Nervous filly just arrived from Ireland.

I will put a little caveat in for the OP, and that is to ensure the filly does not become totally linked up to her companion. Factor in time alone both in the stables and in the paddock. Actually use the companion pony as an education tool, ie when the filly is ready for a foot trim have the pony alongside, but very very careful about using the companion as a permanent crutch for the filly because it will come back to haunt you in the future.

It is far easier to teach independence to a young horse that it ever is to a mature horse.
 
Pinkvboots said:
horses don't cope living on there own especially not youngsters, and I am not convinced they are happy living with other species either.
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Horses DO cope with being on their own. They adapt. It's not always the best, but it happens. I do agree that youngsters need to live with other horses.

Also, if you don't think a horse is happy living with other species then you are very welcome to come visit my horse, who absolutely loves his companions.
Lots of horses across the UK will have a non-horse companion and they will be very happy.

But I'm not going to argue about it more. As I said further up, a yearling is different to a 3 year old (who can also be called a filly) and they do need company to learn manners and basic interaction skills.
 
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AdorableAlice said:
I will put a little caveat in for the OP, and that is to ensure the filly does not become totally linked up to her companion. Factor in time alone both in the stables and in the paddock. Actually use the companion pony as an education tool, ie when the filly is ready for a foot trim have the pony alongside, but very very careful about using the companion as a permanent crutch for the filly because it will come back to haunt you in the future.

It is far easier to teach independence to a young horse that it ever is to a mature horse.
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This is what I'm worried about, I also don't want her getting anxious when her pal isn't there :/
 
Once you can catch and handle her without issue, you can then work on separating them for short periods of time.

For example you could start by feeding the Shetland in the stable and the filly outside. Once they've finished eating they go back out together. Then build up to doing a few minutes of leading in hand (halt, walk on, turning) before putting them back out together. Eventually you should be able to leave the shetland in the stable and and take the filly for a proper in hand walk without fuss. This would then of course mean that you could hack her or go out to a show or lesson once she's old enough.
 
SilverFilly said:
This is what I'm worried about, I also don't want her getting anxious when her pal isn't there :/
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Don't be worried, you can make it work, just always be thinking ahead and do the training and confidence work in small bits. There is a good book or two about raising youngstock but I can't remember who wrote them.

My advice for what it is worth, and learnt from my nervous horse, is - Do not start something you are not prepared to finish, set yourself up to succeed and not fail. Do not move goal posts with young horses. An example of this is manners at the door, no matter how much of a hurry you are in or even if you are just topping water up etc, you teach the horse to step back when you approach the door, it does as asked every time and you insist it does it every time. Do not be inconsistent with the discipline because it is constant, kind and repeated rules that will make that nervous horse a confident happy horse.

So with your companion pony just keep separating them, obviously do it safely and you do need appropriate safe facilities to do it, do it often and then, just like the door training, it will become easy.
 
Thank you all.
Nova has been here nearly a week, I've spent a lot of time sat in her field with her, feeding her, just letting her explore. She follows me, smells me, tries to mess my hair up! But alas, I cannot touch her, nor catch her. I'm assuming her companion will help with that when she arrives? I have big plans for Nova when she's grown up and I just want her to feel better about the world
 
She wants to be near me because when I'm sat in her field she eats around me. I just don't understand her :') guess it's just mares!
 
Give it time. My most recent RSPCA foster filly was a terrified feral yearling when she was taken in at one of their rescue centres. It was months before anyone could touch her. Her allocated handler worked carefully and consistently with her, and by the time she came to me at rising 2 she could be caught, groomed, feet trimmed etc. Her confidence was still fragile, but I just carried on the RSPCA's good initial work by calmly handling her every day.

She is now at age 3 very happily settled in her forever home and loves being fussed and doing stuff.
 
It's only been a week, that's actually not very long. Although I can understand it will feel that way to you, it can take a lot of hours especially if she's not been handled very sympathetically previously. Have you got Sarah Weston's book, No Fear No Force? I don't know if anyone's mentioned that to you but you may find it helpful.
 
Blurr said:
It's only been a week, that's actually not very long. Although I can understand it will feel that way to you, it can take a lot of hours especially if she's not been handled very sympathetically previously. Have you got Sarah Weston's book, No Fear No Force? I don't know if anyone's mentioned that to you but you may find it helpful.
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I will look it up :) yeah a week feels ages to us but not to her I guess!

I would love to learn some tips and techniques that the RSPCA would have used to help That little filly! They work wonders with nervous horses (my girl is definitely not ferel but she's just not been handled properly)
 
SilverFilly said:
Thank you all.
Nova has been here nearly a week, I've spent a lot of time sat in her field with her, feeding her, just letting her explore. She follows me, smells me, tries to mess my hair up! But alas, I cannot touch her, nor catch her. I'm assuming her companion will help with that when she arrives? I have big plans for Nova when she's grown up and I just want her to feel better about the world
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If she is still living alone she is scared and lonely and even though she is scared of you you are better than nothing. Have you got much longer before she can have some company? She must, deep down, be a sensible little thing, many 'babies' kept alone would have panicked and hurt themselves.
 
Clodagh said:
If she is still living alone she is scared and lonely and even though she is scared of you you are better than nothing. Have you got much longer before she can have some company? She must, deep down, be a sensible little thing, many 'babies' kept alone would have panicked and hurt themselves.
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It's not long now before the companion comes home. She hasn't panicked once, just quite happy eating and minding her own business. I bought her one as soon as I discovered it's the best thing for her, I will get her home asap
 
I got a 6 month old Shetland as a companion for Trev. She was v v nervous to start with, but quite quickly took a steer from him. E.g. I would sit patiently with a carrot for her & she'd come so near but no further, and after a certain length of time I'd quietly get up & give the carrot to Trev. She seemed to work out v quickly that if he wasn't bothered, then she shouldn't be bothered either. She is now 2 & perfectly fine to handle, lead, groom, do feet etc. She is also fine to separate as she has always come in & been left in while he's working. I would echo that you should only try to do something with her if you've got the time to be consistent & finish it. E.g. don't try to catch if you've only got 5 minutes.
 
SilverFilly said:
Yep she does! But I can't get near her to try and attach a short line to it to help me catch her. She comes up to me but as soon as I move or try to touch her she turns away or tries to snap
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'tries to snap' ? as in bite you ? If she is attempting to bite you I would be inclined to think she is less frightened of you than you might think she is.
 
the sooner you get a companion in the easier it will be for you. she needs an older pony to put manners on her if she's being snappy.

The key with any of the rescue foals i had was to find their scratchy points, once you find the special spot they relax a lot more!
 
AdorableAlice said:
'tries to snap' ? as in bite you ? If she is attempting to bite you I would be inclined to think she is less frightened of you than you might think she is.
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Yeah she's a snappy little missus when she doesn't want to do something. Quickly backs off though when I tell her "no!" She just need some teaching some manners by me and another horse. Her companion is arriving in a couple of days will keep you posted!
 
AdorableAlice said:
Don't despair OP, time will sort everything out. I have been exactly where you are now and all of the advice you have been given is relevant, but each horse is an individual and in my case giving a companion didn't help my feral horse at all, he had no interest in a friend and had no interest in me.

I had to herd him into a barn and kept him in the barn for a good while and just sat reading a magazine until curiosity made the horse (11 months old) come a little closer to me. He had no real interest in food and certainly would not put his head in a bucket. It took a long while to get a halter on him. I used an ancient soft leather headcollar with 8 inches or so of old lunge line tied on to it. Gradually I could get hold of it and start to teach him to lead. There is a humorous account of his antics on a thread written by me, 'my next equine project'. I learnt a lot bringing this horse up and yes he had single turn out for a good while for the simple reason of he had to want to be with me and me only. I think he was a good 18 months old before he had a friend in the shape of a broodmare who did a good job of teaching him field manners.

Once they do start to trust you it is a real achievement and incremental steps can be made to further their education. Good luck you will get there.
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This ^^^^
i tamed a wild new forest pony back in the day. Took the other ponies out the field and then sat in the field with a book. The pony was curious, like yours, but still too nervous to be caught. It just takes patience and practice, maybe a few days. A bucket of carrots helps because you can throw them in front of the pony to start, and progress to holding them in your hand when she becomes bolder.
Good Luck, it will happen.
 
Tiddlypom said:
How much experience do you have with horses, particularly young ones, OP?
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I have ridden for 22 years and owned horses for 12 of those so I would say a lot of experience. I've had one baby in the past and broke him myself but she is completely different to him
 
I am sure the friendly Shetland will help loads. Your horse may need to learn what a bucket is for, some feral ponies have not seen one before and don’t associate it with food. A feral pony will learn a lot from an older experienced horse.
 
Tiddlypom said:
How much experience do you have with horses, particularly young ones, OP?
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My worry
A yearling not only needs equine company but it needs company of a similar age to play and learn with .
It must be terrified by itself , surely you would never buy one and put it in that situation, if you had the experience required.
Just noticed the date on this post but anyone else reading please do not buy a youngster without doing your homework on what is required to help them grow into a happy stable adult .
 
only_me said:
A horse can function perfectly well with non-horse companions. Billy lives with his donkeys and alpacas and very happy.
A lot of horses only have single turn out too.

Op I would put a leather headcollar on, attach a small bit of rope and just visit her everyday with some food and just in general be seen by her so she knows who you are.
She's been taken away from her only known home so is probably just frightened, that would happen no matter how long she spent traveling.
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Really sorry I can not agree with this. I used to buy youngsters in, often with proplems because they had been treated incorrectly. A young horse needs the company of others for socialisation, and also to learn. One young pony I bought in it took two years for it to be able to fuction in a herd situation. It had lived wanting for nothing physically, travelled the country going going to all the big shows, but had no idea how to react to other ponies because it been kept on its own since it had been weaned. A feral pony although in the worst phyisical condition, and was not used to being handled,came from herd situation had no problems with confidence and slotted in to the new herd easily. It had been rounded up,( it was a welfare case and the police were invoved) and traveled several hours on its own, stabled with an older pony soon became used to being caught after being turned out.
Most of the problems I have seen with young horses is from people thinking they can substitute themselves for equine company. Horses are herd animals, to keep a young horse without equine company in my opinion is a form of abuse.

We done OP for finding it some company and good luck.
 
Surely for the first few weeks you would quarantine anyway. I certainly would. You would not get a brand new equine and stick it in with your healthy herd. Its basic biosecurity.
 
honetpot said:
Really sorry I can not agree with this. I used to buy youngsters in, often with proplems because they had been treated incorrectly. A young horse needs the company of others for socialisation, and also to learn. One young pony I bought in it took two years for it to be able to fuction in a herd situation. It had lived wanting for nothing physically, travelled the country going going to all the big shows, but had no idea how to react to other ponies because it been kept on its own since it had been weaned. A feral pony although in the worst phyisical condition, and was not used to being handled,came from herd situation had no problems with confidence and slotted in to the new herd easily. It had been rounded up,( it was a welfare case and the police were invoved) and traveled several hours on its own, stabled with an older pony soon became used to being caught after being turned out.
Most of the problems I have seen with young horses is from people thinking they can substitute themselves for equine company. Horses are herd animals, to keep a young horse without equine company in my opinion is a form of abuse.

We done OP for finding it some company and good luck.
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you know this thread is from 2017 right?
Still my opinion ?‍♀️
 
I always found scratching their base of neck or shoulder was a good start. Never try to grasp a head collar if she is wearing one. It takes time can’t be rushed.
 
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