How long has it took you to bond with your horse ... ?

[Greyhound]

Just a nosey post

I know it will be horses for courses again, but I am interested to hear how long it has taken you to bond with your horse? Or are you still on the path?

I am still on the path personally, but that is what I expected.

 

[Scoopy]

I am still on the path, 7 months ago when i bought him, he stood at the back of the stable, with his head down, now he is at the front of the stable waiting for me to turn up yay, but its all about trust with my boy, and we have built a strong friendship up, but still on the path ....................

 

[BBs]

With Bertie we bonded instantly - Arnie dont think we ever really bonded - Bally, one long rocky road - Winston definitely bonded with him instantly, but results didnt start to show until last year which was after 2 years of owning him.

 

[Murphs_Mum]

Felt a connection with him straight away but I guess it was a few months. He's always been in livery before so I think he quite likes having a permanent face in his life!

 

[Claireg9]

Well we bonded the moment she arrived, she is very suspicious due to a bad life though so she still has wobbles, but our bond just gets stronger and stronger every day. One example of this is she will only allow me to put on her head mask, it takes me about five minutes to persuade her normally but she wont let anyone else do it not even my mum who sees 4-5 times a week as well! Whilst this is annoying if my mum has to do her as she ends up without it on it is sweat that she only trusts me enough to do it!
Theres lots of examples like this with her but the bond is strong now and i dont think there is anything i couldnt do to her given patience and understanding

big grins

 

[SillyMare]

Not sure I have bonded with Lexi yet (almost 2 years now) - we have good days and bad days.

Merry is such an angel - think that took about 2 weeks (and I am not supposed to be bonding with him - am supposed to be selling him in the spring).

 

[sham]

My eldest mare it took me about 3/4 years. With her daughter we bonded within a few weeks

 

[JoBo]

I would say ‘still on the path’, had Otto 10 months now and we have had our highs and lows. I think I bonded with Ella almost instantly but as my husband keeps reminding me (when I have a downer on Otto) that there were tears at the beginning with her too.

 

[Gingernags]

Well she was mine from the second she was conceived and I delivered her so instant from my side, but maybe days from her side

I've really enjoyed having a home bred! Now happily plotting the next one!

 

[kayleigh_and_rocky]

me and rock bonded instantly and have the strongest bond now a year on, hes always seen me as the one for him lol bless him

 

[CSYMolly]

I would say we got on from the start but as far as proper bonding especially riding wise would say over a year. Have had her 3 years now and actually the past 1.5yrs when I ahve been going up before and after work has really helped too, she even neighs at me in the morning now aaaghhh.

 

[Chumsmum]

I would say about 8 months when it all clicked - about the same time as we moved yards and also about the same time that he had back problems and I couldn't ride him. He had looked after me (my first horse and I'm a novice rider) and now he needed me to be there for him. I had to massage him etc and I can't believe how closer it brought us. I never realised before the bond you have with horses and it still amazes me the trust we have in each other.
Though I have still got to convince him that tractors will not eat him...

 

[spotty_pony]

about 4 months

 

[Super_Kat]

Storm - 4 freaking years
Allie - Instantly
Missy - I don't really want o bond with her because otherwise I woul't be able to bring myself to sell her so we have purely a working relationship going on

 

[Heidi1]

Took me about 2 years give or take to bond with my big girl, we trust each other more and more each time, still on the path with the other two, but getting there............

 

[buffy2]

poppy i bonded with straight away, bethan has taken a lot longer,but four years on we have a lot more trust.

 

[SSM]

Is this bonded? yes she is giving me a full on the lips kiss

 

[4whitesocks]

on the ground we bonded in the first few months - in fact on Saturday I had tacked him up and we were both in the stable & was about to go off and get hat/back protector etc and he decided to have a sniffathon...(haven't seen him in a few days nor had he been ridden or handled)...ten minutes in and his head was just sitting on my shoulder sniffing my left ear...we stayed that way for about 10 minutes, just looking out the stable door at the world...
Riding we still have a bit to go, as he's only just 5 and this is his first year of work he really needs reassurance and confidence from me and sometimes I can't give it..but we'll get there!

 

[Sarah1]

Well I've had Bailey just over 6 months and we have a lovely relationship - he trusts me more than anyone else (probably more than he ever has trusted a human due to him being passed from pillar to post til he came to me!) and will do anything I ask, even if he's a bit wary about it!
When I first got him he hated have his ears touched and I was told to keep his headcollar on in the field incase he didn't want to be caught plus he was quite nervous and didn't like you putting your hand up to his face suddenly - now he comes to call, will let me touch his ears for ages and doesn't show any signs of nerves, he's a super chilled angel! He's like a big dog and will follow me round the field!
He does have his moments though - like yesterday when he was soooooo grumpy for some unknown reason but he got reminded of his manners and came round a bit!
I think our relationship is excellent after only 6 months but I'm sure it will only get better so I'll say we're still on the path!

 

[Parkranger]

I think we clicked instantly but only a week into our relationship!

He gave me a kiss last night over the door before I left but he's very jumpy on the ground sometimes bless him - not used to being faffed around with so much - he'll get there though - he's such a cracker! x

 

[RunToEarth]

We are still on a learning curve, headshy horse, doesnt like men, has very little trust. When I bought him he couldnt be shoed behind, he was a nightmare to clip and he hated...most things. Now shod all round no problem, clipped out fine inc legs, a little bit of a worrier when it comes to touching his little ears, I dont think he will ever forget those, but on the whole I have a horse who trusts me an awful lot.

 

[H's mum]

H and I didn't get on at all for a LONG time - we're talking years - It took a few nights nursing H whilst she colicked before we bonded - It was wierd how sitting on the stable floor holding her head in my lap seemed to break all barriers with both of us - Since then - we've been so close - I just love her to bits and I think she me now!

Kate x

 

[vicm2509]

I felt a bond right away (he whinnied at me when he saw me after 3 days), riding wise about 2 months and one day I just felt we clicked but in some respects were still on the path. I find now (after 4 months) he respects me more and I trust him more. He is a very laid back horse though, besides when out hacking on his own!

 

[vicijp]

My horse nuzzled me for the first time the other day, I foaled him 6 years ago.

 

[Laafet]

It took me a year to bond as a team and now after seven years this summer he let me stroke him and sit with him while he lay down, no one have ever done this with him so I guess you can say we are truly bonded now

 

[Nikiolola]

Had my horse a year and a half. It's only in the last couple of months I feel we're really working together. Before, she looked after me, then we couldn't get along at all. Now she if perfect, and I know how to ride her and handle her the way she likes, so we have really clicked now

 

[SueAllen]

I'm still on the path after a year and a bit. I was very much in awe of him when I bought him (he is my first horse and looked after me so well out hunting that I went with most things that he wanted) now I realise that in order for our relationship to work I have to tell him how I want things done but still be aware of what he is trying to do. He nickers when I turn up and he is stabled and having him at home (which we can do most of the year) makes a lot of difference as I see him several times as the field is next to the garden.

Whether you beleive in these things or not when Sara Coppin did a distant 'reading' from him he 'described' his ex owner rather than me as he was staying at her yard for the winter. So the bonding will take a time I think but it's getting there.

 

[MagicMelon]

Bonded with one boy within say 4 months but then he's such a quiet and accepting boy.

My Welsh Cob - well I feel I will probably always be on the path. I think we have 'bonded' to a degree as he is starting (finally!) to respect me and shows a MASS of affection which he never used to (he was a horrid bolshy kicker to begin with!), but I still feel we have a way to go. But its weird, I feel we have more of a connection than I do with my other boy, I think just because he has such a massive personality there is so much to know about him so he has taught me so so much!

 

[KJJ]

Jaggles and I bonded the second I got on!!!

He came home with me a content happy boy who loved his new (soft) mummy instantly!!!

 

[tinker512]

Sprite....well came back to us at about 5 month old and had been out in the field wild for that time.......but it took 2 weeks to really get going...and then that was if from then on....

Solo.....a bitch!!Never really bonded with her...had an evil eye.....

Ellie....can't really remember I was that young....first memory of her I have is me feeding her some grass through the fence...and that was it...best buds from then there

Same as can't remember Penny or Nobby!!

Kassi...now that took a good 3 months.I thought she hated me!!She was lazy and just worked completely against m, but then I got a better rider and we eventually bonded...boy wish I could have them days back....