Advice for 2yo draft tb cross filly
I wanted to get opinions and see if this sounds like medical or behavioral issue/training issue.
I picked up a coming 2 yr old filly a month ago. First week, she was super in my pocket and wanted to be haltered. She was a bit looky at things but everything was new so understood. Second week, she came down with a bad abscess that lasted a good week and a half before it cleared. She was a bit difficult to work with (understood because she’s in pain) but was still ok with being haltered. Once it cleared, I was going to start working on the ground with her again. I was able to halter her a few times but she would do a little head toss and seem agitated.
I decided to give her a few more days and just to hang with her in her pasture to show I’m not just showing up to work with her. I then tried to halter her and she slowly walked away. Did this for a few minutes and she eventually gave up with me walking with her.
It’s been warm for the past week and she’s been very kind and wanting to hang with me.
Since she’s young, I didn’t want to work with her everyday and wanted us to bond so gave her a few days off in between and I went to halter her yesterday and we did a good 30 minutes of walking the pasture, her seeming agitated, turning her butt to me. I did get her but she didn’t want to be haltered. I did a quick catch, praise, and release. 30 minutes later I went to halter her again, trying to show this isn’t a bad thing and I’m not expecting work, just simple haltering. Same issue with walking. I got her and was leading her a bit around the pasture. She started spooking so I had her move her feet and she exploded. She threw her butt towards me and tried to kick, she then reared up and tried to charge at me a bit. I let go of the lunge and she tried to charge a bit again so I made her get out of my space. Now she’s running around the pasture and getting spooked by the lead rope between her legs. She galloped a few times at me full speed like she wanted to run over me. Finally she stopped so I walked up and took the halter off and left.
Yesterday was colder and windy.
It seems like when I work with her and if she can’t immediately figure out what I’m asking (and I ask gently since she’s still learning) her initial response is explode. I’ve also noticed she seems agitated some days if I go near hear and her skin will twitch if I touch her and other days she’s fine.
She’s also turning 2 in June so I wonder if she’s coming into heat?