Okie Dokie, I just joined, but I really need some advice. Bigtime. Help. Like, now.
Upshot: my husband is just so ready to get a horse. We live in a horsey neighborhood, and our next-door neighbor is a breeder of Registered Appendix and Quarter Horses, so he generously offered us a chance at his five-month old full-blood Quarter Horse colt. He's a pretty boy with papers, and everyone we've brought in thinks he's dandy.
Because of the drought, mom's looking a little poor, so the decision was made to wean him now. He's in a round pen with mom able to reach through the fence to him, but she was a lot more mellow about it than I thought she'd be. I think she was simply ready (this is her first foaling and she's 21) so she just said "see ya" and headed for the feed bucket. She comes around, but not enough to satisfy him. We wanted to put another horse in there with him, but the others (geldings) are too aggressive with him when mom's not there with him.
Now, this little fella is used to mom and his herd, who are all being allowed to naturally roam and graze. They are older working horses who have been sold and turned out to pasture, so they are a happy bunch unto themselves. Problem is, he has never been around people, so he thinks I am satan or something. He considers me to be the root of all evil, even as he is eating out of my hand - a quarter square bale a day, and a pound per hundred body weight of DuMore Mare n' Foal. Nothing but hay will entice him; not alfalfa, not apples, not even sugar cubes. Only hay pleases him, and he glares at me with silent resentment while he munches the hay out of my hand.
I'm actually quite pleased that he has let me get so close in a week's time - he would even let me near him at first. I've spent an hour a day with him, just acclimating him to me, and up til today everything's been going so well. Now he allows me to be resented while I feed him, or even while I touch his muzzle. He likes to sniff my hair (I think that's because it's long and bay colored like mom's) and he will allow me to touch my nose to his. But I didn't anticipate him trying to back me into a corner today and bite me on the arm. Repeatedly. Deliberately. Ouchly.
It happens at different places in the pen, when I'm paying attention to him, not paying attention to him, getting feed, or just coming in. He came over, greeted me rather nicely with a muzzle touch, then proceeded to lay his ears back and munch me. And he kept coming closer. When he got a good bite in, I stomped my foot to show him my displeasure, and that seemed to work - he ran to the other side of the pen - but then he felt compelled to feel more irritated. Then he tried it some more when I went to pat the other horses (AKA treat hounds). He's a big boy for his age, and frankly it's a little frightening when he keeps coming closer and biting me over and over again.
I'm not sure how to approach this. I'm not sure what his motivation is - I'm not bugging him when he does this, but he couldn't seem to care less if I'm standing right beside him - which is the only place he won't do it. (He will try to munch me if I try to touch his cheeks, too, but then I rub his ears and he forgets why he was mad). I don't know how to discipline for this without making him shy, but I sure don't want him to continue this behavior.
It's making me really rethink this whole thing. I would ask my neighbor how to handle this, but he's been looking for a trainer himself and I don't want just anybody handling this little fella. I also don't want to spoil him myself. I'm new here, so I'm not sure who to ask.
I just want him to get used to me and continue to work towards getting the halter placed. He's going to need hoof trimming, vet work, and more, so I need to get this situation under control...
Help!
I know you asked Hair but just my two cents. PASS HIM UP!
Whew... where to begin. I hope this post doesn't make you mad or sad, but I feel I need to be blunt.
First of all, no one should have offered you a 5 month old colt to you as a first horse, particularly one that has not been handled. I don't want to overly insult your friend and neighbor, so I'll just say this... it was not generous to give you this colt. My best advice to you is to give him back. He needs to go to an experienced home, before he develops further bad habits and before you get hurt trying to work with him.
Horses are not like dogs where there is a benefit to raising him yourself. The reality is, his 21 year old mother (assuming she's broke) would have likely been a better gift for you than this colt. Older horses who 'know all the ropes' are really the best way for you to safely learn horsemanship and really learn to enjoy them. If you plan keep going with this guy, then for your sake and his, get some expert help.
That said, he's biting and aggressive for a few reasons... One, he's a colt. Babies do that stuff, in addition to worse things. Wait till he learns to kick, rear up and paw. Second, he's not broke at all. He's just scared and cornered and knows no manners... And feeding him by hand will make him worse, particularly stud colts. Stallions bite. Lastly, he's bored. He's in a small pen, I gather, he's not being worked with, he's full of energy and needs to both run off energy and have his mind occupied. Every day.