Those with youngsters... do they have a side they don't like being touched ?

Devonshire dumpling

Devonshire dumpling

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Our boy is coming on nicely now, we have ditched trying to get a regular headcollar on him as he is so frightened ( bad experience) we seem to have finally nailed it and can put a rope around his neck, slide up to his ears, and then over his nose and we make a halter, so really coming on trust wise.

The problem is he hates us on his nearside, not sure if this is because he is so bright he has sussed this is where we do up a conventional headcollar?

Does anyone else have a baby who prefers being touched one side more than the other?:confused::cool:
 
Saffy used to be very left sided as a youngster. It was like having two different horses. She'd let you stroke her all over on her left side but when you tried to do the same thing on her right she's either move away or try to kick out.

It's just a matter of perseverance. She's good on both sides now.
 
Yeah it's not a problem, we are doing some work on both sides, but I find it most bizaare! I wonder if they realise it's where we fasten the headcollar?
 
Yeah, to start with we find both sides are completes different as far they're concerned! But a couple of times handling and they come round fine :)
 
I have a 2 year old who has now been home from Stud for 2 weeks. He has spent most of his life to date in a field with his buddies, only coming in at nights for 3 weeks prior to moving home. On my visits to him at the Stud I always took grooming stuff up and would spend time giving him a good scratch and brush in his field which he always used to love.

Putting a headcollar on him is no problem, and I've been grooming him all over every day since he came home with no problems. He's getting better at having his feet picked out too.

Have also started in hand work in the school which includes leading from both sides in both walk and trot and teaching him to halt and stand using my voice.

This is already paying off as leading to and from the field can now be done from either side and he doesn't seem phased by it. He's also learning to be tied up and stand when I groom him. (Its amazing what I used to take for granted with my older horses, not any longer:) )

Your boy sounds like he has not been handled at all, so its a slow journey requiring much patience. Just a thought, have you had his sight checked out on the side that he is more skittish on? Try and do things from both sides to desensitise him. I'm sure you will get lots of additional advice from others
Good Luck
 
Never really had one with a dislike for one side, unless its an older horse & its been the first sign of a sight problem.
 
Yes you are right,as I'm having the same trouble. The only thing that I do different is I leave headcollar on, but put another one on top,as if I'm catching him in the stable, turn him out and take top headcollar off and when he has to come in put 2nd headcollar on and so on, and he is starting to settle down with the routine, but he tries to pull away when I put 2nd headcollar on I have leadrope clipped onto 1st and he's learning that trying to back off or run off doesn't work, so shall do this for another month or 2, then go cold turkey.
Mine started playing up really badly when I was grooming him and we both got a electric shock from nylon body brush, I've not been able to groom him since with a brush, have to use my fingers.
 
They are funny aren't they!!:D Poor horsey getting a shock from the brush. I am using clicker training with my scardy cat and he's coming along in leaps and bounds :-)
 
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