Yearling is aggressive with her breakfast. Ideas?

[Cataluna]

Bit of back-story: I have had my yearling filly boarded at a small, local facility since November when she was weaned. The owner is a sweet lady, albeit somewhat lax in regards to discipline. Her own horses push her around a bit, but my filly was well-handled and respectful and since I was out there enough anyways, I didn’t foresee any issues.

My career has become increasingly more demanding over the last 4 months, and I’ve only been able to make it out to work with her once (sometimes twice) a week since probably April. Although I have been feeling guilty about it, I didn’t view it as that big of a deal. I go out to the barn after an early day in the studio, work with her on the regular baby stuff, and she has never put a foot wrong. She’s her usual easy, cheery, affectionate little self.

I find out a few days ago that not only has she bit the BO, but she has actually cornered her in the stall (threatening to kick) during breakfast and while being led outside. I am, the say the least, completely appalled. I have already made arrangements to have her hauled home at the end of the week where there will be some serious bootcamp and Come To Jesus lessons in manners, as I am unable to drive there in the mornings to deal with this at the barn (no time).

I am comfortable and confident with this horse, but as a fairly new person to babies in general, are there any suggestions or tricks you, as breeders, would use with this young mare to tackle this behaviour? She is completely fine with her dinner, by the way. This is only a morning/breakfast issue.

TIA.

[Laurierace]

Unfortunately you probably need a different BO or this behavior may become permanent. In the meantime she either stands quietly or doesn’t eat. Hope you can nip this in the bud quickly.

[alliekat]

This needs to be nipped (no pun intended) in the butt ASAP before it turns into a behavior that can become even worse. We obtained a very lovely mare that was very dangerous about feeding and the first day at our farm tried to run over my mom when it was feeding time. She spent the first 3 months with her ears pinned and would try to bit, rear or kick if given the least amount of leeway. My answer to her was to claim the food and send her to the corner of her paddock when we dropped feed and not allow her to leave her corner till we left the bowl and let her in. She learned right away that she didn’t own the food and to live on this farm there were lots of rules to abide by. I am happy to report that she has done a complete 180. and now she has so much respect. She is a sensitive mare but has learned that she is treated fairly here but we also don’t take any crap either. Your filly is young enough. Stay consistent and once you set her rules and boundaries, do not deviate from them. I find that they all are much happier this way. Good luck and if I can help in any way feel free to message me.

[stoicfish]

[QUOTE=alliekat;6397502]
. My answer to her was to claim the food and send her to the corner of her paddock when we dropped feed and not allow her to leave her corner till we left the bowl and let her in. She learned right away that she didn’t own the food and to live on this farm there were lots of rules to abide by. I am happy to report that she has done a complete 180. and now she has so much respect. She is a sensitive mare but has learned that she is treated fairly here but we also don’t take any crap either. Your filly is young enough. Stay consistent and once you set her rules and boundaries, do not deviate from them. I find that they all are much happier this way. Good luck and if I can help in any way feel free to message me.[/QUOTE]

I would also suggest this. Good luck.

[Kareen]

I don’t even know how such issue could arise? How is she fed? I would think giving breakfast involves little more than to simply put food in feeder for horse, then horse is allowed over to eat and can do so in peace?
If she is doing the stable while filly is eating I’d say that is a not ideal approach . Agree it is probably the best choice to take her home for now. I would however discuss with the BO how she even got her that far? I mean between being perfectly respectful and cornering someone threatening to kick there’s a long way to travel?

[Equibrit]

Let her mother sort her out !

[Jane_Honda]

I tend to think its a baby thing. I’ve had many young’uns and they usually test waters to see what they can do. They have no idea its a bad idea unless someone tells them its not.

The worst one I had was a yearling filly. She started out by ear pinning at feed time, and then progressed to posturing. My aunt was feeding her in the mornings as I was gone to college at that time of day. Eventually, it led to double barrel kicks. She was worse in morning, in evening she would just whirl around and pop her hind end up and down a few times. Then, my aunt finally told me what was going on.

So, I took some time off and devoted back into her training. I didn’t even think twice, but took a short lunge whip into the pen with me at feeding time with my poor aunt watching. Echo tried to kick right away and caught a snap to her butt. She shot forward in surprise and was allowed to have breakfast when she approached me with ears forward. Same with dinner time. My aunt hated the idea of “hurting the poor horsie” but when I explained that its her life or the horsie getting disciplined, she saw the light.

It took maybe 3 feedings, and Echo learned to be polite.

Manners are never an option in my barn.

[Cataluna]

^ You know, that makes sense. When this girl was a foal and began sharing grain with her dam, she’d pin her ears, stomp her feet and make faces if her dam had her whole head in the bucket and she couldn’t grab a mouthful. She was nipped in the chest several times after she began pushing her moms head away with her whole body. So really, none of this is really surprising now that I recall that initial behaviour.

However, I fed this girl breakfast/dinner for a month after weaning before moving her off property, and she never so much as laid an ear back. If you want something done right, you have to do it yourself, right?

Thanks for the suggestions and comments so far. I’m looking forward to fixing this (really :lol:).

[Highflyer]

I find that it’s usually a pretty simple fix-- like someone else said, lunge whip or dressage whip to herd horse into back of stall, and keep them standing there while you dump feed in and exit. And 15 seconds of wrath of god if they show any sort of aggression while you’re in there. Chain shank and dressage whip while you’re leading. Horses are pretty smart when it comes to understanding when they can/ can’t get away with this behavior.

[rodawn]

[QUOTE=Laurierace;6397446]
Unfortunately you probably need a different BO or this behavior may become permanent. In the meantime she either stands quietly or doesn’t eat. Hope you can nip this in the bud quickly.[/QUOTE]

While the manners training is essential, respect does not transfer from one human to another. Each human has to instill the respect themselves. So you will send her to boot camp and you will get her respect for yourself, or whoever the trainer is. Then you will take back to this original barn and she’ll go right back to her old ways, because this barn owner has done nothing to instill respect into your obnoxious brat.

I agree with Laurierace. After you finish the manners training, you will still need to move to a barn where the handlers not only know how to handle youngsters, but aren’t afraid to let her know when she gets outta line. You don’t want her abused, but rather you want her handled firmly and consistently by people who know how to spell out the rules and know how and when to enforce them with proper timing and application.

[Cataluna]

I completely agree. The BO is aware that we will not be returning, I think it would be pointless- this is a smart young mare and I think she and the BO are not a good match (especially after hearing all these comments). It actually kind of works out since I’m moving closer to town in a couple months anyways and this barn would be simply too far to board at. It’s an easy way out, but a convenient one :).