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 Elite Veteran
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Location: East Tennessee | We have a yearling stud colt that pins his ears at feeding time. How do I break this habit? We had him across from another horse(we purchased last summer) that does it and I believe he learned it from her. I have never had a horse that does that til her and now she's teaching it to the others. |
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 BHW's Lance Armstrong 
Posts: 11134
 
Location: Somewhere between S@%&# stirrer and Saint | That is a good sign that it is his feed and nobody is going to take it. He will calm down a bit once cut. Dominant. |
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 Expert
Posts: 5290
| My 9 year old gelding does this to. He is pretty much broke of it now. As soon as he does it i take his feed away and feed the other horses. Make him last. Then he is mr nice guy. |
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  Twin Sister to Queen Boobie
Posts: 13315
Location: East Tennessee but who knows?! | Gelding will help but I would spend time working on him every time you feed him anyhow. There's something about working on them while they're eating that helps to make a lot of progress quickly. I do things like moving the hips over, side passing, moving shoulders, picking up feet. I'm working on stuff that will be used for riding but at the same time I'm teaching them to tolerate someone handling them while the food is there too. |
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The Advice Guru
Posts: 6419
| My horses get a smack on the hind end with a rope if they pin their ears when I am around.
It all comes down to respect, and if he is pinning his ears towards you he thinks he is superior to you.
I also play with my colts while eating, if they misbehave, I will move them away from their feed, when I have their attention ears forward feet where I want, I will allow them to come back and eat. |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 897
Location: East Tennessee | Douglas J Gordon - 2015-03-23 8:02 PM
That is a good sign that it is his feed and nobody is going to take it. He will calm down a bit once cut. Dominant.
We do not plan on gelding him yet. |
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 The BHW Book Worm
Posts: 1768
| He is a dominate horse from here on out you will always be working to stay on top of it because he will always be challenging you and it will get worse. We had a yearling filly who started dominate behavior even before a year. We constantly had I handle her differently then anyone else she made life extremely hard on her self. She was fine wih people but as 2year old was #1 mare and I had never seen a 2 year old be head lady in the heard. We sold her and the people that purchased her absolutely love her but do have trouble even getting around the in the warm up pen because she tries dominating every horse. Good luck. |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 372
| sparky16 - 2015-03-24 5:16 AM
Douglas J Gordon - 2015-03-23 8:02 PM
That is a good sign that it is his feed and nobody is going to take it. He will calm down a bit once cut. Dominant.
We do not plan on gelding him yet.
even better. |
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Hungarian Midget Woman
Location: Midwest | My only other thought is ulcers/pain in the gut if this is a "new" thing that came on all of a sudden. I have heard that horses can get them even when they are not hauled.
Personally, I'd rule out pain whilst still whooping his butt for being a jerk. I am not a stallion owner, but I know these early years are important for all horses. Give an inch and they will take a mile... |
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 Expert
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Location: NW. Florida | sparky16 - 2015-03-24 5:16 AM Douglas J Gordon - 2015-03-23 8:02 PM That is a good sign that it is his feed and nobody is going to take it. He will calm down a bit once cut. Dominant. We do not plan on gelding him yet.
Good luck with that. If he's showing aggression at a yearling, if you get a handle on it he'll be out of hand. |
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 Veteran
Posts: 253
Location: EDGE OF INSANITY | whoop that a$$- i don't tolerate any $h!t from my babies. Let them do it now, you've got a huge problem when they're 1200 lbs |
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 Midget Lover
Location: Kentucky | sparky16 - 2015-03-24 6:16 AM Douglas J Gordon - 2015-03-23 8:02 PM That is a good sign that it is his feed and nobody is going to take it. He will calm down a bit once cut. Dominant. We do not plan on gelding him yet.
Is there a reason you are waiting? |
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 Expert
Posts: 3782
Location: Gainesville, TX | We've had some problems with this with some of our weanling fillies and yearlings. I will mess with them a ton while they are eating, brushing, etc. They are only allowed to eat if they are not misbehaving. I also, stall or pasture, will make them back off the feed and wait for my permission, swat them with a rope if they get too close. They are also not allowed to turn their butt to me, only head and ears (helps prevent kicking too). I don't have to do it much with the easy ones but the dominant ones sometimes its every day for a long time. They do learn. My three year old has gotten over this behavior and she was really bad as a weanling/yearling. We just stuck with it and she got over it.
Edited by oija 2015-03-24 8:16 AM
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 Extreme Veteran
Posts: 559
| oija - 2015-03-24 8:15 AM
We've had some problems with this with some of our weanling fillies and yearlings. I will mess with them a ton while they are eating, brushing, etc. They are only allowed to eat if they are not misbehaving. I also, stall or pasture, will make them back off the feed and wait for my permission, swat them with a rope if they get too close. They are also not allowed to turn their butt to me, only head and ears (helps prevent kicking too). I don't have to do it much with the easy ones but the dominant ones sometimes its every day for a long time. They do learn. My three year old has gotten over this behavior and she was really bad as a weanling/yearling. We just stuck with it and she got over it.
I did this exactly with my filly . She was 6 months when I got her & boy did she have an attitude , like she was my boss . I wasn't taking that crap .. She got in trouble when she'd pin her ears .. I made her wait to eat until she was behaving , then id let her eat . I too mess with her a bunch when shes eating .. She used to pin her ears & try to bite me when I was messing with her when she ate , put a stop to that real fast . Now she's really good @ 11 months old . Sometimes she gets a look on her face if she doesn't like it , but I do it anyways & she knows better than to try anything anymore. She definitely had her way with the previous owners & it wasn't flying with me . |
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 You get what you give
Posts: 13030
Location: Texas | when they pin their ears, they have to wait to get their food. And i make sure to make them back away from me and their food bucket. If they continue to get pushy with me, they get the end of a lead rope. Doesn't take many of those times.. they learn fast |
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 Extreme Veteran
Posts: 425
Location: California | I have a 2 yr old stud colt. When it comes to feeding time, he is not allowed to touch the food until I "say" he can. I have had him since he was 7 months old. When I first got him, I would block his feed & pet him. If he had a problem with that, then I pushed him farther from the feed. Now when I feed he will reach out his neck for me to pet & wait until I back out of the stall to eat.
Find something that works for you to control his dominance. Did he pin his ears for food when you first got him? Or is it a newer behavior? It sounds like a respect issue, & if you plan to keep him a stud, just make sure to be on the lookout, don't turn your back to him & always no matter what, make sure YOU are the dominant "horse". |
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 Living within my means
Posts: 5128
Location: Randolph, Utah | Geld him and tie him up for feeding time.
My yearling gets tied up at feeding time. He eats his grain and some aldalfa then we turn him back out with some calves and he doesn't pin his ears or get aggressive at all. |
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 Toastest with the Mostest
Posts: 5712
Location: That part of Texas | ccarpe18 - 2015-03-24 11:58 AM I have a 2 yr old stud colt. When it comes to feeding time, he is not allowed to touch the food until I "say" he can. I have had him since he was 7 months old. When I first got him, I would block his feed & pet him. If he had a problem with that, then I pushed him farther from the feed. Now when I feed he will reach out his neck for me to pet & wait until I back out of the stall to eat. This is pretty much what I've done with mine since he was old enough to feed. In fact, I really can't mess with him too much when he is eating because it makes him nervous. He sees me as the "lead mare" around this house and he tries to step away from the feed when I'm around him because that's what he'd do for a more dominant horse. He'll let me brush him and braid his tail but if I try to make his backend move over or pick up feet, he sees me as moving him away from the feed and he yields to me in that capacity.
I wouldn't put up with pinned ears -- especially from a stud -- so I'd get this problem nipped in the butt real quick.
Edited by Red Raider 2015-03-24 5:13 PM
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 897
Location: East Tennessee | Murphy - 2015-03-24 9:07 AM
sparky16 - 2015-03-24 6:16 AM Douglas J Gordon - 2015-03-23 8:02 PM That is a good sign that it is his feed and nobody is going to take it. He will calm down a bit once cut. Dominant. We do not plan on gelding him yet.
Yes. We plan on keeping him a stud. We are waiting to futurity him. |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 897
Location: East Tennessee | No gelding suggestions. This is not our first stud colt. He is like a dog any other time we handle him. Gentle, will do anything you ask. Only problem is at feeding time. |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 897
Location: East Tennessee | ccarpe18 - 2015-03-24 12:58 PM
I have a 2 yr old stud colt. When it comes to feeding time, he is not allowed to touch the food until I "say" he can. I have had him since he was 7 months old. When I first got him, I would block his feed & pet him. If he had a problem with that, then I pushed him farther from the feed. Now when I feed he will reach out his neck for me to pet & wait until I back out of the stall to eat.
Find something that works for you to control his dominance. Did he pin his ears for food when you first got him? Or is it a newer behavior? It sounds like a respect issue, & if you plan to keep him a stud, just make sure to be on the lookout, don't turn your back to him & always no matter what, make sure YOU are the dominant "horse".
He was born here. He learned it from a horse he was stalled across from when we weaned him. |
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The Advice Guru
Posts: 6419
| Doesn't matter where he learned it from or where he came from, the problem is it continues.
Also if he learned it from another horse on your property then you have a bigger problem, as no horse should be doing this.
I run a tight ship with my horses, when I am around they will get run, smacked, or have flying objects hit them if they ever pin their ears at me or another horse while I am in the vicinity, or turn their but to me or another horse while I am in the vicinity. I value my safety.
You need to change your program a horse should not be picking up bad habits from other horses on the place. |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 897
Location: East Tennessee | cheryl makofka - 2015-03-25 8:13 PM
Doesn't matter where he learned it from or where he came from, the problem is it continues.
Also if he learned it from another horse on your property then you have a bigger problem, as no horse should be doing this.
I run a tight ship with my horses, when I am around they will get run, smacked, or have flying objects hit them if they ever pin their ears at me or another horse while I am in the vicinity, or turn their but to me or another horse while I am in the vicinity. I value my safety.
You need to change your program a horse should not be picking up bad habits from other horses on the place.
That's why I am asking for suggestions. I was just answering people questions. I value my safety too. I didn't know I was going to get treated like I have no clue what I am doing. I've been around horses for 30 yrs.
Edited by sparky16 2015-03-25 8:09 PM
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The Advice Guru
Posts: 6419
| sparky16 - 2015-03-25 8:02 PM
cheryl makofka - 2015-03-25 8:13 PM
Doesn't matter where he learned it from or where he came from, the problem is it continues.
Also if he learned it from another horse on your property then you have a bigger problem, as no horse should be doing this.
I run a tight ship with my horses, when I am around they will get run, smacked, or have flying objects hit them if they ever pin their ears at me or another horse while I am in the vicinity, or turn their but to me or another horse while I am in the vicinity. I value my safety.
You need to change your program a horse should not be picking up bad habits from other horses on the place.
That's why I am asking for suggestions. I was just answering people questions. I value my safety too. I didn't know I was going to get treated like I have no clue what I am doing. I've been around horses for 30 yrs. I am not some idiot. No horse is perfect.
Why have you allowed the other horse to do this?
You said he learned this behaviour from another horse you have.
You actually need to displine both or any other horses who are pinning their ears at you.
Some people including myself gave you suggestions.
Carry a lunge whip, when he pins his ears, smack his ass hard the first time to get his attention, if he continues to pin his ears, repeat.
Spend time in the pen with him when you do feed, if he pins his ears, make him run a couple laps of his pen, make him face up, pet him then allow him to go to his feed.
It is practical common sense ground work that needs to focus on feeding time.
Sadly the older he gets the worse he will become since you are keeping him a stud.
This will be an ongoing thing and there is no quick easy fix
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 897
Location: East Tennessee | cheryl makofka - 2015-03-25 9:13 PM
sparky16 - 2015-03-25 8:02 PM
cheryl makofka - 2015-03-25 8:13 PM
Doesn't matter where he learned it from or where he came from, the problem is it continues.
Also if he learned it from another horse on your property then you have a bigger problem, as no horse should be doing this.
I run a tight ship with my horses, when I am around they will get run, smacked, or have flying objects hit them if they ever pin their ears at me or another horse while I am in the vicinity, or turn their but to me or another horse while I am in the vicinity. I value my safety.
You need to change your program a horse should not be picking up bad habits from other horses on the place.
That's why I am asking for suggestions. I was just answering people questions. I value my safety too. I didn't know I was going to get treated like I have no clue what I am doing. I've been around horses for 30 yrs. I am not some idiot. No horse is perfect.
Why have you allowed the other horse to do this?
You said he learned this behaviour from another horse you have.
You actually need to displine both or any other horses who are pinning their ears at you.
Some people including myself gave you suggestions.
Carry a lunge whip, when he pins his ears, smack his ass hard the first time to get his attention, if he continues to pin his ears, repeat.
Spend time in the pen with him when you do feed, if he pins his ears, make him run a couple laps of his pen, make him face up, pet him then allow him to go to his feed.
It is practical common sense ground work that needs to focus on feeding time.
Sadly the older he gets the worse he will become since you are keeping him a stud.
This will be an ongoing thing and there is no quick easy fix
Thank you. i will be putting these suggestions to use. |
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 Expert
Posts: 2270
Location: Shhh.. I'm hiding. | I had one doing this as well. I would come into her pen (was larger than a stall with a sand footing) flake in one hand, whip in the other. When she would come towards me with her ears back or trot up at me with her ears back then I would move her around her pen with the whip. I'd let her stop try again, and if she came with her ears pinned back then I would make her move again. Eventually she stopped pricked her ears forward like "Huh.. ?" and I dropped her food and walked away. We did this several times until she eventually figured it out and stopped pinning her ears.
ETA- Keep in mind that the boss mare in the pasture can move all and every horse off the food with some simple ques, you need to be that mare. You should be able to move any of your horses off their hay. I would do it frequently with those horses to enforce the respect
Edited by Elisa2007 2015-03-25 9:07 PM
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 Can You Hear Me Now?
Location: When you hit the middle of nowhere .. Keep driving | cheryl makofka - 2015-03-25 7:13 PM
Doesn't matter where he learned it from or where he came from, the problem is it continues.
Also if he learned it from another horse on your property then you have a bigger problem, as no horse should be doing this.
I run a tight ship with my horses, when I am around they will get run, smacked, or have flying objects hit them if they ever pin their ears at me or another horse while I am in the vicinity, or turn their but to me or another horse while I am in the vicinity. I value my safety.
You need to change your program a horse should not be picking up bad habits from other horses on the place.
YUP same here. Every horse on my property knows better then to do anything when I am around, and if they are new learn fast. They will get whatever I have handy across their a$$ and then run out of the group and kept there until I say they can return (Just like a head mare or stallion would do).
I have my friends yearling clyde cross at my house and he tried it once... I doubt he will again, I made sure to nip it in the butt before he is 17 hands and 1600 lbs. He's taller then my 3 year old now at 9 months... It will just get worse as they get older and bolder.
ETA: I have a stallion, mares, geldings and foals... heck even my dog knows who's boss and knows I go first through doors etc. I would also instill a safety net around you with a stallion to show respect; unless I walk up to him, my stallion knows to stay back at least 3 feet at all times to give me space. He comes up to me but stops before he gets to close, and he's the one I trust the most but you will always have to be on your toes.
Edited by ndiehl 2015-03-25 10:41 PM
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Location: las vegas nv | bottom line he needs MORE FEED,if hes walking in it he wont care if you are giving more,all he can eat hay is what he needs, edited to add my horses dont even leave a sunny spot napping to go eat ,they are happy horses and dont fence fight or pin an ear .I do not grain them at all ,they look great also!
Edited by kelly griffith 2015-03-25 10:51 PM
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Yearling colt pinning ears at feeding time