Training my new filly...

[novachick]

I've posted on here several times about my new mini, Goldilocks. She's a 8 month old filly that we've had for about 2 months now.

I started working on her with ground manners and leading, but our fenced in area is either all muddy with the melting snow and warmer temps or it's really icy. So when I go out to work with her, I think we are both a bit unsteady and it doesn't make our training very productive. I don't feel comfortable taking her outside the fenced area yet, because gets really spooked and crazy. Will it hurt to hold off on formal lead training until spring and just interact with her now on a more informal manner...when feeding, closing her up for the night, grooming...etc?

I don't want to take a step backwards, but right now I feel like we are spinning our wheels because of the mud.

 

[Riverdance]

I will not hurt to wait and may be better. No need to spook her by falling on the ice with her.

I start bringing in my show yearlings in February. I have not done much with them since they were born, short of hoof triming and feeding with pats on their backs. Once I get them in, there will be lots of handling and loving and exercise. They gentlue fast with all of that.

 

[ruffian]

You can do a lot by just tying her and brushing and handling her. You don't need to out in the muck, mud and cold. Work on running your hands all over her body, including feet and under her belly, her ears, etc. Scratching her back will make her happy too! That will help improve your communication when the weather clears and you can get outside, and you will both be more comfortable with each other.

 

[Black Magic]

We have our first foal.. RoRo and our friend who trains TBs was always bugging the heck out of me to work with him. He's eight mos now... As he's gotten older he has been easier to handle. We also own his half brother who we called Horsezilla... Well, Horsezilla we couldn't do anything with.. we were too scared of him when we purchased him at the age of THREE.. no one had ever worked with him and even putting a lead line on him was taking one's life in their own hands. I think his brain came in with the mail one day. and he is now the best driving horse. He was doing trails after just four days of working.

We have a rescue Greyhound and I think his brain came in the snail mail too... now we have two wonderful animals... but those young years were horrible.

Our Horsezilla... does the Florida Greenway.. across the land trail bridge. Often the large horses on the trail will start to freak.. (the what the heck is that?) Mag just stands perfectly still and is never bothered by the on lookers. He does about eight miles one way on the trail and we turn around. My only problem has been cart tires going flat... lol..

Best of luck.... don't sweat the small stuff... and remember.. you telegraph your own feelings... so... if you are tense... horse is gonna freak...

God Bless,

Lynn W

 

[novachick]

Thanks for the reassurance everyone! I just feel like we are both a bit uneasy out in the mud and that isn't sending a good signal to her that I am sure of myself and in charge of the situation. Sometimes we are too worried about our footing to really pick up on each others cues.

We always spend a lot of time in the barn brushing and petting her at least 2-3 times a day. Actually for the first time today, she let me pet and brush her EVERYWHERE without getting upset

...so we have made huge strides since she got here. I feel a lot better hearing that other people kind of take the winter off and that I won't have a raging maniac horse when I start working with her in the spring.

THANKS!

 

[Sanny]

Don't worry about the "formal training" right now. In my opinion horses AND kids learn the most when they don't even realize you are teaching (or training) and it will pay off for you later if right now you focus on playing around and having fun and getting to know her better and building her trust in you. Later when the weather is better and you can focus more on formal training she will trust you and be a more confident willing worker. If you have a barn, you can also still work on basics now too, manners and such and even in the barn maybe work on halter training, showmanship, pivoting, learn to go over different obstacles in the aisle, etc. We even put rubber mats in our barn aisle and set up a couple of jumps and taught horses to jump last winter that way. If you have the room in the barn and you are starting her in driving you could also introduce her to a bitting rig and basic groundwork up and down the aisle.

 

[Indian*R*A*I*N*Dance]

you can work w/ her on sacking out. which is just getting her use to anything all over her body. like take your hand and run it over her, a plastic bag, brush, coat, halter, lead, anything thats in your tack room. you can also work with her on standing still, squaring up, yeilding, turning etc. small things that you can do in the stall. Its really snowy here but Rain (8 months old, ive had him for 4 months) is like a mountain horse, he'll walk over anything so i don't really have a problem leading but i do small circles, sacking out and getting him use to lunging. We also let him and the 4h 5 yr old mini gleding out in my yard (fenced in) and they just spend forever cantering, chasing eachother and playing in the snow which helps w/ energy since Rain is a hyper lil colt.

 

[Jill]

I have two current yearlings (3/07 and 6/07 babies) and my strategy all along was to "wait" to really work with them until this spring. So, for what it's worth, I think it's okay to do so.