Help with new colt please!!

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Nerys&Tully

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Hello, I bought myself a Welsh D colt that arrived today. He is 7 months old and is quite shy about people and contact anywhere but a rub on his star. I am having trouble getting a headcollar on him and need some advise. He doesnt mind me standing in front of him or a foot away anywhere around him but when I reach out to touch him anywhere but his forehead he turns and walks away. I try to talk quietly to him and just walk around the paddock with him so that he gets used to having me around. I was wondering if there was anything else I could do. I have also tried catching him with a feed but again if I reach out to him he walks away.
Please help,
Thank you
 
i cannot recommend enough a book by Sarah Weston called No Fear, No Force. Google Sarah - I think she calls herself Logical Horsemanship - and order one. I think it will be exactly what you need in your situation. Good luck! :)
 
tobiano said:
i cannot recommend enough a book by Sarah Weston called No Fear, No Force. Google Sarah - I think she calls herself Logical Horsemanship - and order one. I think it will be exactly what you need in your situation. Good luck! :)
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I agree, Sarahs book is great, I would get it asap
 
Have heard good things bout sarah weston's book.
Also would suggest that you try and get him into a stable for a few days so that you are providing all his food and then just sit there next to his feed and let him come to you - will take patience but they do come around. It's possible in a paddock but much easier in a stable where he can't move so far away (make sure he had company tho)
 
Nerys&Tully said:
Hello, I bought myself a Welsh D colt that arrived today. He is 7 months old and is quite shy about people and contact anywhere but a rub on his star. I am having trouble getting a headcollar on him and need some advise. He doesnt mind me standing in front of him or a foot away anywhere around him but when I reach out to touch him anywhere but his forehead he turns and walks away. I try to talk quietly to him and just walk around the paddock with him so that he gets used to having me around. I was wondering if there was anything else I could do. I have also tried catching him with a feed but again if I reach out to him he walks away.
Please help,
Thank you
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Drive him into a stable and work on him in an enclosed area until you can handle him.
 
I'd start firstly without the headcollar and get him used to touch and you being in his space.

Work up to him letting to scratch his withers like his mummy would have done, then work your way up to stroking his neck and working towards his head.

When he bis happy with you touching him do the same process with the head collar but make it really slow and calmly.

Another advocate for the book also!
 
Advance and retreat and lots of it. Have faith that they DO come round. I'd just add that Sarah's book is good but her techniques were of no help to us when our first unhandled, or should I say badly man/mishandled, arrived. She was super aggressive poor girl. If he is happy to be in your space then I think you shouldn't have much trouble with him. Pics!!!
 
Im another who says get him into a stable then do some basic handling. If you provide all food /water he will start to look for you arriving and associate you with positive things. Hang out in the stable with a radio, carrots and read a book!
 
Time, time, time and lots of food. He will settle; he's just a baby experiencing a whole new world at the moment. Give him a couple of weeks, go to see him often and offer something yummy; let him come to you.
 
It is only day one. He should have been put in a stable so you can handle him more easily. Why have you got a colt in the first place? without the knowledge to be able to manage him.
 
I've had Sarah Weston out to help with my boy when he was a baby! she was brilliant! my boy was unhandled when I got him but he loved attention straight away, so didn't need any help with that!

I would prob try with a treat in my hand and the head collar over my hand and get him to put his nose through the head collar to get the treat and just get his nose in further and further until he doesn't panic then do the head collar up! but you will just need to take time to build up his trust, it wont happen over night with some horses!
 
I bought myself a 7mth 6 weeks ago. I would agree with reading Sarah's book but also I put mine in a stable for the first week and did a lot of advance and retreat, I made an extension of my arm to work on my colt and also I sat in his stable on a stool reading out loud and when he did come to me I'd just let him sniff and not be to eager to touch all the time. You'd be surprised how quick they come on especially when your the feeding machine :-) its time, patience and trust but you'll get there!
 
AdorableAlice said:
Was there any need for that ?
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No there wasn't but it appears to have been that sort of day on here. I'm just about to take a break from this part of the forum for a few days tbh. Sick to the hind teeth of the sniping.

OP, lots of patience and consistency. He will come round eventually. Lots of good advice here so far. Good luck with him.
 
If a weanling is used to being with its mum and out on grass then the last thing Id ever do is stable one, been there and lost mine to colic. There is no way of knowing what caused it and I know lots of weanlings are stabled and do fine, but Id not be risking it another time unless it was already used to being in and on hay.

I now have a completely unhandled 3 year old. She was herded onto my trailer and once home I had her in a small electric fence turnout pen, probably about 20x20. I spent ages just sitting with her and she learned after 3 or 4 days that I meant food. We went from what you describe to very quickly her approaching as soon as I appeared with a bucket and she was happy for me to touch her, moving quietly and slowly of course. It really didnt take long after that to get a headcollar on and start working on teaching her to lead.

Good luck and enjoy your new baby :D
 
OP, just pm me if you get stuck. I took on a huge colt last year (Shire x) unhandled and extremely nervous. I have learnt as I went along, my lad is a bit extreme. You need to get him cut asap, well before the weather warms and flies get about.
 
NeverSeenSanta said:
If a weanling is used to being with its mum and out on grass then the last thing Id ever do is stable one, been there and lost mine to colic. There is no way of knowing what caused it and I know lots of weanlings are stabled and do fine, but Id not be risking it another time unless it was already used to being in and on hay.

I now have a completely unhandled 3 year old. She was herded onto my trailer and once home I had her in a small electric fence turnout pen, probably about 20x20. I spent ages just sitting with her and she learned after 3 or 4 days that I meant food. We went from what you describe to very quickly her approaching as soon as I appeared with a bucket and she was happy for me to touch her, moving quietly and slowly of course. It really didnt take long after that to get a headcollar on and start working on teaching her to lead.

Good luck and enjoy your new baby :D
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I hope your unhandled 3 year old turns out well, why anyone would not worm and tend to a youngsters feet is beyond me. That must have been a right mess, are her limbs correct or have the feet altered the angles ?
 
As someone who bought a youngster without realising the huge task ahead my tips would be to get him in a small space and dont leave things hoping he will come round as they only get bigger and stronger and harder to deal with (this was my mistake) Aim to progress constantly no matter how small the steps and how short the sessions

Use the headcollar to rub the pony over some time then undo all buckles and aim to get the headpiece done up first then the nose.
I had my pony sedated to have his teeth done and used that opportunity to get a fieldsafe headcollar on, once he had one on i was able to steady his head gently when touching him it was far easier than having no headcollar, getting a new headcollar on and off is easier if there is already one there underneath to gently hold and steady

Good luck with it
 
AdorableAlice said:
I hope your unhandled 3 year old turns out well, why anyone would not worm and tend to a youngsters feet is beyond me. That must have been a right mess, are her limbs correct or have the feet altered the angles ?
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thanks :) yes she is working out to be super, she has a lovely temperament and is naturally friendly so half the battle. Feet weren’t actually all that bad, Ive seen worse and she behaved better for my farrier than my mare ever does.
 
I would agree with those who recommend stabling. If you don't have an available stable, do you have a safe, older pony whom you can use as a companion? If so, the foal will,learn to follow that when you catch it in, and hopefully you will have a smaller yard area then, where you can start to handle the foal.
Is he on hard feed? If so, can you start to feed him from a bowl, and as he gets used to you, change to a Stubbs scoop, and then from your hand. Foals also love being scratched, so if you can get near his bum or neck to do so, that is likely to bring him round quicker than anything.
I personally dislike leaving head collars on foals, as they can get caught up, but when you do, make sure it is one that will break easily if the foal does do something silly, a leather one is obviously best for that reason.
Good luck.
 
I wouldn't dream of stabling him, it will stress him out, and youngsters need exercise for health and gut function.
If you want to be kind, put him in a small enclosure with another older horse - so he has room to move around but needs fed.
Feed older horse and him together, trying for these steps:
Day 1 Feed bucket on ground, stand as close as you can without touching him. Keep your body language soft.

Day 2 Get closer. Do not touch.

Day 3 Try to hold feed bucket while he eats.

Day 4 Hold feed bucket, stroke his neck.

Day 5 Stroke neck with rope as he eats. Try to drape rope over neck.

Day 6 As he eats, try to hold lead rope, gently closing it, get him used to little pulls.

Day 7 Put head collar in feedbowl so he has to eat through it and round it.

Day 8 Practise lifting noseband up and down nose. Also get him used to head piece going over head

Day 9 As above but hold it shut and pull on it gently.

Day 10 Fasten it

Day 11 Put head collar on at start of him eating

Day 12 Put head collar on before you allow him to eat.

Day 13 Loop rope through ring, and let him feel the weight

Day 14 Clip shortened lead rope on and so on.

Don't be tempted to leave a head collar on in the field - foals are idiots and it's not safe. If while you do the above, he moves away then let him: you've gone too fast. Patience is a virtue.

Oh, and lop its balls off ASAP, won't you?
S :)
 
Yes there is every need for my comment. Why would anyone buy an unhandled colt without knowledge and facilities to manage him? No amount of advice from this forum is going to arm the OP with the skill to handle him. Nor is it going to help by reading a book. Welsh sec Ds are strong and not for the in-experienced, and the likelyhood of the colt ending up god knows where is rather high. If the questions she has asked is anything to go by, she is not experienced to manage him. Why buy him, was he cheap??
 
justabob said:
Yes there is every need for my comment. Why would anyone buy an unhandled colt without knowledge and facilities to manage him? No amount of advice from this forum is going to arm the OP with the skill to handle him. Nor is it going to help by reading a book. Welsh sec Ds are strong and not for the in-experienced, and the likelyhood of the colt ending up god knows where is rather high. If the questions she has asked is anything to go by, she is not experienced to manage him. Why buy him, was he cheap??
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I did the same, June 2012, the experience is logged on My Next Equine Project, have a look. Life would be dull with challenges. Mine was dirt cheap, had I the experience ? possibly not. I asked for help and was greeted with much positivity. It is far nicer to be helpful rather than judgemental.
 
justabob said:
Yes there is every need for my comment. Why would anyone buy an unhandled colt without knowledge and facilities to manage him? No amount of advice from this forum is going to arm the OP with the skill to handle him. Nor is it going to help by reading a book. Welsh sec Ds are strong and not for the in-experienced, and the likelyhood of the colt ending up god knows where is rather high. If the questions she has asked is anything to go by, she is not experienced to manage him. Why buy him, was he cheap??
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I understand your point, and agree that an OP who has to ask such basic handling questions may find a Welsh D colt a challenge.
Given that she's bought him, we might as well all try to help with detailed advice. And, to be positive, at least she is asking and trying to do the right thing for him.
S :)
 
I have been less sucessful than AdorableAlice but agree with her comments

Its becoming more common as equines get cheaper and cheaper and people can either drive these owners away from useful resources like this or accept that these things will happen and offer advice

Its the people that dont ask for advice that i would be more worried about!
 
Arizahn said:
No there wasn't but it appears to have been that sort of day on here. I'm just about to take a break from this part of the forum for a few days tbh. Sick to the hind teeth of the sniping.

OP, lots of patience and consistency. He will come round eventually. Lots of good advice here so far. Good luck with him.
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Don't go! I like to hear from another owner of a connie youngster. OP, get him stabled and feed and water him. Ime don't give him a companion right now he should be looking to you for direction, horses are an highly socialised species that can adapt very well to interacting with humans.
 
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