Silly question about mare

[LeahMurray]

Hi, folks,

Here's a silly question for you from a newbie:

Situation: my boarding stable also provides maternity services, and someone brought over an absolute stunner of a mare who shortly thereafter threw a beautiful little boy. This mare has a head and coat to die for (even completely ungroomed and untouchable that coat has potential like I've never seen), she's very refined and I just fell in love when I got a good look at her (she's in the stall next to my three boys with her baby right now).

Baby has been sold and will be on his way to his new home as soon as he's weaned.

Mom will go back to her original home, where she has lived all of her life. Thing is, she's in perfectly good physical condition, but she is SO shy of people and wary: it's a job and a bit just to get a halter on her, never mind do any grooming. Where she lives, they breed miniatures, and she has been a brood mare all her adult life (she's about six or seven now), and is not handled or trained in any way other than to move her around for breeding and foaling purposes.

I got her to the point of accepting a treat from my hand, but she still won't let me or anyone other than her vet touch her. And she's bright as a button: she had the latches figured out on her stall in about a new york minute, and we had to install an outside slide bolt besides the loop latches we normally use.

So my questions are these: is this a normal way for a mini mare to live? Doesn't she need affection and caring from a people of her own in order to really thrive? And if some naive old gal sho shall remain for the moment nameless was to buy her and start working with her, do you think she could be trained even at this very late date to be anything other than a brood mare living more or less wild in a pasture?

Sign me

Curiousity is Killing Me

Leah M.

 

[Ponygirl]

Leah...there is no reason why you could not get this mare and eventually get her to come around to trust you and handle her...they are never too old to learn love and trust.......read up on "horse whispering" methods, talk to trainers, and give it a try!!! Sounds like she would have a loving home with you!!!

 

[Dorrie & Frank]

We bought a mare who has that nature - she had been in with a huge herd of mares and was not handled individually. We also think she was pasture foaled and not imprinted at birth. That imprinting means so much for being able to handle them. Our girl is a doll and with gentle movements, kind treatment, and a consistent routine she let's us scrath her, handle her and groom her - but she'd still prefer not. She likes being scratched and when I stoop down and don't look her in the eye she'll stand still and let me scratch on her - when she's eating I can brush her a bit. I touch her gently every chance I get and talk to her all the time. She likes her home and her new small herd life but you can see her instincts get the best of her. Be patient and respect the instinctive side of her nature.

 

[Voodoo]

I don't see any reason why she can't be trained for whatever you'd like to do with her. Even at her age anything can happen with patience and proper training. I bought a 7 year old stallion last March, he had never been haltered, just lived out with his mares. When I bought him we had to run him into the corrals, back the trailer up to the gate and chase him in. Now one year later he's the first to the grain bucket, very gentle, easy to shoe, bathe, clip, pretty much anyone can ride him. He has been to several rodeos and is a very nice roping horse. All it took was time, patience, and good experiences for him to come around. If you like this mare go for it.

 

[countryrose]

My mare Ben's Princess Lilly that just foaled was 5 when I bought her. The family had kept her as a pet but not handled much. She was not very well halter trained. I took her to a trainer and this became my first driving horse.

She does like to work and please but has never been really social with people, just not one of those loving girls. Yes, there is more to life for them if you are up to the challenge.

 

[Devon]

Wait did I miss something int he first post

: Confused did you buy her??Aww sounds like a project

:

:

 

[MBennettp]

Yes you can do a lot with this mare but you have to take your time and let her adjust.

When I bought Lady she was 13 years old, had been on her own in a large herd for years. The only time she was handled, she was mistreated. It took over a year before we could walk up to her in the pasture and putting a halter on her still requires cornering her. She has come a long way and will never be a quiet mare but she sure loves treats and grooming and will run across the pasture to greet you, just stops before she gets to you and checks to see if you have a halter with you. If you don't, she will circle around you and watch you to see what you are going to do. If you ignore her, she will come closer and eventually will get close enough for you to touch her. She has stopped the biting and kicking that she used to do and if you corner her, you can put a halter on her then do whatever you want. She still has trust issues and always will but we love her and she has a home for life.

I suggest that if you get this mare, have Bonnie Fogg talk to her, it made a LOT of difference in Lady and also let me understand what she was going through.

Mary

 

[Sue_C.]

If you want her, and she's for sale...then go for it. BUT, really...you won't be saving her from anything, if she is well fed and cared for where she is.

There is another post on the forum right now, about selling single horses, and there are many who won't, stating that horses are herd animals... well, in the herd sense...this mare already 'has it all", she is what a horse, naturally is. Bringing her into a barn, and "being made" into a beloved pet, might be the furthest thing from her mind.

: :bgrin

Okay, before you all are ready to string me up,

: let me also say this... I bought my wild-child, in December of her fifth year, pregnant with her third foal. She had been born, bred, and foaled in the wild. She wasn't halter broke, and had never-ever been in a barn. the poor thing was scared to death, scrambling up the stall walls trying to get out and away. (at least the mare you speak of is used to a barn) by the time she foaled in march, she was my sweet little favorite. she remains so today...and she KNOWS it.

: I harness trained her at 10, showed her the year, and she is now back into the business of making beautiful foals.

So, go ahead, if you can, but don't think badly of her owners if they won't let her go. Good luck!!! if you do have the chance to buy her, i hope you are half as happy with her, as I am with my "Wild-one".

I am including a picture of my "wild-n-hairy" mare...I am sure you can see how I fell in love with her...

 

[backwoodsnanny]

I agree with all posted and am sure if you have the chance to buy the mare she will come around I have a little rescue mare that you couldnt even touch at all except to lead her. If you tried to scratch her or halter her she would bite and going any where near her in the pasture would warrant a kick. That was 5 years ago and today she also is my favoirite. Good luck with her if you get her. BUT I also agree that her current owners arent abusing her she is by your own admission well fed and cared for.

 

[LeahMurray]

Thanks a million, everyone!

I agree, she is well fed and cared for where she is, hoofs looked after (heaven knows how, but they are) and everything.

Her current owners have more money than I ever will -- I just fell in love with her when I saw her, partly because of her stunning looks in spite of the wild and woolly grooming, and partly because she is such a loving mom to her baby.

I don't think I'll try to buy her just yet, will wait a bit, as her owners aren't in any hurry to sell her it seems. She's been producing a healthy, beautiful foal for them every other year for the last six years, and while they can't be said to be in love with her, they do respect her and treat her well, if a bit more like a wild horse than I am used to.

Leah M.

 

[minimule]

I'll be odd man out.......

Maybe the owners of the mare CAN handle her. If she looks healthy and happy, why change anything.

I have a mare, the first mini I ever bought, that doesn't like strangers. I have had her for 7 years and she does let me groom her but only on her terms. She was born on a big farm and probably not handled much. She is extremely shy, but with slow movements and lots of patience, she can be handled. She is a fantastic mother and allows me to handle her foals. She doesn't like you to witness the birth though

: .

I've also got a 2 yr old filly that knows nothing but being here at our farm. She was sent "home" to another farm and they couldn't handle her. She was scared. She came back to her real home within a month and I can do anything I want with her.

Each horse is different.

 

[Stacy Score]

I bought a "wild" mare several years ago - we had to chase her in the truck to keep up with her in the herd and only when we were able to entice the herd over with bags of grain were we able to identify her by her special eye color (she has amber eyes) - long story short, I HAD TO have her. Shipped her 2000 miles, was never untied because the hauler was afraid that he would not be able to catch her if she slipped out. She had NEVER been in a barn, had had 2 foals out in the pasture, was pregnant at the time she arrived. She bolted out of the hauler - thru the barn and out the back door, spent 3 nights out alone before she carefully followed the rest of the horses into the barn. We shut the door behind her and ushered her into a stall where she stood and blew like an elk for a full minute - then took a look around and saw her hay, grain and water bucket and pretty much made herself at home. It took a couple of hoof trimmings to get her comfortable with being handled safely and fairly and she became a "pocket pony" - she is one of the firs to greet me, I can walk up and halter her at any time and she follows us around like she was born here - she will never leave our farm and we have had many, many offers on her - she is Hidden Meadows Perfections Image - a daughter of Paul Bunyan and we cherish her - I say "go for it" - with calm and patient care I trust this mare can also become a "pocket pony"

Stacy

 

[Dorrie & Frank]

Our mares walk right up to us to be petted - or groomed. We don't feed treats out of hand so they aren't mouthy but they love attention. Most look for even more attention when they are getting close to foaling. They expect us to have taught our stallions manners so they don'thave to put up an ill mannered ruffian. Our guys are all gentlemen! We imprint foals as much as possible. We have a few horses who we did not raise who don't like to be touched but they are learning - it is so much trust to build up - that's why we don't want to sell off the herd as a group - we want them to be placed in the right homes for them with only one transport rather than to a broker to disperse. Heaven forbid that we should get out the hose on a hot day - they clamor around - backing butts into us to get sprayed. All we have to do is to go out into the pasture and stoop down and we're surround with girls wanitng attention. It's fun when we teach visitors who ar enew to horses how to behave around them and they are mauled by mares wanting attention - it is such a kick for them.

 

[minihorse101]

Hi, folks,

Here's a silly question for you from a newbie:

Situation: my boarding stable also provides maternity services, and someone brought over an absolute stunner of a mare who shortly thereafter threw a beautiful little boy. This mare has a head and coat to die for (even completely ungroomed and untouchable that coat has potential like I've never seen), she's very refined and I just fell in love when I got a good look at her (she's in the stall next to my three boys with her baby right now).

Baby has been sold and will be on his way to his new home as soon as he's weaned.

Mom will go back to her original home, where she has lived all of her life. Thing is, she's in perfectly good physical condition, but she is SO shy of people and wary: it's a job and a bit just to get a halter on her, never mind do any grooming. Where she lives, they breed miniatures, and she has been a brood mare all her adult life (she's about six or seven now), and is not handled or trained in any way other than to move her around for breeding and foaling purposes.

I got her to the point of accepting a treat from my hand, but she still won't let me or anyone other than her vet touch her. And she's bright as a button: she had the latches figured out on her stall in about a new york minute, and we had to install an outside slide bolt besides the loop latches we normally use.

So my questions are these: is this a normal way for a mini mare to live? Doesn't she need affection and caring from a people of her own in order to really thrive? And if some naive old gal sho shall remain for the moment nameless was to buy her and start working with her, do you think she could be trained even at this very late date to be anything other than a brood mare living more or less wild in a pasture?

Sign me

Curiousity is Killing Me

Leah M.

 

[nassaunellie]

We bought a mare who has that nature - she had been in with a huge herd of mares and was not handled individually. We also think she was pasture foaled and not imprinted at birth. That imprinting means so much for being able to handle them. Our girl is a doll and with gentle movements, kind treatment, and a consistent routine she let's us scrath her, handle her and groom her - but she'd still prefer not. She likes being scratched and when I stoop down and don't look her in the eye she'll stand still and let me scratch on her - when she's eating I can brush her a bit. I touch her gently every chance I get and talk to her all the time. She likes her home and her new small herd life but you can see her instincts get the best of her. Be patient and respect the instinctive side of her nature.

..and I have a gelding that came from a big herd situation with limited individual attention and he is exactly as described above. When I read the above post I thought she could have been referring to my horse! He is very smart but is wary no matter how much love, patience, and attention we have showered on him. He can't help it and we love him anyway. It's definitely worth the effort.