8mo old paint foal

Question
We purchased our 8mo old paint foal 2weeks ago with a 1 1/2 year old QH gelding. The paint is not gelded yet(has not dropped) and he and the QH gelding are very close. We can easily handle the gelding and he has never attempted to bite or kick, but the little paint bit my husband twice the first week we got him. He attempted to bite me on the same day. I smacked his nose and very firmly said NO. There were no other attempts that day. We went this week to spend some time with them and were petting and brushing him while he was eating grain, and he turned to bite. I smacked his nose and he turned and tried to kick me. We decided to not feed anymore until we are getting ready to leave. Also he seems to try and exert his dominance only when the gelding is within site. Once we remove the gelding from his view he is much less aggressive. Any advice that you can give would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!

Answer
Hi Jessica!

CONGRATULATIONS!!!  This will be a wonderful journey for all of you.  Let's get right down to business.  Hitting a horse does not work, especially a stud colt.  I'm glad to know that you will be gelding him asap!  When you hit them you have missed the opportunity to change the horses mind and change the behavior.  The whole archaic notion of hitting the horse within 3 seconds is just a bunch of bunk.  It is very wrong thinking that will get both you and your horse into trouble and destroy a trusting relationship.

Be aware of what happens BEFORE what happens, happens.  Sage words from Ray Hunt!  If you have ever watched geldings at play in the pasture, you will see very clearly the games they play and how rough they are.  My guys daily will nip, bite, rear, and run into each other out in the pasture.  They are boys at play.  They are just being horses, it is what they do.  You, and your husband as the  leaders of the herd don't want to be involved in this game.  When you hit a horse, it is the same thing as saying: "bring it on, let's rumble!"  It will escalate into all out violence.  Never fight with a horse, you will lose, period.  I have sadly watched two different owners head down the path of hitting as punishment.  One man, a builder, chose to slug his gelding in the nose for continued biting.  It got to the point that the barn owners were throwing water on the gelding just to get into the stall.  It made me sick.  Thankfully the very sweet gelding was sold to someone that understood horses and is now a wonderful saddle horse and back to his old sweet self.  AND, thankfully the builder bought a motorcycle.  Just where he needs to be!  The second young lady picked at her gelding until he picked her up by the arm and tossed her down the aisle in the barn.  I always hear people say that this behavior is "out of the blue."  It makes me crazy.  The human set up a fight they could NEVER win.  They did not recognize the behavior on their part that was causing the aggression and did not understand how to stop it.  I don't want this to be your story.  

First, no more hitting.  Hitting is for the human ego and does nothing for the horse.  Be aware of what your colt is telling you and when he is THINKING about taking over, change his mind.  After all, when he is biting you or kicking at you HE is being the leader and taking over.  He is saying you are not as important as he is.  Look for pinned ears, a curled up nose and a hard eye.  This is when I would change little tough guy's mind.  I would send him off with a nip from my lead rope.  I would send him out of MY space.  If you have the chance to watch an old mare or mares in general, they will teach you so much about how to become a good leader.  Think of being around your horses as a dance, only YOU are leading the dance.  When your colt bits or kicks at you HE is taking over and leading the dance.  If you walk into his stall and he turns his tail toward you, NIP him on the fanny...HARD!  Then quit.  Only do what it takes to get the change and no more do NOT pick at him.  If you pick, you lose.  Be all business around your colts, both of them.  Act like the leader, the boss mare.  When you move into their space, do it with a feel that says "BACK up and back off, the boss is in the house!"  You are not mean or angry, just be business like and clear.  Know in your own mind what you are going to do and how you will do it.  

Baby boy pins his ears at you and snarls, send him off.  He shapes up to be disrespectful with tail toward you, send him off.  It may require as little as slapping you leg to make noise, a harsh look from you, or as much as a nip from the end of you lead rope!  Only do what it takes and no more.  If he is a sweetie and approaches with submission, sweetness and curiosity, rub him and pet him all over.  Make it feel really good to him.  Let him know that being around you is a good deal when his is a good boy.  When you see the warnings, pinned ears, hard eye, tail toward you, take care of the problem right then.  Don't allow that behavior build into a bite or a kick.  

Halter him to brush him.  Make that interaction feel good to him not just food and no treats please.  Just feed him good food that is appropriate to his age and stage of development.  If he is hungry, feed him.  Make sure they have and hopefully are living in a pasture where they can run and move and burn off all of that  youthful energy.

These simple shifts in your thinking will make a huge chance in your horses.  Become a LEADER they can trust, follow and believe in.  Leaders lead they don't hurt or bribe.  If I have used terms or concepts that you do not understand or are not familiar with, let me know and I will clarify!

Have Fun!  Let me know how things are going.  Happy Holidays. Smiles, Denise

Hi Jessica...Just a couple more things I don't think I made clear enough...hitting for punishment comes after the bad behavior has already happened and means nothing to the horse.  If you have already been bitten, kicked or run over, it is too late to change anything.  Taking care of the problem BEFORE you are injured is what I want you to be doing.  Learning to see bad behavior before the actual bite or kick is where we are headed.  I hope this helps!  Denise