Got hurt

Last Sunday, I was moving yearlings and two year olds into differnt pens. Oscar, Vamp's yearling, decided he no longer knew how to lead. This is a colt who went to 4-H every week from the time he was about 2 weeks old. He has been ponied along side his dam while we went riding and has been handled since birth. He also decided not to allow me to pick up his feet. Another thing he's had handled since birth. I went to give him a bit of a trim and he kicked me good and hard right under my left knee. Swelled up like crazy. I ended up having to saddle up Tom and dally him to my horn and drag the son of a gun to the other pen. Dug his back feet into the ground and wouldn't budge. No idea what led to his change. He has been led in and out the barn all winter. Had his hooves kept up with, groomed, and all the rest of the stuff that comes with being a colt around here.
So anyway, back to my knee. Bruised the bone and muscles. Still swollen up, of course now it's a lovely shade of purple with some wonderful green edges. The muscles get sore on my calf as well as a few inches above my knee when I'm not using it. I have to flex my muscle all the time to keep it from aching. If it gets banged, it hurts bad enough to almost bring tears to my eyes.
Anyone ever had a colt just up and change like this? Granted, Oscar is named after the grouch on sesame street, but he was never mean, just not really much of a people horse the first month or so of his life. He went to cow kicking awful quick. I'm wondering if someone scared him, but what would cause him dragging on me like that? When I clucked to get him to come along he reared right up. None of my other horses is like this. They all whinny and come running when I go out there to visit them. My yearlings all see me every morning when I feed oats, then I turn them out and check on them at least twice a day to fill up hay feeders. They get tied up and groomed, brought into stalls every night. So it's not like he's been running loose on the back 40 since I weaned him. I've been trying to work with him all week and it's all I can do to catch him and get his halter on. Yet he is the first one to call at me and come to the fence. Just bloody bizarre.

I've had some do that kind of mess. Farrier came out a couple of weeks ago and we did the colt - well, you would've thought it was his first time of being handled - acted like an idiot. Got tired of messing with him and fighting him, so we twitched him - problem solved.

Think of these young'uns as oh, say 13-year olds! All of a sudden, it's a No, I don't think I will. No, I'm not gonna. They usually see the same reaction from me as my sons would if they told me no - they get a rude awakening!

As far as leading, get you a dressage whip - that work wonders, as you go, tap, if need be, with your left arm. My thing is, if I'm walking, you better be coming. If I turn to face a horse, it's for them to set up, or to stand up and stop immediately. If I walk towards them, it means back your hindend up NOW! (Isn't as harsh as it sounds... HA!)

And if a horse is stupid enough to kick me - well, I kick back. With those little ones, I'm usually lifting them off the ground!

But, yep, mine get stupid every once in a while, too. Last year, right before I broke my arm, and was getting the horses ready, Scamp decided he forgot how to work off the golfcart - now, I ask you... how many months the year before did we do that... I went straight back to the barn, got Kid's stud chain, and oops, all of a sudden he remembered. Yep, thought so.

Sorry about your knee/leg, though... I know that hurts!!!!

I feel that if they can kick each other back, I'm gonna do it too. He got one back. I got out the whip and tapped. He got real worked up about it. Penny and Caffiene, two of the yearling fillies were watching him with interest. It was funny to see, cause it was almost as if they were laughing at him. When I get back home, he's gonna get worked. I am gonna sack that sucker out everyday till I can pick up those legs again. And then I'm trying my hardest to sell him.

I'm not exactly sure why they do that mess, but it sure is aggravating, so I totally understand!

OUCH! Crummy time of year to get hurt with the outside mess of winter and all.. Feel better!

Thanks. It's a lot better today.

Im sure that hurts. And I know we've all preobabyl been there too. I know I have Lol. Anyway sorry about your knee. Glad its feeling a little better. Good luck with your horse. And I totally think the "you kick me, I kick back" thing works Lol.