Reassure me I will get there eventually........ timid youngster!

[Devonshire dumpling]

Couple months ago we take on an unhandled Cob, he was harshly treated as a baby, my friend buys him and makes him healthy and lets him be a baby with other babies, and has his gelded ... saved his little life I think anyway, she gives him to us and probably been a couple mths now and still no headcollar on him, Will give you the ups and downs:-

First we make friends and he is curious but keeps a distance,we then stupidly try to put a headcollar on him and he is like omg get off.... couple weeks later we slowly slide one on and its too fricken small.

From then on he is suspicious of us so we go back to the drawing board, put a headcollar in a feed bucket and try to trick him.. BIG MISTAKE!!!!! We then corner him and try to put one on.. BIG MISTAKE... so we decide enough is enough we will treat him with the clicker method and go slowly slowly...

We have join up..... we can now scratch his withers, we can groom him on one side, we can even pick his front feet up, he comes to us, we have bonded, so we progress to a rope as he is still suspicious of collars...

For 2 weeks we get him used to a big rope, we can now throw it over his neck, join it up, then loop over his nose, we can walk him 2 steps, all rewarded, then we take it off, we say ok we won't rush him.
THEN for 2 weeks all the horses are nuts on the spring grass, they are boxing rearing, playing and we can't do any work as another horse will gallop off or come up and bite him and off they go and play, so we said ok know when not to push it....

This week we are slowly getting the rope on him again and yesterday he has had a rope halter on (made from the piece of rope) and picked his front feet up, felt really chuffed and he even let us scratch him on his nearside ( he disallowed this before as its the side you do up headcollars) we were like OMG this is brilliant.

Today he won't stand still for the rope just wanders off bored, not scared, just a bit jumpy and not interested.

He is 2 end of next month and we are moving him in 6 weeks to be home with us with 2 old mares, he will be leaving his herd of babies.

Someone please tell me youngsters have off days and he will finally get his confidence with us very soon!!!! I feel so impatient!

 

[D66]

Try rubbing his body, neck, head with the headcollar while you feed him treats or carrots. If he walks away don't follow just stop the treats. It will go faster if you can pen him in a small area and carry out the routine several times a day. We used to herd a youngster into a stable for a few hours and rub her face with the headcollar every time we passed. It only took a week until we could put the headcollar on in the field - now she puts her head over the gate - don't even get my boots muddy.

 

[happyhacking:)]

it does get better.

i took on an unhandled colt in early november it took a while but he has come around at last. we have our off days but we are making progress and he now often comes for walks round the village with me .
get yourself a copy of Sarah Weston's No fear no force
http://www.amazon.co.uk/No-Fear-For...2893/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1334180800&sr=8-1

i had the privilege of going on a course run by Sarah last year and it was great.
Can you split your youngster off from the others when you want to work with him? you might find that he is able to focus a little better when hes not surrounded by his field mates

 

[Devonshire dumpling]

Unfortuntely can't pen him at the moment, we are thinking if we halter him with this rope and train him to walk around feel resistance etc we can then put the headcollar on him... we don't move our feet... he has to come to us and then stand still when we do things or no treat. He's very clever he knows exactly what a headcollar is, if we have one in our hand he won't play!

Hoping in June when he comes home to the 2 old girls, he won't be spooked by the other horses and we will be able to pen him or stable him then, would be nice to get him walking in a headcollar before we travel him. I just want someone to say yes it will happen eventually you are doing the right thing........... I feel like he will never wear a bloomin headcollar!

 

[be positive]

Will you have a stable at home that he can spend some time in, once he is away from his current herd he will feel a bit lost for a while this is the perfect time to take advantage and get to the next stage.
I would keep him in for a while each day and spend that time really getting him responding to you, he has missed out on good handling when he was younger and is almost too independent now. He will come round there just needs to be something in it for him, a daily feed in a stable would be some incentive if he is greedy.

 

[Devonshire dumpling]

Will you have a stable at home that he can spend some time in, once he is away from his current herd he will feel a bit lost for a while this is the perfect time to take advantage and get to the next stage.
I would keep him in for a while each day and spend that time really getting him responding to you, he has missed out on good handling when he was younger and is almost too independent now. He will come round there just needs to be something in it for him, a daily feed in a stable would be some incentive if he is greedy.

He's a big 15hh cob, he is greedy alright! Yes he will have his own stable and could bring him in twice a day for a feed. I work at the yard and can do what I like ( lovely people) There will be a 20 yr old TB and a 20 yr old Welsh who have been there seen it all, they will be his new herd and I can assure you they won't be flightly lol... My worry is I will have to teach him to go in a stable, will be so much easier if I can halter him.... If I look back we couldn't touch him,now we can run our hands over him, makea halter on him (sometimes) and pick up his front feet and pat him, we have come on so much, if just feels like it will never happen (although it has twice with a too small headcollar) Just didn't think it would take 2 mths!!!!

 

[asommerville]

yes it will happen!!!! i think your doing the right think but maybe do more things with the headcollar, juat have it there all the time but wait foe him to show some interest then do a bit more? maybe thats what your doing? clixker training is a brilliant idea though - you will get there!!

 

[Devonshire dumpling]

yes it will happen!!!! i think your doing the right think but maybe do more things with the headcollar, juat have it there all the time but wait foe him to show some interest then do a bit more? maybe thats what your doing? clixker training is a brilliant idea though - you will get there!!

Bless you! So far he has accidently bitten my finger,and accidently stood on my foot, you try being calm and quiet when a gert lard arse stands on you, it's fun. We do try with the headcollar but it's so negative it feels like he is going back....
He definately isn't scared of the rope or us, but the min you produce the headcollar, even on your shoulder he snorts, he is genuinally scared
I feel renewed now you have told me it will happen, sometimes you just need someone to tell you ! I feel as soon as he's haltered everything else will come so fast, he is such a darling, we can even stroke his back end, no kicking.... we think he was tipped upside down or put in a crush as a littlein to get it on

It will be 100% better when he is nearer home and he can watch me tend to the oldies....

 

[asommerville]

poor wee soul your probably right but i would have the headcollar there all the time, hell start to get used to it and i think when he sees your other horses he will come on quicker
if it makes you feel better im amazed hes picking his feet up !! took me about 3 months before i could lift my 3 year olds without fear of boot to skull....or knee cap one day hed be great then the next day he'd be a proper wee sh***! im sure youll get there soon, sounds like its all going in the right direction anyway

 

[Devonshire dumpling]

poor wee soul your probably right but i would have the headcollar there all the time, hell start to get used to it and i think when he sees your other horses he will come on quicker
if it makes you feel better im amazed hes picking his feet up !! took me about 3 months before i could lift my 3 year olds without fear of boot to skull....or knee cap one day hed be great then the next day he'd be a proper wee sh***! im sure youll get there soon, sounds like its all going in the right direction anyway

He actually let us hold his front feet up for like 3 secs today lol... no malice in him whatsoever, it just amazes me how he can be sooooo good one week or even one day and the next go back by a month????????????? I guess this is normal from what you say, god one day I will look back on this and laugh I am sure!!

 

[asommerville]

one day all the kicks and bites will be worth it

 

[Devonshire dumpling]

LOL!! I will take on board what you said about making the headcollar a normal part of our routine... cheers X

 

[Spiritedly]

Have you got a fully adjustable head collar? If so try undoing it completely and lay it over the bottom of his neck, gradually work it up towards his ears then do it up, when you get near his head turn it so it lays under his neck, when he becomes accepting of that move it so it is in the correct position by his ears then start stroking his face with the noseband until you can stroke it completely over his nose then do it up. I know it sounds long winded but it does work and if he already understands the clicker training it will probably be easier.

 

[BringoutheBest]

I think when you have him home with older horses and he's in he will improve rapidly - just with a more "domesticated horse" routine than a wild horse that can have fun with his friends - and at the moment he has the added bonus that the humans feed and scratch him but he doesn't have to do anything more than what he wants
My pony was a nightmare to get anywhere near when I got him and he already had a headcollar on (dont take it off when you have it on - tie baling twine into various points so it breaks easily and have about 15cm of baling twine hanging down underneath so you can hold that instead of the head collar when going to catch him)
A kindly neighbour offered me a stable for a couple of weeks and he started to settle a lot more - we had a pen system set up in the field which he became accustomed to being caught in and then lots of general handling in the yard improved him. We also had him out on his own so people could be his only chance at a bit of communication and friendliness.
Even when I have had him living out a year or so later I had to have a pen system in the field to feed him in and catch him in there - we called it his "human area" and once he was in there he got food but never anywhere else.
And even 2 years later when there is no way he is scared of me he can be a total numpty to catch some days - he knows every trick in the book from his younger days grr! Rarely though so there is hope and you will get there - a routine definitely helps instead of having them out with friends in "wild horse" settings.
Good luck with everything, sounds like you have made lots of progress already and I am sure he will turn into a cracking pony - mine is quite literally crackers

 

[Deseado]

Why don't you just make a rope halter "on" him as you have been doing, but get a longer rope so that you can lead him around with it? That's what most headcollars used to be made of, after all. You won't get far without being able to restrict his flight instincts - so a pen or stable is the answer, as is food - the way to every cobs heart. How was he transported to you in the first place? Did he wear a headcollar then?

 

[Devonshire dumpling]

Have you got a fully adjustable head collar? If so try undoing it completely and lay it over the bottom of his neck, gradually work it up towards his ears then do it up, when you get near his head turn it so it lays under his neck, when he becomes accepting of that move it so it is in the correct position by his ears then start stroking his face with the noseband until you can stroke it completely over his nose then do it up. I know it sounds long winded but it does work and if he already understands the clicker training it will probably be easier.

Cheers... yeah both times we have got the headcollar on, we have done it up around his neck, then done up the nose band...... funny really he doesn't mind his head touched, it's the neck area as he knows this is where you secure the headcollar, he currently has 4 headcollars lol, some jingly, some non jingly and a rope tie up halter..... only thing that works most times is a long piece of rope put on in stages... stage 1 throw over neck, stage 2 slide up behind ears, stage 3 join up loops and stage 4 over his nose, it works as a halter but not really safe if he were to leg it, he could strangle himself at stage 2!

I think when you have him home with older horses and he's in he will improve rapidly - just with a more "domesticated horse" routine than a wild horse that can have fun with his friends - and at the moment he has the added bonus that the humans feed and scratch him but he doesn't have to do anything more than what he wants
My pony was a nightmare to get anywhere near when I got him and he already had a headcollar on (dont take it off when you have it on - tie baling twine into various points so it breaks easily and have about 15cm of baling twine hanging down underneath so you can hold that instead of the head collar when going to catch him)
A kindly neighbour offered me a stable for a couple of weeks and he started to settle a lot more - we had a pen system set up in the field which he became accustomed to being caught in and then lots of general handling in the yard improved him. We also had him out on his own so people could be his only chance at a bit of communication and friendliness.
Even when I have had him living out a year or so later I had to have a pen system in the field to feed him in and catch him in there - we called it his "human area" and once he was in there he got food but never anywhere else.
And even 2 years later when there is no way he is scared of me he can be a total numpty to catch some days - he knows every trick in the book from his younger days grr! Rarely though so there is hope and you will get there - a routine definitely helps instead of having them out with friends in "wild horse" settings.
Good luck with everything, sounds like you have made lots of progress already and I am sure he will turn into a cracking pony - mine is quite literally crackers

Cheers will be much easier in 7 weeks time when he will be home with 2 old grannies, we can pen off the yard and put the girls in their stables then work with him, to get him in the stable, if not then we will have to let the girls back out and he can follow them back to the paddock... ideally would like him a bit tame before we introduce him to the old girls, also when we unload him at the yard... hey hoooo I am sure we will get there! Have put a photo of him with the headcollar on as my wallpaper to encourage me lol

He came in a headcollar which he managed to get off.... that was when we discovered he wasn't halter broken!! Was funny you should say about not taking the headcollar off, as we intend to put a headcollar on and then daily put another one on top and take off as practice, our vet said ohh noooo you can't leave a headcollar on him in the field, we had a bit of a mini arguement about it, but still told them I intend to, talk about everything being black and white!
I think he will be about 16hands and heavy with it when hes fully grown, so hoping to do loads with him this summer while he is small er XX

 

[hannahc]

Another vote for Sarah Weston's book "No fear, No force", It really is worth buying to make these first steps as easy and stress free for you both

 

[Devonshire dumpling]

Why don't you just make a rope halter "on" him as you have been doing, but get a longer rope so that you can lead him around with it? That's what most headcollars used to be made of, after all. You won't get far without being able to restrict his flight instincts - so a pen or stable is the answer, as is food - the way to every cobs heart. How was he transported to you in the first place? Did he wear a headcollar then?

He was in a headcollar and travelled loose with another cob baby... he managed to get this headcollar off and was unhandable X

 

[TallulahBright]

He actually let us hold his front feet up for like 3 secs today lol... no malice in him whatsoever, it just amazes me how he can be sooooo good one week or even one day and the next go back by a month????????????? I guess this is normal from what you say, god one day I will look back on this and laugh I am sure!!

My youngster did this for AGES! Some days it felt like I was the worst owner in the world, never been nasty but one step forward and a hundred back at some points! Keep at it, it sounds like he has found the perfect home and mummy...

 

[Devonshire dumpling]

My youngster did this for AGES! Some days it felt like I was the worst owner in the world, never been nasty but one step forward and a hundred back at some points! Keep at it, it sounds like he has found the perfect home and mummy...

Don't know about that but thanks lol..... Today we rubbed him with the headcollar he wasn't happy but stuck around so was a step back from the rope,but we have made a slight step forward with the headcollar.

He desperately needs his feet trimmed (just our luck) I hope they don't rapidly grow in the next month!

 

[Echo Bravo]

Have you tried just the rope halter,make it large enough so you can just pop it over his nose. mHave the same problem with my youngster,managed to get halter on after a fortnight but he was stabled,was ok for a little while,than had trouble again,so what I'm doing now is I leave a headcollar on him 24/7, but put a second one over it to turn him out and bring him in at night and he will now stand while I do this,he's still headshy about his ears and face,so hoping in another month, I can take both headcollars off and just use the one. It's 1 step forward and 2/3 steps back, but they do improve also try PAX, I've tried on one of my other horses but didn't seem to work, found the phial of it that I'd bought 2 years ago and just tried it on him and it worked,so when he gets really stressed out with what I want him to do,like having his feet trimmed I use it. And yes things do get better, believe me, just it doesn't seem so at the time.

 

[Devonshire dumpling]

Have you tried just the rope halter,make it large enough so you can just pop it over his nose. mHave the same problem with my youngster,managed to get halter on after a fortnight but he was stabled,was ok for a little while,than had trouble again,so what I'm doing now is I leave a headcollar on him 24/7, but put a second one over it to turn him out and bring him in at night and he will now stand while I do this,he's still headshy about his ears and face,so hoping in another month, I can take both headcollars off and just use the one. It's 1 step forward and 2/3 steps back, but they do improve also try PAX, I've tried on one of my other horses but didn't seem to work, found the phial of it that I'd bought 2 years ago and just tried it on him and it worked,so when he gets really stressed out with what I want him to do,like having his feet trimmed I use it. And yes things do get better, believe me, just it doesn't seem so at the time.

Yes he's got one of those too!!!!! lol He has 4 headcollars, daft considering he doesn't wear any!.... thanks for the advice , we just have to be grateful to slow progress I guess!! When he has one on, we intend on putting one on top daily, funnily enough he isn't headshy.. just body shy! X

 

[Spot_the_Risk]

So glad it's not just me! Our yearling was ccastrated a fortnight ago, turned out in a headcollar as he wasn't easy to get near - that stayed on for a week. Now he's broken it, and I can stroke his nose and nack, that's it! Second jabs due in two weeks - clicker book arrived today!!!

 

[Devonshire dumpling]

So glad it's not just me! Our yearling was ccastrated a fortnight ago, turned out in a headcollar as he wasn't easy to get near - that stayed on for a week. Now he's broken it, and I can stroke his nose and nack, that's it! Second jabs due in two weeks - clicker book arrived today!!!

I am becoming an expert... lol...... try a leadrope or a length of rope!!!!!!! practice rubbing withers, then practice putting it over neck.... treat when hooves don't move........ after a week or so you might be able to noose around neck, then up over nose at least you will have something to hold onto for jabs!! I want you to tell me your failing stories every day to make me feel better!!!! XX

 

[brown tack]

I took on a unhandled 3 yr old in October, been a hard and rewarding road. Ive taught him to have a headcoller on, to now long reining and carrying a saddle. We've had ups and downs. I have found that things he may of had done before I had him, leading, feet etc have been huge issues, but the new things he (we think) never came across ie saddle, bridle he's taken to like a duck to water. He's ready to break in the way everything is in place it just needs to all come together, however I'm not rushing him, this week I'm going right back to basics again as worried we have done things a little fast (he's taken to it all soon well) that due to him being rescued I want to make him so thirst full that once on broad things won't bother him, he can be a little jumpy and sharpe. It takes time, I've spent much longer trying to get him to lead then it took to get him in the long reins,

 

[Devonshire dumpling]

I took on a unhandled 3 yr old in October, been a hard and rewarding road. Ive taught him to have a headcoller on, to now long reining and carrying a saddle. We've had ups and downs. I have found that things he may of had done before I had him, leading, feet etc have been huge issues, but the new things he (we think) never came across ie saddle, bridle he's taken to like a duck to water. He's ready to break in the way everything is in place it just needs to all come together, however I'm not rushing him, this week I'm going right back to basics again as worried we have done things a little fast (he's taken to it all soon well) that due to him being rescued I want to make him so thirst full that once on broad things won't bother him, he can be a little jumpy and sharpe. It takes time, I've spent much longer trying to get him to lead then it took to get him in the long reins,

Thats nice to know, interesting enough the headcollar only seems to be the issue, he allows us to pick up front feet and groom him! So according to you, when we do more virgin things to him,he will be easy, I do hope so!! X

 

[BringoutheBest]

He came in a headcollar which he managed to get off.... that was when we discovered he wasn't halter broken!! Was funny you should say about not taking the headcollar off, as we intend to put a headcollar on and then daily put another one on top and take off as practice, our vet said ohh noooo you can't leave a headcollar on him in the field, we had a bit of a mini arguement about it, but still told them I intend to, talk about everything being black and white!
I think he will be about 16hands and heavy with it when hes fully grown, so hoping to do loads with him this summer while he is small er XX

Mine has had one on for the last 2 years of his life and although I am sure it is not correct he is not dead or injured and it means I am able to get him in from the field so definitely the better option! Good luck with everything

 

[Devonshire dumpling]

HEHE thankyou so much!! Mine is such a big lard arse, I can't imagine any headcollar holding his weight he would break it I am sure!! XX

 

[Maesfen]

Have you an old leather headcollar that you can cut up?
As he's good with a rope around his neck I'd chop the front noseband off, get the headstrap around his neck the same time as the rope, fasten it up (make sure it's snug, he can't get anything hooked in it or scratch it off) and leave it on him then walk away; let him think about it for a while, get used to the feel of it moving on him, let him settle down, give a treat and walk away. As long as it fits well he'll come to no harm and will come to think of it as the norm.

Incidentally, if you can't get a headcollar on him how are you getting him home?

Make sure any headcollar you leave on him is leather, never use nylon to turn out.

 

[Devonshire dumpling]

Have you an old leather headcollar that you can cut up?
As he's good with a rope around his neck I'd chop the front noseband off, get the headstrap around his neck the same time as the rope, fasten it up (make sure it's snug, he can't get anything hooked in it or scratch it off) and leave it on him then walk away; let him think about it for a while, get used to the feel of it moving on him, let him settle down, give a treat and walk away. As long as it fits well he'll come to no harm and will come to think of it as the norm.

Incidentally, if you can't get a headcollar on him how are you getting him home?

Make sure any headcollar you leave on him is leather, never use nylon to turn out.

He is going to follow is bestfriend on and travel loose! Today he was stroked with the headcollar some more and allowed it over his nose,.... so seems this week is a good week! He also had his front feet held again, positive day!