How do you halter train an 8 month old weanling w/o dam?

Question

I just acquired an 8 month old red dun quarter horse filly who hasn't been handled much at all. She was fed off a truck in a pasture. We picked her up, had her previous owner put a halter on her in a cattle chute and shooed her into the trailer. She is now at a boarding barn in a stall, halter still on. I can clean the stall and she isn't afraid of any of the tools, the bucket, tossing shavings at her, or the shavings bag. She doesn't even jump at lound noises. My problem isn't a problem horse, its just that I've never had to halter train a blank slate-minded baby without its dam to help. She is large for her age (wearing a yearling halter already on 2nd notch) and is very strong. I don't want her halter training to be a fight. I need to train her to catch and lead as soon as possible because the owner of the barn doesn't want her to go out the pasture if she can't lead or be caught.

Answer 1

Let her live with the halter or a while but make sure it is leather or a break free halter. Use a chain that has rubber wraped around it to train. Everytime she pulls you snap the chain to get her attention and make her stop and stand when she does this reward her with a treat.



This is how i acomplished training my retired race horse, wow did he pull, I even have been pulled on the dirt like i was sking he wouldn't stop.



Good Luck! with your new horse.





Hmm i think you should watch her in her stall and see what is rewarding to her. What makes her happy. Even after tugging on the chain the reward would be to losen the grip. You can try carrots in her stall while not being tied up and get her used to them, or if she just plain likes hay then grab a handfull and feed when shes good, i would just walk around with her alot in a closed arena. Also when she pulls snap the chain then release, hen she calms and stands take the chain off and let her run around the ring, when she is tired magic happens all she will wanna do is have the halter put on her so she can go back to her stall.

Answer 2

Well if you already have the halter on her, then she should already be used to it. I would put a lead rope on her and knot it high enough she doesn't trip on it, and let her wander around her stall for awhile to get used to it. Then I would attempt to lead her forward. If she takes a step, immedietly release the pressure on her halter and reward her by petting her. Anytime she does something good, reward her by letting off the pressure. I would lead her around the stall a bit, and if you can get her to the pen, I would work with her there too. The main ingredient is gonna be lots of patience and time. Hope this helps:-)

Answer 3

It sounds like she is already fairly calm and socialized considering her history. I've only halter broken a couple of colts but I did them without their mothers or any other help. It is basically just a process of stop and go...pull the leadrope a bit and if she comes, good, and if she doesn't stop, talk to her, calm her down and try again. It helps to have food to use as incentive...especially sweet feed! It's best done in a pasture or arena so that you can have plenty of room to get out of her if she shies but since you don't have that option I'd reccomend that you stand so that you have access to the stall door.

Answer 4

we had to do this without mamma..we would try to lead and if didnt we put the lead around their hindin and around to the other end of the lead..the rope is like all the way round the horses that way it puts pressure on thsir butt to move



check this site out has good innfo about what im saying



http://www.evanshorses.com/halter_training.htm





http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.horsekeeping.com/images/Sherlock/butt_rope_side_view.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.horsekeeping.com/horse_care/Cherry_Hill_foal-2.htm&usg=__CDK_hF2SAOU8vTuGcPg3HGET2G4=&h=288&w=384&sz=21&hl=en&start=1&um=1&tbnid=Lpac_Qhwvf4G5M:&tbnh=92&tbnw=123&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dbutt%2Brope%2Bfor%2Ba%2Bfoal%2Bhow%2Bto%2Buse%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DN



good pic at top of a butt rope



http://www.myhorse.com/assets/Training/English/asset_upload_file903_6643.jpg