Gaining trust after a bad experience.

[cumbriamax]

Hello all, just wanting any advice on gaining trust of a pony after a bad experience.

I bought a fell pony colt at the end of 2019, turned him out with one the same age and two that were a year older.

He couldn't be gelded in the spring as the vets were only doing urgent visits due to covid so he was gelded in late September or early October, can't quite remember. After he was gelded he got an infection and we were left injections with antibiotics from the vets. This pony Hated being injected (same for other injections) however we are now 18 months later and he still won't trust me to the point where someone else has to catch him (he's fine when caught). This pony sees me everyday and is fed etc but I think he just associates me with getting the injections. Recently a hormanship lady (feel like I've tried everything) has been to help out but really struggling. I've had nervous horses before and one's that have had unpleasant experiences for them vet procedures etc but non have been as unwilling to forgive as this little chap. Any ideas welcome.

 

[bonny]

Hello all, just wanting any advice on gaining trust of a pony after a bad experience.

I bought a fell pony colt at the end of 2019, turned him out with one the same age and two that were a year older.

He couldn't be gelded in the spring as the vets were only doing urgent visits due to covid so he was gelded in late September or early October, can't quite remember. After he was gelded he got an infection and we were left injections with antibiotics from the vets. This pony Hated being injected (same for other injections) however we are now 18 months later and he still won't trust me to the point where someone else has to catch him (he's fine when caught). This pony sees me everyday and is fed etc but I think he just associates me with getting the injections. Recently a hormanship lady (feel like I've tried everything) has been to help out but really struggling. I've had nervous horses before and one's that have had unpleasant experiences for them vet procedures etc but non have been as unwilling to forgive as this little chap. Any ideas welcome.

That's a long time to hold a grudge and I feel for you, I cant see what would help other than to carry on as you are and hope he gets over it.

 

[Tiddlypom]

Can you stable him for a while, and handle him every day in the stable? Keep his headcollar on.

 

[Goldenstar]

I would do as TP suggests and never let anyone handle him except you for a while at the very least only you should give home food and water .
I would spend time in his stable reading a book .
I used to part own a mare with a vet if she spotted her in a boiler suit she legged it .

 

[cumbriamax]

Thank you, yes he seems to be quite good at holding grudges. I think I'm going to have to resort to stabling him, it just seems a bit mean to keep him in as spring is coming. Im the one who feeds him and the others (token feeds really as they are fells/natives and don't really need it. I put his hay in also. Others just help with catching him outside. It's so frustrating as he came from the fells and progressed really well, could catch him in field but he's clearly not going to forget the injections in a hurry.

 

[stangs]

The injections were a traumatic experience for him. He doesn’t know they were necessary, so why would he forget them?

Ultimately, you need to rewire his brain through conditioning him to associate you with good things. Like being the feed deliverer, or offerer of sporadic and irregular treats (more of a dopamine high than scheduled feeds), chief giver of scratches when tied up etc. Turn him out sometimes in a lunge pen if you have one - leave him be with some water, then sit near a pile of hay but ignore him. Let him start to accept your presence - and then to like you - in his own time.

The old saying comes to mind - if you act like you have all the time in the world, it’ll take five minutes…

 

[cumbriamax]

Thanks Stangs, yes I understand he found injections traumatic and he won't forget them.
I've been doing lots of scratches especially over the fence as he seems more likely to come to me when there's a fence there he must perceive that there is less chance of an injection over the fence.

We don't have a lunge pen but could look at leaving him on yard/small paddock area.

 

[Ratface]

Many years ago, I had a New Forest youngster dumped on me. The owner decided they "(couldn't) be bothered with it any more". She'd been put in one of our paddocks and left for weeks. I kept an eye on her, to check her overall welfare, but hadn't handled her directly.
On informing the owner of their field rent bill, and being told to "whistle for it", I informed him that I would take the filly in payment. He said a generic version of "Please yourself".
My first effort to get alongside the youngster was to sit in the corner of the field with a book and some carrots. I ignored the filly and read the book, occasionally eating a carrot and making plenty of crunching noises whilst doing so. Filly was in my face within half an hour: carrots eventually led to contact, to me standing up, plus contact and eventually getting a small headcollar on her. Leading and overall handling followed. Within six months, we were winning frillies in local showing classes. Eventually, she went to a family with sensible children and lived out a happy life as a Pony Club star and happy hack.
Patience is all!

 

[Sandstone1]

Can you go right back to basics. Try the book no fear no force by Sarah weston. Its really for feral ponies but is very good.
Positive reinforcement should really help. I dont think horses " Hold a grudge" as such. They just remember bad experiences and being hurt. He would have been in pain from the castration and infection and then a human started sticking needles in to him.

 

[southerncomfort]

Might be worth asking on the Registered Fell Pony FB page..?

Lots of owners and breeders on there and an absolute wealth of knowledge. Fell ponies can be quite odd creatures sometimes!

Mine has become obsessed by the house further up our road. He stands and stares at it for so long that he forgets to eat. We've started referring to it as the haunted house on the hill!

 

[cumbriamax]

Thanks, the ignoring him approach is what I've been going for up to now and at times he is curious but he's very much a fell pony and is at times quite happy to be ignored. I will perhaps try it in a yard where he has no food so he has to come to me.

Yes, perhaps bearing a grudge was the wrong phraseology for me to use.

Maybe it's time for me to start using Facebook as it seems to bea source of information.

I've spoken to some of the old breeders around and had some advice but I think it's just going to take time.

Southern Comfort, wow after all the fells I've had I've never had one that's forgotten to eat before. They can be strange though. I feel out of all the fells I've had this is the one that most misses the fell life, even before his bad experience he was a very independent pony (could catch him, brush him and stuff like that) but he has a more independent nature.

I'm heartened by the fact that others can still catch him though. he is very smart, traditional looking fell pony and quite chunky although I think he'll be up to height when finished growing.

 

[southerncomfort]

Thanks, the ignoring him approach is what I've been going for up to now and at times he is curious but he's very much a fell pony and is at times quite happy to be ignored. I will perhaps try it in a yard where he has no food so he has to come to me.

Yes, perhaps bearing a grudge was the wrong phraseology for me to use.

Maybe it's time for me to start using Facebook as it seems to bea source of information.

I've spoken to some of the old breeders around and had some advice but I think it's just going to take time.

Southern Comfort, wow after all the fells I've had I've never had one that's forgotten to eat before. They can be strange though. I feel out of all the fells I've had this is the one that most misses the fell life, even before his bad experience he was a very independent pony (could catch him, brush him and stuff like that) but he has a more independent nature.

I'm heartened by the fact that others can still catch him though. he is very smart, traditional looking fell pony and quite chunky although I think he'll be up to height when finished growing.

He's a funny old soul, he gets worried about the most curious things but is an absolute diamond under saddle.

It's funny what you say about missing life on the fells. I certainly think that my boy misses being in a large family herd. I think he feels like he has to be on high alert all the time.

I'm sure you'll find the answer with your lad. You've plenty of experience of the breed and you know how they think.

 

[cumbriamax]

He's a funny old soul, he gets worried about the most curious things but is an absolute diamond under saddle.

It's funny what you say about missing life on the fells. I certainly think that my boy misses being in a large family herd. I think he feels like he has to be on high alert all the time.

I'm sure you'll find the answer with your lad. You've plenty of experience of the breed and you know how they think.

I think I just asked on here for reassurance really, I think I knew it was going to take time.

I really think that some fells adapt very well to life away from the open fell. Some of them seem to quite like the food supply, the shelter and a bit of attention. I had one last year Heltondale/Well brow breeding who really took to stable life.
I've grown up around fells and part bred fells as there are a number of breeders locally and others that breed from one or two mares. I remember going to the New Forest as a child and wanting a New Forest pony.