This message is from: GAIL RUSSELL <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Well, what I really need for a name for Luisa's new foal is the Norwegian term for "Jaws." "Chewy," or "Fiesty" or "Little B..head," as he is currently named, do not do justice to his heritage. But they sure are good descriptions of his personality. He wants to bite - all the time. Will come after us when our backs are turned, try hard to bite constantly unless we fend him off. Aims for large and small body parts. And will try to rear and play. This is not aggression. He has just been incredibly playful and vigorous since day one, and he regards us as fellow horses. (He was huge, healthy, and survived the birth process far better than his mother did.) By his second day he was running figure eights around the trees in the pasture. Vet says he is a VERY athletic Fjord and the biggest Fjord baby he has ever seen.
I would welcome innovative ideas for redirecting his energy and convincing him that we are not playmates. Got him a stall ball - but he is bored with that. Will bring him a "sacrificial gelding" to teach him some maners as soon as I know Luisa is past her heat period in JUne. Unfortunately, we have no other mares to teach him some lessons. Plan to buy him an exercise ball. We are starting halter training tonight to try to get a bit more submissiveness out of him. In the meantime we've been fending him off with the stall ball and elbows, standing guard over each other while we pick the paddock, standing next to him and petting and scratching him when he is quiet - and fending off when he is bitey. We've also tried grabbing his nose or pulling on his whiskers - but these responses would work better with a nice placid nipper/lipper. He is just too good at squirming away and trying again. Amy suggested using a soft lead rope like a snapped towel as well. So far the best is to bounce the stall ball at him. That gives him something else to "play" with and redirects his attention. This guy is incredibly brave (left Mom early, goes up to other horses, people, dogs, etc) so I do not want to kill that - but he needs some RESPECT lessons. At 06:10 AM 5/26/99 EDT, you wrote: >This message is from: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > >Well, you got my curiosity up, and I looked it up in a little >Norwegian/English dictionary I bought. > Potato chip = potetgull > Jan > > Gail Russell Forestville CA [EMAIL PROTECTED]
