Handling youngsters

Omarkiam

Omarkiam

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Asking this question on behalf of a friend but also for my own experience!

She has a 1 year old new forester, did have him headcollared when she purchased him but now he has managed to somehow get it off, and catching him is impossible because he is very backhappy, too be fair it's a 5 acre field so fighting a losing battle anyway really!

So where should we start with the catching? I need to get a headcollar on him (I have offered to help bring him on), and I need to workout a way to catch him, should I fence of a small bit by the gate and corner him? But I don't want to frighten him, he is only about 11.2hh at the moment, maybe just under, but being so backhappy he could still do some serious damage, do I have any other options?

And once caught and headcollared, how should I continue catching him without having to chase him around? Who else here has or has had youngsters, how did you start doing the basics with them?
 
I'm lucky that I have had mine from day 1 so this has never been a problem as he comes to call and sticks his head in his halter for me .... patience and perseverance must be the only way (and maybe a little food but I might get shot for saying that lol) A smaller area must help too, what does he think when his mates get caught ??
 
Could you set up a pen to feed him in (need only be a corrot in a bucket) and progress to closing him in the pen whilst to fed once he is happy with the routine and go from there? When mine was a baby she was won over by food!!
 
Lady - He looks and sometimes comes over but as you approach him, he just runs away

Saffron - Yeah I thought about doing that, and I think that will be my next step!
 
I have a pony that has been here four months and I have only just managed to get a headcollar on him, he was just so nervous. I made a point of giving him a small feed twice a day and standing nearby getting closer each day until I could give him a scratch on the withers and a gentle brushing.

At the sight of a rope he was off so no chance with a headcollar. I even made him have his feed with the rope dangling over the bucket but no good. Eventually the scratches on the withers progressed to both sides of his neck, almost giving him a bit of a hug, lol.

I finally caught him by putting a soft cord dog lead up my sleeve and during his neck cuddles slipped it quietly around his neck. After doing this for a few days I had a soft headcollar in my jacket and buckled that around his neck too. When he lifted his head from his grub I just gently slipped it over his nose, job done !.

It probably sounds a bit fluffy bunny but this pony was genuinely frightened and needed the farrier and this seemed the kindest way rather than chasing him around. I later found out that he had been treated very roughly in the past when he had an ear mite infestation and had to be held and treated, poor chap.

I did try feeding him in a pen put together with sheep hurdles but he crashed straight through them. He is only 11hh but a little power pack when he was scared or felt threatened.
 
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I have seen what you mean - my friend has bought a colt 2 months older than mine and can not get near him really dispite having him home in a small paddock since Christmas and feeding him every day - he just eyeballs her from afar !


I think routine and handling helps - I bring in each day for a feed so that he's being lead and understands personal space + being in a box, picking his feet up etc - I haven't tied him up yet but I imagine if I leave him with food first he will be fine .... loves his grub my little dude lol
 
Hello :)

I know excatly what your going through.

We bought a 6month old to keep my horse company on our field. When we got him the headcollar that was on him was so tight, he wouldnt let us near him and it was making his nose so sore. He must of been very scared.

At first i would just take his tea to him and leave him. After a few days he would let me sit near him whilst he had his tea. We needed to get this headcollar of him, he seemed to like me but no one else so i had to tempt him with food to get him in the trailer and then my mums boyfriend went in and took the headcollar off. He must off been really worried but we had to get it off because it had made his nose very sore.
He then really didnt like my mums boyfriend and it was only me that could get near him, i would just sit in the field with him.

He would let me stroke his bum but wouldnt let me anywhere near his face. About a month later, he would let me stroke him all over, i got him used to having the leadrope on his neck and body and then a good couple of months later he finally let me put a rope headcollar on i just kept putting it on and taking it off everyday, making sure to praise him and give him a stroke. As soon as it tightened tho he didnt like it. He would let me do anything to him but was still very worried about other people. Its took alot of time and patience but he then trusted me to put a proper headcollar on :) Oh and that lil lad trusted me enough that he would then let my boyfriend come over and stroke him. He likes to come to you, he chooses to be your friend.

I am abit upset at the mo, this lil lad who i nicknamed my shy boy he is nearly 2 years old now and i have now put my horse on a yard so for now this lil lad is at my mums boyfriends field and he still doesnt like my mums boyfriend hes alot better than he was tho he used to run away from him lol.
I wasnt supposed to be keeping him and i havent got the time or money to keep 2 on a yard :( I really hope i can find him a lovely caring home.

Just be patient with this lil lad and let him know that he can trust you. Keep up the good work. You will get there with him :)

Ps Sorry its long hun, hope you dont mind :)

xxxx
 
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When I got my mare as an 'unhandled' 2yr old she got her headcollar off. In the end my dad roped her for me, we just couldnt get close - the only time she'd been handled previously was very badly and she was very, very nervous. My dad got her first go (used to regularly rope his cattle playing cowboy lol :D ) and once I'd got her she settled down very quickly. Tbh it was worth her being scared for 5 mins - I got the headcollar on and gave her loads of fuss (and food ;) ) and she learnt very quickly not all humans were bad :)
 
First of all chucking a semi feral pony out onto a 5 acre field was probably not the most sensible idea ever!
When we first got one of ours, I lost count of the times he tried to double barrel me. A month indoors being handled every day, starting with a glove on a long stick, progressing down to your hand.
If you leave him out, you are giving him the space to flee. Until he knows that nothing bad is going to happen to him, he needs to be inside.
 
First of all, thank you too everyone for your replies, took me ages too read but has been so much help!!

As for chucking him into a 5 acre, I did no such thing! Livery near me is virtually impossible to get too, and this was the field he was originally in so he knows it well! He would aways let me scratch him etc, it was just the headcollar, so all I did in the end was put it in his field bowl and when he put his head in the field bowl, he put his nose directly into the headcollar and that was it, it was on, now I can catch him first time everytime.

Thank you for all your help its been great!
 
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