he won't stand still and I found out today thta he is terrified of the hosepipe (after I had covered him in suds!) so I tied using a plastic beaker to rinse him off but he just kept running around and wouldn't stand still.

All of this, andthe fact that he is a bully in the field and cornered my submissive mare and was repeatedly double-barrelling her, luckily we were nearby. Poor girl now has 2 bad legs!

Please can anyone offer any suggestions - will it ever get better, because at the moment I don't like him (and he doesn't like me!) but will persevere if it will get better.

BTW I have owned horses for 7 years but they have been well-mannered and loving.

[Denbenj]

Cobs ehh who would have them!

I think its worth giving him some more time.. It seems he is really trying it on!! have you for starters tried leading him in a bridle.. I have to do this with my cob..otherwise she takes the mick and drags me down the lane to the field...

not sure what else to put at the moment I'm sure loads of ideas will crop up on the board

seems he maybe has had no boundries set...and if he is green maybe just dosent know whats right or wrong to be doing..certainley shouldnt be lunging at you ears back..seems he has some serious issues that need dealing with quick?
not sure what else to put at the moment I'm sure loads of ideas will crop up on the board

[dcp]

Hello sorry to hear about your trouble with your new horse. My horse (who is new too) can be a bit bossy sometimes too but not as much as your cob. I am no expert but I have put a few posts on this site about my problems gaining respect from my horse and everyone has been so helpful. Usually when Charlie is bargy when we are walking I make him stand and then ask him to walk backwards. Seemingly being able to control horses feet means your in charge (I think). He gets good at moving back and if he refuses I put pressure on his chest with my finger. I also read on a website that when geldings/stallions are fighting or whatever they rear up and bite each other on the neck. Whoever can pinch the highest part of the neck is deemed more dominent (correct me if I am wrong people). So with Charlie when I'm making him go back i move my arms in the air (to make it look like a rearing horse(?)) and if he resists I pinch him in the top of his neck. We haven't practised this much so I am not sure if it works. This is my first horse so I don't have as much experience as yourself but I hope I've helped. Also try doing some searches on this site about gaining respect.

Good luck I hope it all work out. :D

[eventerbabe]

he's a green (and i'm presuming young) cob. cobs in general can be quite pushy and will test your patience. mine has been doing that for 9 years!! and be fair, you have only had him a week. it can take horses months to settle in. my advice would be to be firm with him, reprimand him when he misbehaves but be quick to give praise when he's good. are you riding him or just doing lungeing/groundwork?? don't let this behaviour put you off riding him.

the kicking thing may be that he's trying to establish his place in the pecking order.

if you really don't like him then sell him, its better for both of you than continuing hating eachother. and remember, a horse is what YOU make it. he may sense you don't like him, thats not doing your relationship any favours.

[Supercali]

I have got a lesson next week with a lady who teaches natural horsemanship skills. My husband has been working with his gelding and I have been using these techniques with my cob, getting him to go back and across and bend his neck.

He will do these things but you can see that he doesn't like it!

I will give him more time - I just needed to get it off my chest and cool down.

I am going to ride him in the menage now but just in walk and to get him more supple as he is really stiff on his right rein. He really resists being lead or lunged on his right rein. He had his teeth done a couple of months back so I don't think that he has a problem with them, unless he is remembering previous pain.

I will try the bridle to lead him out in. Well, here goes.....

[cvb]

er ... so you've had him for max 6 days ? You seem to have done/tried quite a lot in that time ?

I am not saying you should let him get away with everything - you should be setting boundaries and so on as you expect him to behave in the future - but you've hardly had anytime for him to adjust to the change and you two to get to know each other's "language".

Horses take quite a while to adjust to a change (6-12 months) - and he is probably feeling confused and out-of-sorts. You also seem to be trying quite a lot in quite a short time.... think of it a bit like starting a new job, and your new boss keeps giving you new tasks and expecting you to be good at them all :eek: And the same time, you're so busy you haven't time to work out where the coffee machine is, where the loos are, and where the decent sandwich bars are for lunch !

If you take things a little slower, be calm and consistent - that might help a lot ?

[Purdey33]

My horse is exactly the same - although not a cob, but a shire x lol. First few days he was ok but now he is just plain nasty. I've tried just hanging out in the field with him - yesterday he looked so kind and friendly, yet when I approached him it was ears back, tail swishing and then he bit me! :eek:

I'm beginning to think he just doesn't like me :(

I'm inclined to agree with the others (or am hoping) it's a settling in period! Hopefully this is the case with your cob :)

[Jakes Mum]

Sorry to hear you are having problems so soon, it is so disheartening when you have had all the excitement of getting a new horse to have your bubble burst. Hope you don't lose too much confidence over this.
I was thinking along the same lines as cvb when I was reading through your post, so much happening in such a short space of time. Maybe he just needs a bit of time to settle, and build up his trust in you the same as you have got to learn to trust him. What was he like with his previous owners when you went to see him before you purchased him ?
He is maybe just feeling a bit unsettled and hopefully will soon calm down. Try just bringing him in for cuddles and a nice grooming session, or going into the field just to say hello. Take things slow and let them develop at there own pace, whatever is comfy for you and your horse.
Good luck and keep us updated :)

[shirley]

I have had my cob now for nearly 5 years and it took him about 18 monthes to feel settled enough with me to really begin to trust me, but since then we have learnt to trust each other bit by bit. As with all horses they eventually realise they are much stronger than we are and we have to outsmart them and get them to respect us as leader. This time of year with all the new grass coming through and were he has not been out on grass all winter he can be very strong and willful, so for this period I lead him around in chiffney or bridle, whatever is better, as said this will give you better control when leading him around. You can still do lots of ground work with him and I found that grooming him was a great way to gain his trust and he mine. Like has been said take time to chill with him at times and enjoy the ground things as well as the riding.
Do you have ability to put some fencing up between your mare and him? If so do this for a time until they have got used to each other.
Good luck

[horsey1]

I think you should take your time as well, it is all new to him he will be a bit nervous and not sure.
I made much the same mistake when I got my horse let someone at the yard take over she suggested putting his tack on and riding him the day he arrived which I wish I never done he was scared and I got a fright.
I since read in a book to give your new horse a week or so to take in his new surroundings before attempting to do anything like that.
I also think you should maybe tape him off from your mare for a while just in case anything bad happens

[wanabe]

What does the term "double barrel" mean? I see it used here but never explained. Is that where the horse kicks you with both rear hoofs? :eek:

[KarinUS]

What does the term "double barrel" mean? I see it used here but never explained. Is that where the horse kicks you with both rear hoofs? :eek:

you got it... :D

[notpoodle]

id give him some more time to settle in maybe :) could you put him in the field next to the mare he kicked, so he could get used to her sight and smell but not be able to hurt her?

i didnt ride my pony for a fortnight when i got her, and just let her settle and spent quality time with her grooing and walking her round inhand :)

there seems to be a lot of incidents with young cobs getting bolshy these days :rolleyes:

but im sure itll all turn out for the best with you two :)

julia
x

[MuddyCob]

Sorry you are finding things difficult, don't lose all hope :)
Echo what a number of people have said - try leading in a bridle. My cob is very strong when I'm on the ground at times (I have been seen "waterskiing" behind him across the field :eek: ) but changed to leading in a bridle and now have few problems. Regards the NH halter, perhaps he doesn't understand the aids? My friend also has a cob and she tried a Be Nice rope halter, as he is being quite strong to lead at the moment (read greedy little monster!) but he plays up even more when he has it on compared to a normal headcollar or bridle.
In general, he's probably not too settled yet and maybe just needs more time. I moved yards last year with mine, who I've had for 6 years, and he was an absolute nightmare for about 2 or 3 months!! I sympathise entirely!! I'm sure it will get better, keep us updated

[Big Ears]

sounds like how Rosie was when I got her, she hated me and everything. got Val who does Natural Horsemanship to come and help me and we did pressure halter training etc - Rosie has come right and is now very kind and responsive. She did all the things you describe and would hit you with her head and knock you over with her shoulder and bottom - she was a total thug. Now I can move her over with a touch of a finger.

BUT it needs to be totally consistent and reinforced daily. If she leads too freely and gets ahead of me, she get circled or backed up - she knows I go first and that's that. She knows her place now and accepts it - yiou will get there but you have to be consistent with him.

If you could perhaps electric fence and separate him from your poor mare for a bit at least she woudn;t get coerced so much.

[notpoodle]

i know all about the waterskiing :D i now lead to the field in bridle when it involves going on the road or she hasnt been out for a couple of days. id rather go a bit OTT (or so im told ...) by using her bridle than being dragged left right and centre :) angel seems to know that the bridle means business and behaves herself and i can control her with a sharp NO normally :)

julia
x

ps: if he's flying off the handle, try leading in a bridle, with gloves and on a lungeline so you still have a hold off him if he jumps or something :) (and the gloves are to stop you from getting rope burn :) )

[mazda]

I think you should give him a bit more time - his behaviour could be one way of him getting over from the shock of his life being turned upside down :) . But when he does play up ignore the bad behaviour and be quick to praise him when he is good. Always reasure him and be confident but not pushy so that he finds his roots. But remember always reward him for being good. Hope this helps. :p

[Supercali]

Wow! thanks for all your replies. I think I agree with you all about the 'too much, too soon'

I think some of his problem is that he is very stiff and finds it difficult to bend to the left. Today I groomed him and tacked him up in the menage - he was loose and let me put his bridle and saddle on with no problems. I only rode him in walk for about 10 minutes on a loose rein and then got off. I am really pleased with the way he went and praised him lots.

I then took the tack off and sat on the menage nearby and let him come up to me and sniff me. He even licked the dog!

I do feel sorry for him - I was in a foul mood after being dragged this morning! but feel much more positive now.

He has now found his position within the little herd - in the middle. He hasn't bothered my mare since the 'double-barrelling' incident and our other gelding puts him in his place. :D

[KarinUS]

Sounds like he will be just fine once he settles in :)

[Esther.D]

He hasnt actually bitten or kicked and just threatens but my patience is wearing thin now and I admit that I have 'snapped' a couple of times and shouted at him - I feel really guilty for this.


Why are you feeling guilty - he is getting stroppy with you, I would not hesitate to shout at him if I was in your place. Being nice has no place with a stroppy cob throwing his weight about :o :D

Give him the allowance of needing to settle, but personally I would not tolerate bad manners, he has to know where he stands in the pecking order. However you must be scrupulously fair with him and clear in what you want, otherwise you will be getting the opposite effect to what you want. Lots and lots of praise when he does as you want, reprimand if necessary (not violently, just correct him and if he threatens by all means raise your voice). However don't let it get into a power-struggle situation or one where you will end up shouting all the time, be devious, try to make it easy for him to behave as you want and then reward that, try to put him in situations where it is very obviously what you want and it is easy for him to do it.

Do not despair so early on, it will come :) Rupert had appalling manners when he came and now everyone comments on how lovely he is to handle and what a gentle pony he is, and he used to bite people :eek: I found Parelli really helped with him, he had a long learnt issue with handling and people and that seemed to click with him and show him that people could be friends and in charge and he is so much more settled now.

[Esther.D]

Just seen your later post - that sounds much more positive...he is a gent after all :) Just make sure you keep up a level of discipline and make it easy for him to do well and make a big fuss when he does and you;ll be well away :)

[Supercali]

Just thought I'd give you all an update.

Well, he has improved so much over the week. :D I think all the firm handling in the first few days paid off and now I don't have problems leading him into the fields or stable. He even waited this morning for me to take his headcollar off before attempting to eat grass - amazing or what!

I went out hacking on sunday morning with my husband on his gelding and they were both good. We got onto the river bank and my husband said 'I'm just going for a trot' and off he went and then into canter! My little one sooo wanted to go with them but I didn't want to risk knocking my confidence so I held one rein short ad he whizzed around in circles! until they came back.

I have still got a way to go with him but at least it is going in the right direction. I am doing groundwork an a little ridden work. We are working gently on the bend as he is so stiff (from only previously really hacking and not doing much school work).

[Denbenj]

Thats super.. sounds like he now realises you mean business!

Hope you have many happy years together!!.. My Cob was a swine when I first got her now however shes a gem has taken about 2 months for us both to settle into each others ways! but you have done great what a turnaround!!

[Big Ears]

well done, the key is to be totally black and white with him, and consistent. With rosie, I tended to try to place her in situations where we both won, rather than insist on things she found difficult.

she now doesn't complain about anything and is very kind - it has taken time but she has repaid me. we just avoid confrontatoin and go for being scheming and devious to get her to do what I want her to do, as if it were her own idea...

[Loopslou]

I'm so glad things are on the up.

I have Flash my section D cob for 14 years now but within in first 2 years I must have thought about selling her on a million and one times!