new colt

Question
Hi,  My Husband and I have just purchased a mare and her colt.  The mare is very gentle and her colt is now just 3 months old.  We have had them both about 4 weeks.  We have gone out every morning and every evening and fed and brushed them both and walking the mare with a lead rope.  Our problem is that the colt now has started to rear up and kick with her front feet and then turns her back on us and tries to kick with the back feet and then charge at us.  She will then come back and wants to be scratched and petted.  I am now afraid of getting in the fenced area with the colt.  I had no fear before she started showing this behavior.  This has been going on about 1 week now.  Up to that point she (the colt) was ok.  What are your thoughts?  How can we break the colt of this behavior?  

Thank you for your help!  

Answer
Colts, boys, are always more playful than mares.  You refer to the colt as she, a filly is a baby girl and colt is a baby boy.  Just FYI, no big deal at this point, it will be later if you have a male vs. female.  All young horses love to play, this baby is learning how to move, stretch the legs, move and is trying to figure out mom, you and the world.  If you just watch mom with her baby, she will not allow him to kick her, she will bite the crap out of or push him to ground.  It is very important that you do not teach this baby how to push you around.  Scratching his butt teaches him to put his butt to you, not good, scratch him shoulders or neck, not his butt.  The butt can be a threat and is easy for them to kick, you do not want the baby thinking it is ok to put the butt to you, for a scratch or a kick.  

I can tell by your email, you do not understand horses, how they think or the big difference between prey and predator animals.  Read my site as least the first 5 pages, it will give you a better understanding of horses and how they think.  If you think like a human and treat this baby like a pet, you will create a monster that will be unsafe and will hurt you or your husband.  

Read a lot and educate yourself on the horse.  Write back after you read my site if you still have questions.

Rick