A 9 months colt jumping a 4' fence?

[bloomingtonfarm]

I sold a colt by Padinus in September and he was shipped to his new owner Saturday. This morning his owner called me to give me the last update:

Today was his first day out in the paddock and he was being join with another colt (by Numero Uno).

They start playing around and had much fun but my colt must have decided it would be nice to play outside and proceeded to jump the 4' fence followed by his new friend. They did not crash into the fence; they didn’t even touch it, just op over it. After the third time, the manager of the barn decided to call the owner.

As the owner could not believe the manager, he went to the barn and put them back in the paddock; well they did it again and in a good form as he reported it.

Now they had no choice than to move the stallions out of their 5' paddock to put the colt there, hoping they will keep their spirit down a little bit.

Have you ever had a colt this age that could not be kept in a 4' paddock? It might depend of the size of the paddock, if they have plenty of space they are less likely to jump over. I have no idea how big or small this ring was.

He never tried to jump any fences here... maybe he wanted to come home???

[showjumpers66]

Yes, we were frequently having this problem, so all of our fencing is now 5'. We still have one jump out from time to time, but it has worked to curb most of it.

[AnotherRound]

4' is a pretty low fence for an enclosure. I fail to see what the surprise is.

[DLee]

My TB filly jumped out of one when she was 4 mos. Left her mother inside it for reasons unknown to me. It was my neighbor's paddock, so I never put them back in there.

[Fairview Horse Center]

He never tried to jump any fences here... maybe he wanted to come home???

Yes, pretty much all foals, any breed, can jump a 4 - 5' fence/wall/stall door. They can do this when they are moved to a new place or field they are not feeling secure, or new companion they don't trust yet. This is one of the reasons I like to put youngsters into a herd of older horses. We also had one jump "away" from its mom, but again, it just happened to be running too close to the fence, and saw an "escape" from danger. Funny, but once on the other side, she was pretty upset, and couldn't figure a way to get back.

[bloomingtonfarm]

4' is a pretty low fence for an enclosure. I fail to see what the surprise is.

Well you know, I guess you are right...I was surprise for nothing.

None of my foals have never even tried once to jump my fences but it is 4'6 to 4'8. I guess 6'' make all the difference in the world and being in a big field is even less inviting to jump. But I won't take any chances, my next fences will be 5' high.

Of course 4’ for a horse is nothing, I just found it big for a little 9 months colt but thinking further it might be easier for them to jump than when they will have to carry 1,200 pounds of their own flesh... !

So much for my surprise finally.


I will ask the new owner because you are right, fences at 4' are much too small for any paddock... hum

[crownridgefarms]

One day I brought my pony colt out first (he was 8 months), so he could not see any of the others as they were still inside. I was just walking out the door with his buddy when he trotted up to our 4' paddock fence and popped over it like it was a log on the ground. I was in shock! Finally I shook my head and got myself together! haha. That was the last time he went out first. It is funny to think even at that young age they are not afraid to test the limits!
Great story Bloomington

[tidy rabbit]

4 ft is kind of low. Mine started at about 9 months old over a 4'9" fence, in the mud, downhill. And now I get to live with THIS....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VBX1cCIbng8

No matter how many times I watch that, it is still alarming. I'd rather not have actually seen and filmed him doing it but since I did I will share it with you all. :)

[Fairview Horse Center]

It is really not so much about the height of the fence, as making the youngster feel secure. I have seen them try to go for it over a 6' wall. I would rather deal with making sure it is a good calming environment, rather than just a tall fence, and still an insecure foal.

[frequentflyer2]

4 ft is kind of low. Mine started at about 9 months old over a 4'9" fence, in the mud, downhill. And now I get to live with THIS....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VBX1cCIbng8

No matter how many times I watch that, it is still alarming. I'd rather not have actually seen and filmed him doing it but since I did I will share it with you all. :)

This is just great!!! Thank you for sharing :D

[Amoroso]

4' is a pretty low fence for an enclosure. I fail to see what the surprise is.

My thoughts exactly. All of our fencing is 5' at least, I thought that was standard. I've still had colts jump over them at 5 feet as well.... And who has a stallion pen that is only 5'??:eek:

[Sugarbrook]

We had 4 foot fence between two of our pastures. We separated 2 of the little ponies. Next thing they were back in with their friends. They were just 4 months old. So, no surprise. And yes, they were smalls.
We raised the fence.

[quicksilverponies]

Yes, I have a couple of pony colts that love to jump our 4 ft fences:)

[kealea31]

My large pony mare started jumping out of the pasture (4'6") at 6 months old. She will still jump out every now and then. Last fall her filly started jumping out also at about the same age. Fortunately they jump into the riding ring which has a taller fence, and the gate is always closed. Why they want to go from a huge grass pasture to a riding ring is beyond me, but atleast 3ft hunter classes will be easy.

Great video tidy rabbit!

[bloomingtonfarm]

:winkgrin:I think I should change my post to

' A 9 months colt not jumping out of a 4' 8'' paddock! Has this ever happen to you? ' ;)

I would be more original !!!

[Indy-lou]

10 month old filly, 5 foot fence...

[Daydream Believer]

Yes, I have a couple of pony colts that love to jump our 4 ft fences:)

Same here. One of my Colonial Spanish yearling colts last year cleared a 4 foot gate. I saw him do it...I think he kind of surprised himself and just launched up over it. Never touched it. He was maybe 13 hands if that!

[VirginiaBred]

It's happened to us as well. Crazy.

[camohn]

I sold a colt by Padinus in September and he was shipped to his new owner Saturday. This morning his owner called me to give me the last update:

Today was his first day out in the paddock and he was being join with another colt (by Numero Uno).

They start playing around and had much fun but my colt must have decided it would be nice to play outside and proceeded to jump the 4' fence followed by his new friend. They did not crash into the fence; they didn’t even touch it, just op over it. After the third time, the manager of the barn decided to call the owner.

As the owner could not believe the manager, he went to the barn and put them back in the paddock; well they did it again and in a good form as he reported it.

Now they had no choice than to move the stallions out of their 5' paddock to put the colt there, hoping they will keep their spirit down a little bit.

Have you ever had a colt this age that could not be kept in a 4' paddock? It might depend of the size of the paddock, if they have plenty of space they are less likely to jump over. I have no idea how big or small this ring was.

He never tried to jump any fences here... maybe he wanted to come home???
Worse.....my Waldaire filly started that at 4 months old. The grass was greener on the other side....literally. She was out with her usual herd and not weaned yet...so no stress or social changes. She kept heading out for the hay field. She is now 2 and her butt stays in place with HOT wire. And the bugger knows when it is off too. If I forget to plug it in at turnout I see her testing the fence.....

[Arrows Endure]

My Arabian/Paso Fino cross colt jumped a 4 1/2 foot fence at 6 months old. It was a cross fence between two pastures. The gate between the two was open, but apparently it was way too much effort to go to the gate, so he just hopped the fence. Repeatedly. Scared the heck out of all of us. He never jumped the pasture fence though and it was the same height. He wasn't 12 hands when he did it.

I guess maybe instead of an endurance horse, he should be an eventing horse or a jumper.

[Hampton Bay]

My 2-yo filly, who is about 14.2h on a tall day, has been jumping out occasionally since she was about 9 months old. She had to clear 3'9" at the lowest point, with her winter blanket on.

[Cielo Azure]

It is really not so much about the height of the fence, as making the youngster feel secure. I have seen them try to go for it over a 6' wall. I would rather deal with making sure it is a good calming environment, rather than just a tall fence, and still an insecure foal.

Something about quoting for emphasis!

If you separate a weanling or yearling from their buddies, watch how high they can jump, how small the food door in the stall is that they climb out of, etc. They will do anything for security -especially in a new environment! They will also jump a fence if being harassed by another horse, especially a horse they don't know, at that age.

I have had Percheron weanlings/yearlings clear 5' easy a couple of times.

In the OPs case, they were probably over stimulated by the new friend, new farm, etc.

In the case of my horses, I know they will grow out of it...they just take to crashing through the gates instead!

[lilypondlane]

One of mine, at 3 months, jumped out of his stall through the open top of the Dutch door. He had previously jumped out of his paddock over a 4' fence. As a 4-year old, he jumped out of his stallion paddock over a 6' fence and jumped over the gate from a standstill at the vet's farm.

[Fairview Horse Center]

Youngsters jumping out of things is a management issue.

[lilypondlane]

Yes, each incident happened only ONCE. :D

[Sugarbrook]

I found that hot wire stops them in their tracks. BUT..........if its a new pasture and they have never been around hot wire, they may jump, but just once.

[tidy rabbit]

Youngsters jumping out of things is a management issue.

Sometimes it's genetic. :)

We're very careful about where we put our now 4 year old fence jumper. But you just never know with him when he'll lope out over the gate.

[ise@ssl]

Yes we've had a few of the colts jump over the fence. But they rarely repeated it. One incident was when the fox hunt was out and a rider was thrown off and his horse was running all over our farm with some hounds following.

Not sure how big the field was but we usually don't youngsters together for the first time in a big field. Usually have them side by side in stalls and then a small paddock.

[tuckawayfarm]

I found that hot wire stops them in their tracks. BUT..........if its a new pasture and they have never been around hot wire, they may jump, but just once.


This :yes:

[NancyM]

My young yearling filly did this last week. On ice for take off and landing. With about three steps of trot on her approach, ping, over the fence smooth and clear, and trotted away on the other side. No problem, right in front of me, and with very little stress to make her think it was a good idea. The added strength required to hold it all together on the ice landing was impressive. A five foot steel panel, but partially sunk into the ground, and a few inches of ice as well made it a bit smaller. No doubt, she will jump well in a few years under saddle. Her full sister jumped out of a 5 foot paddock last year, when moved to the new living area. There was an electric wire above the 5 foot rail, she broke that. But not a mark on her from it. She also jumps great under saddle. Took to jumping courses like she had done it all her life (and she hadn't), like a professial show horse. Raising the jumps for this one poses no problem for her.

It always gives one hope when the option to jump any obsticle is so natural, and they do it so easily. But not great when they start to make a habit of it, or if they make a mistake because they REALLY don't know what they are doing yet, and end up getting hurt, or scaring themselves.

[summerhorse]

I read that young horses can jump much more easily than older horses because they don't have the body mass of an older horse. This was referring to babies, weanlings and yearlings.

[caryledee]

Kind of OT, but I went to a Clinton Anderson clinic over the weekend and he had a little quarter horse type mare in the round pen. Her former training was western trail riding. Well, Clinton tried to get her cantering around the round pen, and up and over the 6' fence she went. She jumped it practically sideways with hardly any momentum. She rattled it pretty good, but got over. It just shows what they are really capable of when they set their minds. :)

[aspenlucas]

She rattled it pretty good, but got over. It just shows what they are really capable of when they set their minds. :)

Or feel threatened, which was probably the case here.

[imajacres]

Bloomington, you remember the Landor S colt you met out of Fergie when you came to our farm? Well he was doing regularily that at 3 months, ( which didnt surprise me all considering the breeding), but it was to get to a young pony mare in heat, which is why his name became Lovebug, and why he was gelded at 8 months!!!

[Dalemma]

4' is a pretty low fence for an enclosure. I fail to see what the surprise is.

I agree.......and the recommended height for horses is 54" min.

I wouldn't be able to keep any of my horses in paddocks if my fence was only 48"


Dalemma

[Carol Ames]

Mercury and a play pal jumped a 4'9 pasture fence"

I was NOT happy:no: He terrified :eek:some visitors , he was still "entire
i. e. entirely male :othat is:lol::lol:; a friends' 5 month old filly jumped a slanted farm gate; from a takeoff point downhill, it was over 6 feet:eek:; she loved to jump the 5‘ hedge separating the pastures , in the dark:eek:, the mares in the "arrival field:” learned to whinny to alert the owner/:cool: breeder, who went out with flashlight to retrieve the filly "Rudy"

[Carol Ames]

Mercury and a play pal jumped a 4'9 pasture fence"

I was NOT happy:no: He terrified :eek:some visitors , he was still "entire
i. e. entirely male :othat is:lol::lol:; a friends' 5 month old filly jumped a slanted farm gate; from a takeoff point downhill, it was over 6 feet:eek:; she loved to jump the 5‘ hedge separating the pastures , in the dark:eek:, the mares in the "arrival field:” learned to whinny to alert the owner/:cool: breeder, who went out with flashlight to retrieve the filly "Rudy"

[cyndi]

I had a three month old filly jump a fence that was about 4'3" -- AWAY from her mom and into the adjacent gelding paddock, I think 'just because.' I thought surely she'd gotten to running and just couldn't stop - could find NO hair, NO damage to fence, not a scratch on her. I found her with the geldings when I got home from work. Her and mom were both completely 'ho hum' with it. She did it one more time before she was weaned. Never did it again. But, when it came time to work on chute jumping in prep for the MPT test, she was a STAR. LOVED to jump. (And she's a dressage horse.) Her jumping technique/ability scored premium +. SO I guess she was just 'practicing.' LOL.

[Anteup]

:winkgrin:I think I should change my post to

' A 9 months colt not jumping out of a 4' 8'' paddock! Has this ever happen to you? ' ;)

I would be more original !!!

I have an 8 mos old colt, who hasn't jumped the "gate" I put up that is just a board about 3'. Is there something wrong with that? LOL

[Carol Ames]

there was a story recently, within the past year; about gem twists' clone;) jumping a pasture fence:yes:; we joked about his wanting to be sure he was quoted correctly!:lol: