Have any of you ever bought young minis that were not "tame" or worked with yet?

[seattle]

I'm wondering if any of you have had any experience with getting either yearlings, two-year-olds, or three-year-olds and not having them be "tame", used to people, and/or worked with. How did you deal with this, and how did you get the minis so that they were friendly and receptive towards people?

 

[mmmorgans]

My first 3 minis were as wild as deer. I bought them because I felt sorry for them as they were foraging for feed in 2 feet of snow - and had no water - and it was bitterly cold. They were a lot of work - but eventually they came around. There were 2 stallions and a mare - all 3 year olds. I had the stallions gelded right away - and the young mare was pregnant (of course - running with 2 stallions). The mare was the most wild. Eventually the boys went to new homes - the one really became friendly - the other one has always been a little aloof but he is OK once he is caught (oats worked wonders with him). The mare is still somewhat timid - but easy to handle and I could catch her quite easily. However this took countless hours with these horses. They had to learn to trust people and me in particular. Once the trust was established the bonding came. With the mare - once she foaled - she was very protective but allowed me to be in the stall with her foal. She wasn't thrilled about it - but I was always quiet and moved slowly and talked a lot to both of them. Her foal was quite wild but some foals are just like that at first - and she came around quickly. The mare got to the point where she was wonderful to do her feet - great to clip every spring - and was a nice mare to have around. She wasn't a pocket pet - and certainly wasn't one to run up to a stranger - but she was a kind hearted mare that I truly bonded with.

Food and gentle behaviour go a long way to taming a wild horse. As long as they have never been abused I think they come around quickly. They just need to understand what your intentions are with them - and learn to enjoy the human touch.

Good luck.

 

[chandab]

Food and gentle behaviour go a long way to taming a wild horse. As long as they have never been abused I think they come around quickly. They just need to understand what your intentions are with them - and learn to enjoy the human touch.

Good luck.

I agree. Food works wonders to help bring them around. As does working around them calmly, don't tip-toe around them, they'll get suspicious, just work quietly, but go about your usual routine.

I have one now that's still abit stand-offish, but he's coming around.

 

[Riverdance]

I prefer not working with the weanlings and yearlings till I am ready to bring them in for showing. They are a handful at first, but, with some work turn into great tempered show horses who like to show. those that are pocket pets from the beginning usually do not have the fire needed in the show ring.

All of my horses are used to being led by a halter, being wormed and having their feet done.

 

[Riverrose28]

Many years ago we went to a well known breeders farm sale, this was one of the founders of AMHA. We bought five horses aged 5 and 6 months. One mare had to have three people drag her into the ring that is how stubborn she was. Sadly none of them had been fooled with very much at all. This stubborn mare became my heart horse. I worked with her everyday, just talking, brushing at first, then tieing, brushing, talking, lots of hand walking getting her used to the halter and lots of praise, nothing negitive. She turned out to be Area One Obstacle Champion, Multi Color Mare Champion and always in the ribbons in halter. It just takes time and patience. Last year I had to have surgery during foaling season and was down for four months, needless to say my weanlings were only given the essentals by our help, all the foals except one came around real fast, but that one is still in the indoor for me to work with, and is finally coming around, lesson learned, some take longer then others, just be determined. Good luck.

 

[justduckie]

Yes, our 2 mares we got when they were 3 & 4 years old and wild. Patience is the biggest key. you just have to go slow and let them warm up to you. when you get them caught and haltered. talk to them alot, pet all over them showing them it doesnt hurt brush and fuss over them as much as possible. and keep treats near by carrots, apples, berry treats. and each time you go spend time with them once you've caught them give them a treat. and when your all done before you let them go give them a treat. over time they will connect treats to kindness and begin to trust. we had also gotten some others that were really wild and i took one from completely wild to ground driving with in 2 months or so. even take a lawn chair out and just sit where they can come up to you and check you out. hope that helps

 

[ClickMini]

Quiet and gentle handling will get you everywhere with a horse who doesn't know what to think about people. I use clicker training. I have tamed numerous wild horses, big and small.

Here are some resources I recommend:

http://equineclickertraining.com/

http://theclickercenter.com/

http://www.clickryder.com

Good luck and have fun!

 

[RockRiverTiff]

I would much rather deal with a young, unhandled horse than an older, mishandled horse. Untrained horses just don't know what to expect from people whereas mishandled horses already expect the worst. Like the others said, patience and consistency will bring them around pretty fast. Also, I know some people think it's cheating, but early on when I'm trying to develop a positive relationship with a horse with trust issues I always carry treats. Later when they start to enjoy my company, a kind word and a scratch are enough to reinforce the training, but early on nothing gets the horse coming to me faster than expectation of a treat.

 

[hylights]

I brought home 2 girls 6 weeks ago, a 2 yr old filly and her dam who had never been separated. They had been kept semi wild, not handled except for (several big men to pin them) vaccs, worming, hoof trims The mare is very scared and skittish, she runs away when anyone approaches, she has improved a lot, she whinnies to me (she loves food !).but when my friends, vet and farrier have been here she runs away. The 2 yr old is a stubborn one, they called her "the wild one" and she had never been halter trained. The last 6 weeks we have taken it slowly, they needed adjustment time, halter training I did one step Literally! at a time. Grooming has been hard, the filly is so tense she is jut a bundle of taught muscles, mom is so ready to flee at any sound, but very good when on lead. Hoof trims were interesting last week, Mistique(mom) got her feet done Ok.

The filly now called" Twizzle" we just did front feet, my farrier tried the back while I held her up against a wall but she was going to explode, so he held one foot until she slightly relaxed and we quit. I have to get her to let me pick up her feet and call him back. The good news is I have finally groomed her and no more mats in her mane, she led all around my driveway today with only a few balks, I sit in a lawn chair next to their stall while they eat and I talk to them, and I bring them out one at a time and sit and groom (they are small I want to be less imposing) We are still working on being able to touch all over, but Twizz is a character, very inquisitive and when she comes around I think won't be afraid of much. Misti is a sweety when she relaxes but very worried about peoples intentions...

 

[Field-of-Dreams]

We have. Many times. One mare was so afraid when we looked at her she would try to crawl UP the wall! It took a LONG time but we got her to where we could handle her and she was OK with it. Not happy, but OK. And I could catch her in the field.

What I did is put her in with my gelding. She saw that HE isn't afraid and gets yummies, so she settle'd down and get yummies.

Another horse I got was a ASPC/AMHR colt who was untouched when a friend got him and barely touched when I did. He would race around the stall frantically when I went in. I would - literally - lasso him as he went by with the lead rope to get him stopped. Put his halter on, stroke him and show him I wouldn't hurt him. Finally one day I went in, he raced around once (as I ignored him) then came to a stop by my elbow. I put his halter on and from that day forward I never had trouble catching him, even in a big field.

It just takes time....

 

[Miniv]

You've already received some great advice, but I just thought I'd chime in.....

For us, having a young wild one in a smaller paddock is helpful....not out in a field. No abrupt movements is a must. A dish or bucket with grain every day. Sitting in the paddock with the bucket when ever you have the time and letting the horse come to YOU. (I recommend allowing yourself at least 10 minutes daily just sitting.)

First step for me is just letting them smell my hand, arm, whatever... as long as they don't "taste". Next step is to slowly bring my hand up to the forehead and give a scratch.......It won't take long before I am able to scritch the horse's neck. From there it gets easier....

It does take time, patience, gentleness, and of course some treats...haha....

 

[Sandy B]

Yes, we bought our first minis as a package deal. A 2 year old show stallion who was gentle and sweet and a 2 yr old wild as a march hair stallion. These were to be my then 9 year old daughter's horses. I promptly had the wild colt gelded and he was put in a small paddock. My daughter wanted to do all the work, so we let her. We did help her lead (if you want to call it that) him to the round pen where she worked with him. She taught him to longe and what "whoa" was and grooming and used treats as bait. The treats, daily work and handling and grooming won him over rather quickly. He can now be lead by toddlers and is a sweet boy.

 

[Molly's Run Minis]

oh yes...my now 3yr old gelding. i got him last year. he was halter broke and then pretty much left in a feild with a bunch of other foals his age at the breeders until i bought him

i dont understand why people breed if they arent willing to socialize the foal. anyway...it took me a good 4 or 5 months to be able to catch him without cornoring him. he's also extremely headshy and if you move your hand to quickly around his head he'll squint his eyes and grunt as though expecting to be hit

i have never hit him though. he also used to be horrible for feet trimmings and was scared stiff of men. it took alot of patience but now he FINALLY trusts me and me farrier! i couldnt ask for a better farrier, he was so patient with Toby

on the bright side, he's one of the calmest, sweetest horses i've ever had! he'll make an awesome team cart horse in the future.

one of the biggest things is you MUST be very patient and go slow with everything, especially with any kind of training. you never know if the horse has had previous abuse so always take things slow. and dont forget plenty of treats!