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The joys of halter training
Topic Started: May 3 2007, 05:49 PM (333 Views)
La Gringa
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Starving Artist
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I would love to hear tips, to do's, and not to do's on Halter training.

My filly is getting big and strong fast! I need to get a handle on this now!

She has been getting away from the Barn Manager, during the "hold and hug" method, that is used to restrain them for things. She's getting so big. :o

We've had the halter on a few times, she's just a bit shy putting it on. I need to work on it!!

:)
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jillincolorado
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I started Luna with a big, soft l o n g cotton leadrope. I fixed it as a figure eight (head accross back and withers, behind butt, up over back to my hand) then just let her follow Mom in her normal routine to and from turnout. I seem to remember playing with her in the stall as well, just getting her to yield to pressure.

It's like herding cats or trying to nail jello to the wall sometimes, but they get the hang of it...eventually. :lol:

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Turtledove
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Shunnnnn the unbeliever. Shunnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn.
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My filly can be a little pistol so I know what you mean. I like to put a halter on and off every day just to get them used to it. I usually use a cotton lead rope around her neck and then the halter is the kind with the clip under the throat latch so it is easy to slip it over her nose and ears and then just clip it up. Then you don't have to worry about trying to work with buckles. She was playing "run around mom" with me for a while. My mare is really good though so I fixed that by leaning over Poppy and dangling the lead rope just behind the filly's butt. Then when I went to the front of Poppy to try and catch her, Minx would back into the lead rope and go forward again and I could get her. But it really helps to have two people :) She is starting to get interested in what is in the feed bucket now though and coming forward to sniff so hopefully things will get easier soon.

It seems that the fillies come with a little more "tude than the boys :innocent:
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OpticalIllusion
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Turtledove
May 4 2007, 07:01 AM
My filly can be a little pistol so I know what you mean. I like to put a halter on and off every day just to get them used to it. I usually use a cotton lead rope around her neck and then the halter is the kind with the clip under the throat latch so it is easy to slip it over her nose and ears and then just clip it up. Then you don't have to worry about trying to work with buckles. She was playing "run around mom" with me for a while. My mare is really good though so I fixed that by leaning over Poppy and dangling the lead rope just behind the filly's butt. Then when I went to the front of Poppy to try and catch her, Minx would back into the lead rope and go forward again and I could get her. But it really helps to have two people :) She is starting to get interested in what is in the feed bucket now though and coming forward to sniff so hopefully things will get easier soon.

It seems that the fillies come with a little more "tude than the boys :innocent:

The "run around mommy" game is the worst. Then add too when mommy doesnt want to play the game anymore and starts spinning and getting grumpy.

We halter ours every day to go in and out from day one, even though were not really using the halter. One trick I learned is if they dont want to walk forward, tickle their withers. Usually gets a little hop in the air response and some forward motion.
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La Gringa
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I tried the figure 8 thing with the rope. I did it in the stall at first for safety... and I can get her to turn and move off the pressure of the butt rope, but how do I correct her if she bolts forward?

I had a hard time keeping control of the rope if she learched forward. I just let her go and started again.

I don't want to hurt the baby's neck by pulling back on her...

We are doing much better at the face touching and putting the halter on! Progress in small steps. She's so sweet though and loves the attention.
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rideagoldenpony
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We do the figure 8 thing also, and use it for taking them to and from turnout and also out to/from the barn when the mare is getting rebred (it is a little trek from the nursery pastures to the barn). I don't put an actual halter on them for about a month.

As far as having them go forward, that is what the front part of the figure 8 is for. I try to have it be a bit down on their neck/chest area, and I will often use my free hand to help hold them back across the neck, or even the bridge of the nose, if I find that is more helpful.

If you are letting her go when she is naughty, you are very carefully teaching her that by being naugty she can get out of what she does not want to do. And yes, they only get bigger from here on out!!!
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Turtledove
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You have to pull when they are naughty and my vet told me whatever you do, don't let go if they lay down. They want you to let go and will try just about anything. The main thing is to pull and RELEASE as soon as they give to the pressure. If my filly pulls away I pull her back to me and then once she is standing quietly I loosen the rope quickly and praise her. Remember to BREATHE in and out loudly. It lowers your heart rate and even a foal will pick up on how calm you are when handling them. I also like the Clinton Anderson method of teaching to lead by pushing their butts away and pulling gently on the halter at the same time. You go round in circles in the stall and eventually you take a few steps straight ahead. Pretty soon your baby is leading :)
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La Gringa
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Turtledove
May 7 2007, 11:54 AM
You have to pull when they are naughty and my vet told me whatever you do, don't let go if they lay down.  They want you to let go and will try just about anything.  The main thing is to pull and RELEASE as soon as they give to the pressure.  If my filly pulls away I pull her back to me and then once she is standing quietly I loosen the rope quickly and praise her.  Remember to BREATHE in and out loudly.  It lowers your heart rate and even a foal will pick up on how calm you are when handling them.  I also like the Clinton Anderson method of teaching to lead by pushing their butts away and pulling gently on the halter at the same time.  You go round in circles in the stall and eventually you take a few steps straight ahead.  Pretty soon your baby is leading :)

Yeah that's kind of what I did. I didn't actually let her go per say, I didn't have control because I don't think I had the rope properly positioned on her chest, so there wasn't anything to restrain her, and when she went forward I couldn't stop her...

I will work on the technique. I am able to restrain her myself by holding her hugged (cradled) still so she has learned she can't bolt away.

It was me fumbling with the rope yesterday that was the problem. I need to get the hang of it.

My BM is very good at this too, I will have her help me as well.
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mpetrecz
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I feel so lucky to have a pony foal as my practice baby. She's been so good, halter on/off, picking up all four feet, standing and not being a dart when I move around her.....til the blacksmith came to visit....... :sigh: I had to cradle her and hang on for dear life, poor blacksmith hung on.....Coco(mommy) just sighed in the corner with the "now you know what I deal with" look on her face. She picked up her feet for him, but when he stretched her leg to see how it dangled.....(straight...all 4.... :one: :cheer: )..she had a spaz attack til she realized he and I were the best tag team she could of encountered,,,,.....and gave up. Any way, she was still mad (not afraid) of me this morning and was back to run around the mommy.....and catch me if you can. :argh: by dinner time it seems all is forgiven and she's my little girl again.

Now, My Lizzy is showing color on the Foal Watch and I'm realizing I will have a much bigger baby this time around. The good news, after talking to my friend I got her from, was informed that her last filly is ssoooo quiet and swweettt, she can't believe it. She's planning on putting her in the Sally Wheeler!!! Did I say lovely??!!! :teehee: <3 Maybe the TB baby won't have the little pony filly "tude". :luck:

I don't lead Hailey outside yet. she's learned to walk with me around the stall and stand....as long as the preditor blacksmith stays away. I'm thinking of leading in the barnyard in the next few days. My property is fenced, so she just walks with momma to the field. She's actually, leading us to the field now....walks in front of me just like a perfect little lady. I will miss these days....and remember them fondly. My little baby.

Mary :cloud9:
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Turtledove
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Mary: Take tons of pictures and save them to somewhere they won't get lost. I took a lot of pictures of my first filly and then the computer crashed and I lost most of them. They grow SO fast and you need as many baby pictures as you can get!

I've bred 5 foals now. Three colts and two fillies. Both fillies were a bit of a handful and all three colts were as sweet as can be. My current filly is coming around now as she is starting to see me as "the bringer of the grain bucket" and not just a nuisance who keeps wanting to grab a hold of her :P She isn't really eating any grain but she sees that mom is so very interested in the bucket so she wants to see what's in there and will let me touch her face and a bit of her neck in exchange.

La Gringa: If you find when your baby is around 6 months old you are still having some issues, don't be afraid to bring in some help. I have a local cowboy type trainer who has come out for several of my babies when they were that age and taught them to self load on a trailer. He spends about 2 hours working with the baby and teaches them to lead, back up, respect your space and load and unload. He is firm but not harsh and charges me about $150. It has been money very well spent!
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mpetrecz
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Thomas H. Cruise!
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Thanks for the picture suggestion. I save everything on my computer! I will print them now and keep them in her file. I'd be very upset if I lost them!

I am forgiven today.....she came right up as mom was finishing breakfast to get the halter on and some butt skritches........ :lol: no drama, good girl.

Mary
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