Help with tips for getting a headcollar on a

Devonshire dumpling

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21 month old Cob. He is loose in a field with other youngsters, we really want to get a headcollar on him start some ground work, but finding it impossible!

Week 1) he is very interested in us and we have lots of strokes (whole body) can can get a cob size headcollar on him but discover we can't do it up! lead him around barn no problems whatsoever

week 2) Buy him a full size headcollar and he doesn't like it whatsoever and won't allow it up over his nose and gets a bit jumpy

week 3) Is now a job to stroke him! Still interested in us and treats, but touch his neck and he jumps back, but will follow up if we do the submissive back turning, after 20 mins loses interest in us and grazes.

Other babies are interested in us, just not really him, feel like we are going back! Week 1 we could even pick his front feet up!

We can't enclose him in the barn , it's just a shelter without gates, we feel we have a bond with him now, he knows he is our horse when we go to the field he will always walk from the other side of the field to come to us, just will not let us near with the headcollar, he knows what it is!


Help please!
 
Maybe try catching him with just a leadrope. Let the leadrope hang behind his ears and then using a bit of excess rope to hold over his nose so he gets used to the feeling of a strap there. Rub the rope up and down his nose and let it slip off and slip it back on sometimes. Keep it lighthearted and like a game. And then gradually reintroduce the headcollar.

He needs to get used to the idea of something moving over and up his nose. I've done it with my youngsters. It's just hard to put into words.
 
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Thanks for the reply. Our problem is he isn't allowing us to touch him now, other than to get a treat.... am thinking perhaps we need to spend a week not touching him?
 
sounds to me like he is getting used to being out with other horses and is going feral. He has realised he doesn't have to come in so therefore is choosing not to. I would get him in that barn and use a double line of electric fencing to keep him in there until he realises that he must wear a headcollar and do as you request and by keeping him in there he will realise that he needs you too.
 
Agree with previous reply - he has got to have a headcollar on and sooner rather than later. You will have to get him in a stable or a small pen and and start with a rope over his neck and then loop it over his nose - head in a bucket of food generally helps! Try a headcollar with a buckle on the noseband so you can just have the head piece done up first and then do up the noseband - don't know if that makes sense!
 
I bought a pony which was a pain to get the head collar on (he didn't like his ears being touched or anyone going near them). I bought a field safe one and plaited his forelock on the head piece so he couldn't get it off with his feet. Now he' s great to catch and put head collars or bridles on.
 
I had a similar problem with a foal, in the end we managed to get a foal slip on, with a six inch bit of ribbon, the foal slip was left on as it would have broken if caught, there are headcollars which are "field-safe", I would try this, a good simple routine is needed with youngsters.
Can you give them all little feeds in a bucket so they get used to coming together every day.
 
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They are all in a good routine of coming into the barn each night for some haylage and a treat, the min the boy sees us any time of day he will walk up to us from across the other side of the field, he just does not allow us to touch him on his neck, of lift our arms, he is so suspicious of the headcollar or a leadrope. We intended yesterday to slip a leadrop over his neck, but not a chance, he's not terrified he will hop back and then come back to you, he keeps a safe distance from you. Is such a shame because week 1 we could touch him across his back, down his rump, and lift his front feet up! No worries whatsoever! Week 2, he didn't like the Full sized headcollar it jingled and we weren't really allowed to do more than over his nose, week 3 we buy a new non jingly headcollar and he won't let us near now, just can hand feed in barn!
Ps when its on it's staying on and we will put another on top and take off daily!
 
His history is he was bought from market as a very scrawny lice ridden, worm infested sorry soul with a headcollar on (probably put in a crush)... friend bought him and turned him loose with headcollar on and he wasn't really wanting to be caught! They had him gelded, deliced, dewormed, etc etc, she has had him since then, and he looks smashing all credit to her for feeling sorry for him and sorting him, she's a real angel as she didn't want the horses. He has moved home with her and once you get him he leads lovely in the headcollar... but now a few mths on he's ours and this is where we are ( tried to be nicely nicely with him as he probably thinks humans are vile
 
We are now on plan B lol... we are going to say hello for a min of 10 days and not attempting to put a headcollar on or anything, get his trust back, failing that we will catch the other 3 babies and shut the gate at the top of the drive and lead them down to the stables and he will follow, will then shut him in and get a headcollar on him that way, so he has 2 choices now ;)
 
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