5MTH OLD KICKING COLT

Question
DEAR LEIGH,
I PURCHASED A 5 MTH OLD PALOMINO COLT SAT. HE HAS ONLY BEEN SEPARATED FROM HIS MOM FOR NOT EVEN A WEEK. THE PROBLEM IS THAT THE FIRST TWO DAYS HE WAS FINE I COULD  RUB HIM AND LEAN WITH A LITTLE WEIGHT ON HIS BACK. BUT TODAY WHEN I WENT TO PLAY WITH HIM I LEANED ON HIM AND HE KICKED AT ME. I AM NEW AT HORSE OWNERSHIP AND I KNOW THAT HE HAS GOTTEN MORE COMFORTABLE IN HIS NEW SURROUNDING AND IS SHOWING HIS INDEPENDENCE. I JUST WANTED TO KNOW WHAT I SHOULD DO SO THAT HE DOES NOT START THIS KICKING HABIT. I HAVE GOTTEN ADVICE TO TIE HIS LEGS BUT I DON'T WANT HIM TO GET HURT. ANY ADVICE WOULD BE GREATLY APPRECIATED.


Answer
Hi Jennifer, never tie a horse's legs.  This little guy is young and missing him mom.  He is looking for a leader to keep him safe.  You are leaning on him and his survival instinct is to run and protect himself.  Stop leaning him.  If he kicks at you, make him move away from you, put pressure on him, use the driveline and move him, then move him every time he kicks at you FOR NO REASON, the more you move him the more he will see you as a leader.  If he is kept alone this is part of the problem.  He needs other horses to teach him how to be a horse and to make him feel safe.  You can not teach this.  You have taken this young scared, baby away from his mom and security and you have not prepared yourself on how to help him or take care of him.

I will predict that you get hurt, this horse gets hurt and within six months you will get rid of this horse.  Why, you are way over your head and you have not taken the time to prepare yourself for horse ownership.

Not sure what else I can tell you.  You can read my site and it may help you understand horses a bit, but not sure what else to say.

good luck,

Rick