Trust broken?

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How would you regain trust you had initially in a new horse, but which has now been lost as a result of getting outside help in.
 
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Could you go back to basics with ridden work etc? Just spend time grooming, talking to horse and giving treats. Maybe try join up etc :)
 
Do you give him/her feed? If so could you try hand feeding it or just using carrots/apple. Most horses I have loaned will be your best friend for a treat :) Just take it slow. I'm sure there are other people on here who can offer better help :p
 
Has someone been a little heavy handed?

Your only option really is to get said horse in,and get it to bond with you all over again. This will probably mean you'll have to keep him/her in,spend plenty of time handling,etc. If you are able to turn out on its own,well away from others then so be it,said horse will then bond with you rather than latching on to other horses.

This will take a number of weeks rather than days.
 
He is very clever with feed or treats and can manage to get them without ever letting me touch him! I was scratching his shoulder grooming him, massaging him, leading him about now I cant even stand by his side.
 
Get him in and leave him in. Put a headcollar on and it'll come gradually. We put our yearlings out all together and literally ignore them,let them be babies and grow on. We get then get them in,headcollar them and start the handling work.
 
Why not try being clever back at him? Start off by giving a treat in the usual way and then offer him another but with your free hand at "head height" so that he has to bypass it to get the treat, then end up only giving him the treat when he's allowed you to touch him.

My mare is very untrusting (is that a word??) and she has to have a chat with herself EVERY time I come in the field as she knows she will not get fed or given a treat until she comes to me and lets me catch and pat her.
 
Cazza525 said:
Get him in and leave him in. Put a headcollar on and it'll come gradually. We put our yearlings out all together and literally ignore them,let them be babies and grow on. We get then get them in,headcollar them and start the handling work.
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Sorry no stables to get into!
 
Cazza525 said:
Has someone been a little heavy handed?

Your only option really is to get said horse in,and get it to bond with you all over again. This will probably mean you'll have to keep him/her in,spend plenty of time handling,etc. If you are able to turn out on its own,well away from others then so be it,said horse will then bond with you rather than latching on to other horses.

This will take a number of weeks rather than days.
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Thats the word I was looking for - Thank you!
So you do think I will be able to get him to bond with me all over again? ( need someone with good knowledge of Equine psychology for this one)

I have all the time in the world, I m retired. It was amazing seeing how he was bonding so very well, I didnt realise how far he'd come until it was all undone in just a comparatively short yet negative experience.
 
What happened?

My mare is very sensitive. When I went to view her as an unbroken 4 yr old, I went to stroke her and she was so scared she tried to lie down!

I shut her in a stable for a few days when I got her, but now and again she can be funny to catch.

Is she turned out with others? I find if she ever has a funny moment, I bring all the others in, then she is far more likely to want to know me!

Good luck!
 
I was in a similar situation to you and yes, you can regain their trust. It's good that you've got lots of time as it is a lot of work once they've been frightened badly -- much harder than starting with a clean slate. I will PM you.
 
Totally agree with cazza on this one. Back to basics again I'm afraid.

Daughter had this with her youngster. He was happy being handled then suddenly one day she couldn't get near him. She got him into a paddock by himself but able to see, sniff and groom the others over the fence so not isolated. She forced him to trust her if thats the right way to put it. He had to accept that she was going to touch him and groom him. In return he got his feed. Now he's happy to come to her in the field to be caught, will let her pick his feet up and groom him.


The bond is regrowing between them. It does take a lot of time and patience but the rewards are fantastic :D


Good luck with your youngster. Please let us know how you get on with him won't you?
 
i had a similar experience with a weaner its mother had passed when it was younger and had to fend for himself so had no trust with other horses or people, this little fella would literally try to run head first into the stable wall to get away from me. one thing that proved helpful was just sitting with him, not looking at him not trying to touch him he eventually got curious as to what i was, then he came up to me, when he did so, i just removed myself, then did it again about an hour later, each time it took slightly less time for him to come closer. took a huge amount of patience, as soon as he didnt try to runaway when i entered the stable i moved up a notch and had a treat when he came close i sat for a while longer and then put the treat where i was and left, still not trying to touch at all. then he actually started to face me when i entered the stable. i kept the no looking rule but lots of soothing noises, this did take a long time he was seriously screwed up. eventually i sat longer and longer until he was asking for the treat by touching and nudging me, then i went onto sitting with his feed bowl next to me, still no touching, then one day i put a glove on the end of a broom handle i left that in with him next to a treat then went on to holding it eventually while he was eating one day i touched him with the glove end of the handle, surprising to me he looked and completely ignored it! so i left it at that, did the same the next day eventually i could rub this all over him with no problem. then i moved on to using my hand but the moment he reacted i switched back to the broom handle. i always left it on a positive,and one day out of the blue he just walked up to me as i entered the stable and pretty much let me touch him straight away.
so i gave him a quick scratch and left him wanting more, this little fella suddenly turned a corner, and became totally in love with me, i could do anything i liked with him, the next phase was having someone else try! still with all the long and extensive ground work i had done he tried to be all shy but realised we were actually pretty cool to have around 'treats!'
i hope this helps you, as i said the poor thing had no trust and would rather hurt himself before letting us near him, as you said you have plenty of time so i hope yours responds positively soon.
 
Yes you can, just tell yourself this, It will take time and patience and just trust in yourself and he will trust you, just go about the normal way, don't stand back and be nicey,nicey as that he will be suspious of.:):)
 
Leave a fieldsafe headcollar on if no stables. Can you segregate totally from others? Try if you can.

Make a make shift holding pen by the gate if poss. Section off a 12 by 12 area(with tape if necessary). Get ponio into there with bucket if necessary for the first time,and then clip lead rope onto headcollar (put proper one on top of field safe one). Don't let fieldsafe headcollar be taken off until you are 100 % sure his head faces you first (rather than his arse!).

Each day just slowly gain his trust on the end of lead rope. Lots and lots of petting,talking and stroking. Stay at front end for the first week or so. ie don't ever let him turn arse.

Just let him finish a tasty feed and a quick pet the first few times. Within a few days he'll come into pen on his own anyhow,and then maybe start a little brush.

Remember a frightened horse is a dangerous one,so only do this in a confined space. Little and often,thats the key.
 
sydnee said:
i had a similar experience with a weaner its mother had passed when it was younger and had to fend for himself so had no trust with other horses or people, this little fella would literally try to run head first into the stable wall to get away from me. one thing that proved helpful was just sitting with him, not looking at him not trying to touch him he eventually got curious as to what i was, then he came up to me, when he did so, i just removed myself, then did it again about an hour later, each time it took slightly less time for him to come closer. took a huge amount of patience, as soon as he didnt try to runaway when i entered the stable i moved up a notch and had a treat when he came close i sat for a while longer and then put the treat where i was and left, still not trying to touch at all. then he actually started to face me when i entered the stable. i kept the no looking rule but lots of soothing noises, this did take a long time he was seriously screwed up. eventually i sat longer and longer until he was asking for the treat by touching and nudging me, then i went onto sitting with his feed bowl next to me, still no touching, then one day i put a glove on the end of a broom handle i left that in with him next to a treat then went on to holding it eventually while he was eating one day i touched him with the glove end of the handle, surprising to me he looked and completely ignored it! so i left it at that, did the same the next day eventually i could rub this all over him with no problem. then i moved on to using my hand but the moment he reacted i switched back to the broom handle. i always left it on a positive,and one day out of the blue he just walked up to me as i entered the stable and pretty much let me touch him straight away.
so i gave him a quick scratch and left him wanting more, this little fella suddenly turned a corner, and became totally in love with me, i could do anything i liked with him, the next phase was having someone else try! still with all the long and extensive ground work i had done he tried to be all shy but realised we were actually pretty cool to have around 'treats!'
i hope this helps you, as i said the poor thing had no trust and would rather hurt himself before letting us near him, as you said you have plenty of time so i hope yours responds positively soon.
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That is just beautiful, and very close to how I was with my youngster. I feel so sad at what i vedone to him, but will take on all your advice and hopefully get him back to me again. I have the time thats true.
 
Thanks Cazza524 and sydnee too , I will try putting you your advice/methods into action from tommorow, both are just great and I can empathise with both. He is only out with my old horse and they are great friends already and my old boy is very affectionate with me anyway,
I certainly wont be letting anyone else near him again thats for sure.
 
One thing you can try.Take a treat in.Give it to him.Turn round and walk away! They are so shocked its really funny.They don't know what to make of that.They get so used to people bringing treats when they want something.We all like something for free occasionally.
 
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