Unhandled pony.. Help!!

[DiscoPony]

I bought a few weeks ago from a very reputable stud, a 5yr old 12hh sec b mare. I saw videos of her trotted up and was told she was halter broken but needed a lot more handling. She had been brought in for worming every 6 weeks, would approach u and sniff you in the stable, never kick. Her feet needed trimming as we're a bit long.

Well, her feet were the longest I've ever seen. She didn't even recognise carrots, apples or. Hard feed for the first few days. She slipped her headcollar in the field and there is no way she will let anyone put it back on. She will take food from your hand or eat from feed bucket but if you touch her too much, ears go back and she starts to turn her back on you. I had the vet to sedate her so her feet could be done but she fought it so hard we had to give up.

I have had many youngsters and broken 5, but this little mare is something else lol

So I'm desperate for any tips how to proceed with her please?

 

[AShetlandBitMeOnce]

Not coming from a place of vast experience but could you corral her into a much smaller area for the time being so you aren't trying to deal with an essentially feral pony in a huge field. I would then give her a couple of weeks of just feeds to let her get used to the new yard, and new goings on and then try and incrementally introduce her to human contact.

Leaving the only placeyou have known, and then having strange people take you out of your comfort zone, plus being sedated to have the feet done will have been quite traumatic - she's probably thinking sod these people, I am going to stay in the relative safety of the herd/field. I am not saying you have done anything wrong, just throwing it out there from her perspective right now.

 

[Gloi]

https://www.amazon.co.uk/No-Fear-Force-Handling-Semi-feral/dp/1870192893

Buy this book on it has excellent advice in in.

 

[DiscoPony]

Not coming from a place of vast experience but could you corral her into a much smaller area for the time being so you aren't trying to deal with an essentially feral pony in a huge field. I would then give her a couple of weeks of just feeds to let her get used to the new yard, and new goings on and then try and incrementally introduce her to human contact.

Leaving the only placeyou have known, and then having strange people take you out of your comfort zone, plus being sedated to have the feet done will have been quite traumatic - she's probably thinking sod these people, I am going to stay in the relative safety of the herd/field. I am not saying you have done anything wrong, just throwing it out there from her perspective right now.

She's in a smaller section of field now and ive kept it slow and just given feed for the last couple weeks, not pushed her, but her feet are so severely long, I had to go along that route unfortunately.

 

[AShetlandBitMeOnce]

She's in a smaller section of field now and ive kept it slow and just given feed for the last couple weeks, not pushed her, but her feet are so severely long, I had to go along that route unfortunately.

Absolutely no criticism here - welfare comes first, I more just meant that she has probably found the whole thing incredibly stressful and may benefit from some time to process all of the changes. Gloi has posted a great book which I have also read and is very informative, so that may help you with next steps. I am sure other posters with more experience will come along and post soon too

 

[Labaire]

https://www.amazon.co.uk/No-Fear-Force-Handling-Semi-feral/dp/1870192893

Buy this book on it has excellent advice in in.

yep, used this for my moor-bred Exmoor colt.

 

[DiscoPony]

yep, used this for my moor-bred Exmoor colt.

Thank u, I have bought a very similar type book that I'm awaiting arrival of.

 

[DiscoPony]

Absolutely no criticism here - welfare comes first, I more just meant that she has probably found the whole thing incredibly stressful and may benefit from some time to process all of the changes. Gloi has posted a great book which I have also read and is very informative, so that may help you with next steps. I am sure other posters with more experience will come along and post soon too

I know you meant no criticism. It was a very stressful situation indeed for her and myself. I would never have purchased a pony not halter broken or with feet so bad

 

[Gloi]

I know you meant no criticism. It was a very stressful situation indeed for her and myself. I would never have purchased a pony not halter broken or with feet so bad

Don't worry too much. With time and patience she will come round .

 

[Caol Ila]

After seven months of steady work (complicated by an unplanned foal), my unhandled 3 year old stood like a lady for the farrier today, not requiring Domosedan or trying to kill anyone. You’ll get there. It just takes time.

When she seriously backslid on the catching after having the foal, she would leap sideways at a rope aimed towards her head or neck. Couldn’t keep a field safe one on her because the foal would take it off. Our method was to give her a feed bucket and put rope over her back. She might circle a couple times but learned to accept it. Then we could slide it up around her neck. Once there, she let the headcollar go on. But she had been halter broken beforehand, albeit only for a couple months.

With the feet, I used Domosedan when I absolutely had to, because her feet were pretty desperate as her breeder obviously did not do this, but every day I caught her, I picked up her feet, banged on them, rasped them with the side of the hoofpick, then put them on a hoof stand, rinse and repeat. Just tried to make it super boring and routine. Six weeks ago we managed without Domosedan for the first time, but she did send me flying into the ground. Today, she was sober and not wild.

 

[Meowy Catkin]

I've been working with a *very* lightly handled youngster and I had an IH trainer come and help. Worth every penny.

https://www.intelligenthorsemanship.co.uk/trainers-recommended-trainers-horsemanship/

 

[SEL]

Was it IV sedation with the vet? I couldn't use any oral sedatives to start with bit with IV we did about 4 trims while I worked on handling.

Still have to shove a likit in front of her but farrier approves because he can be done and dusted quickly if she's distracted

 

[Caol Ila]

Forgot to add that both mare and foal come to call now in the field.

 

[DiscoPony]

Was it IV sedation with the vet? I couldn't use any oral sedatives to start with bit with IV we did about 4 trims while I worked on handling.

Still have to shove a likit in front of her but farrier approves because he can be done and dusted quickly if she's distracted

Yes oral sedation in feed first to try and get headcollar on but it did nothing! Had to catch with lunge line. Vet gave 2 doses of iv sedative. She was so wobbly she went down twice, but still wouldn't allow the headcollar on. Decided to call it a day at that point

 

[DiscoPony]

I've been working with a *very* lightly handled youngster and I had an IH trainer come and help. Worth every penny.

https://www.intelligenthorsemanship.co.uk/trainers-recommended-trainers-horsemanship/

I have been watching on u tube and trying out some things. I have a local lady calling tonight who specialises in natural horsemanship. She spent 3 yrs with someone who was under monty Roberts and Kelly Marks wing so fingers crossed she can help

 

[Caol Ila]

An IH trainer might have sped it up but they are thin on the ground here. I had contacted one in the north of England who comes to Scotland occasionally. When she was finally on a Scotland trip, a month or so later, she asked if I still needed help. I was like, “Uh, the horse trots across the field to me when I call her, so not really. I seem to have fixed it.”

 

[paddy555]

easy to resolve. I have never found the time and patience method to work. There is no incentive for the pony.
Firstly stable and that is where she stays (or make a small pen stable size).

She is dependent on you for food. She behaves she eats, she does the wrong thing she starves and she won't do that.
Leave her for a couple of hours to starve, Sit on a stool in the stable bucket of feed between your knees. She puts her head in and eats. If she doesn't after a couple of tries get up and leave. Try again in another hour. Best time is in the morning when she has eaten the ovenight hay and is hungry.
Once she puts her head in the bucket move onto holding the bucket between your knees and moving your hand to the edges of the bucket, the side of her face and up to her ears, eyes and everywhere else on her head. She co operates she eats.. All food comes from you and has to be earned in this way.
Next stage is a headcollar with a buckle over the nose, open the buckles, spread it over the feed bucket, repeat the routines, then gradually move the headcollar onto her face until you get it on.

Lead her around the stable and then start on the feet with a stuffed glove on a 2'6" cane (taped on) touch her all over with it, work on her legs, shorten the cane, keep working, put the glove on your hand and keep working so by now you should be touching her legs all over and then start picking them up.

 

[DiscoPony]

easy to resolve. I have never found the time and patience method to work. There is no incentive for the pony.
Firstly stable and that is where she stays (or make a small pen stable size).

She is dependent on you for food. She behaves she eats, she does the wrong thing she starves and she won't do that.
Leave her for a couple of hours to starve, Sit on a stool in the stable bucket of feed between your knees. She puts her head in and eats. If she doesn't after a couple of tries get up and leave. Try again in another hour. Best time is in the morning when she has eaten the ovenight hay and is hungry.
Once she puts her head in the bucket move onto holding the bucket between your knees and moving your hand to the edges of the bucket, the side of her face and up to her ears, eyes and everywhere else on her head. She co operates she eats.. All food comes from you and has to be earned in this way.
Next stage is a headcollar with a buckle over the nose, open the buckles, spread it over the feed bucket, repeat the routines, then gradually move the headcollar onto her face until you get it on.

Lead her around the stable and then start on the feet with a stuffed glove on a 2'6" cane (taped on) touch her all over with it, work on her legs, shorten the cane, keep working, put the glove on your hand and keep working so by now you should be touching her legs all over and then start picking them up.

She will already happily eat from the bucket if I'm holding it. Its not really safe to work with her in the stable as she will turn her back on you. My main concern is her feet. My farrier doesn't think she has ever had them done

 

[paddy555]

She will already happily eat from the bucket if I'm holding it. Its not really safe to work with her in the stable as she will turn her back on you. My main concern is her feet. My farrier doesn't think she has ever had them done

you cannot do anything about the feet until you can get a headcollar on, teach her to pick up her feet and hold them up. How else are you going to deal with her? your vet cannot sedate her. What if she gets hurt and needs stitching or gets ill and needs a vet. I can see no other way of dealing with a pony than the conventional way of holding it with a headcollar on.

If she turns her back on you walk out. Give her time and go back in and try again. If she turns her back walk out again.
My newly purchased arab colt did this. " I picked up the feed and walked out. He soon learnt if he wanted food he co operated. Yours will do as well. Make the right thing easy ie she wants food she is pleasant, she turns her back you walk off.

I did exactly the technique I suggested with my own sec B who came at 3 and was totally terrified. I have done it many times with semi ferals off the moor. I am not sure what other way there is of dealing with these unhandled ponies.

If you are worried about your safety then I think you will have to find a trainer to do this for you and to then simply give you the pony on a headcollar and rope with the feet picked up. It is very easy for a trainer to do.
If you look on Sarah Weston's FB site I am sure someone will recommend a trainer.

 

[DiscoPony]

you cannot do anything about the feet until you can get a headcollar on, teach her to pick up her feet and hold them up. How else are you going to deal with her? your vet cannot sedate her. What if she gets hurt and needs stitching or gets ill and needs a vet. I can see no other way of dealing with a pony than the conventional way of holding it with a headcollar on.

If she turns her back on you walk out. Give her time and go back in and try again. If she turns her back walk out again.
My newly purchased arab colt did this. " I picked up the feed and walked out. He soon learnt if he wanted food he co operated. Yours will do as well. Make the right thing easy ie she wants food she is pleasant, she turns her back you walk off.

I did exactly the technique I suggested with my own sec B who came at 3 and was totally terrified. I have done it many times with semi ferals off the moor. I am not sure what other way there is of dealing with these unhandled ponies.

If you are worried about your safety then I think you will have to find a trainer to do this for you and to then simply give you the pony on a headcollar and rope with the feet picked up. It is very easy for a trainer to do.
If you look on Sarah Weston's FB site I am sure someone will recommend a trainer.

Thank you, is walking away not reinforcing her bad behaviour as that's ultimately what she wants me to do? I have been recommended someone who is calling this evening

 

[paddy555]

She will take food from your hand or eat from feed bucket but if you touch her too much, ears go back and she starts to turn her back on you.

Thank you, is walking away not reinforcing her bad behaviour as that's ultimately what she wants me to do? I have been recommended someone who is calling this evening

What she is saying is that it is her food so now piss off, here's my bum and if you stay here are my hind legs.
You are not walking away. You are removing her food with you. You are the supplier of food, you can equally remove it.

taking it back in you are saying you are the supplier of the food, she is allowed to eat it if she is pointing in the right direction. If she turns her bum and becomes dominant again then you are off and bye bye food.