newbie needs help

[debbiesshelties]

Hello,

Me again! As posted before I have a new weanling colt. I would like to halter train him correctly. He gives me no problems with haltering him, and will come along when HE wants to, but sometimes he just plants his little hooves and doesn't want to budge. I don't want to play tug of war. I also don't want to have to always be tugging him along. Any and all suggestions greatly appreciated. I would like to do this the right way.

Debbie

 

[tuffsmom]

When he plants his hooves, *Gently* make him step over himself from side to side. Even the biggest horse has no choice but to give to pressure when you pull their head around. He'll eventually learn that "hey, I need to step with this pressure, this hanging back stuff sucks" and come to follow you. Just step with him and go in big, wide circles giving him no choice but to follow the pressure.

A lot of people didn't agree with how I halter trained my mini, and I can see why. But everyone is just looking out for the horses well being. Plus, you know your colt the best, and you know how he will react and what he is capable of handling and what he is not.

 

[kaykay]

great advice. this is real similiar to what i do. if they refuse to move forward i turn them in a tight circle. they really dont like to circle and they soon realize its easier to move forward. or you can try walking tword their hip but i havent found that as effective.

another method that is good is to lead walking backward. I got this from the dancing with horses book and it reallly works on a high strung not halter broke horse. for some reason when you walk backward they are more willing to follow. Theory being it puts you in the alpha position and they accept you as their leader

 

[hhpminis]

Both good suggestions.

Another thing to try is this. I like to have my horses lead with me at their shoulder. I wrap the rope around their butt. If they balk, I use pressure on the butt rope to encourage them to move ahead. I try to "push" them into following me rather than "pull" them. It is a prettier picture when they are led this way, sort of driven into whatever gait you ask for.

Hope this makes sense.

All horses are different and different things work for different horses. Put all suggestions in your pocket and pull them out when one doesn't work.

 

[Lisa-Ruff N Tuff Minis]

Ok i gotta be honest.. I cheat... my foals look at raven as a playmate (right or wrong it just happens that way she is there size and such) and they LOVe to go with her sure it means fun will happen. Well when first training i hand the rope over to her and to be honest she drags them a bit and they drag her a bit (ok most of this is for my own entertainment)

then they work it out for some reason they are more willing to follow her and she is small enough that her pulling on them or them pulling on her doesnt lead to injury after about a week of this (which is about as much laughing at them as I can take) We bring them out of there pens and she will lead babies while I lead mom then when they are weaned and we have to do it alone I lead and have her a bit behind.. she rarely has to push them along most of the time if she is back there they just follow me and she follows them in a little line and then they pretty much have the whole thing down after a couple weeks of that.

 

[Ashley]

Well I do the dragging thing. A few days and they give in and lead. If I get lucky like the one I had this year, she didnt pull at all just started following me from the start.

I just tie them around my waste(unless they are a bigger foal) and start walking. We play a bit of tug a war but when we are both tired that is the end for the day.

I only had one foal that took me a few months to break. YOu would take her out and she would just constantly throw herself on the ground. We never made it far due to this. Finally one day I took her out and she just started walking like she had been doing it forever.

 

[rabbitsfizz]

I've never halter broken a Mini- I've never halter broken anything, not since I learned better!! Nowadays I halter train and everyone is happier. I also saddle train and harness train. I do NOT "break". Nor do I pull, push or fight- quite simply, I cannot, I no longer have the strength to do so. Even the foals are stronger than me, now. So, I had to find another way to do it. As soon as a foal pulls back I stop, and I wait. I do not allow it to turn away or to graze to to gaze around, I work on keeping attention and teaching the stand and look alert thing, feet square- well, have you ever seen the face on a kid who is wingeing that the apple pie's not cooked, when you hand them a plain piece of bread?? That's the face I get when I start "training" them because they won't walk! I think my foals learned to walk nicely quicker this year than any other- and they stand nicely too. And they tie up...anyhting...ANYTHING to stop that madwoman blathering on at them! Please GOD, get her away...we'll walk already, heck, we'll even trot!!

 

[debbiesshelties]

Thanks everyone for the replies. I will try them out and see which works best.