question... help?

Ok, so took two horses purchased from the auction... back to the auction... I put a NO MEAT PURCHASES on them, and they both went to private homes.... talked to the purchaser of the filly, she is as sweet as pie, just dont have the time she needs for 1on 1 attention daily... they do, which is great.

Anywho.... I bought a CPHA registered Palomino Tovero mare who had a colt at side. Got em cheap, but the mare and colt are both very very very nice... the mare was trying to cuddle with you through the pen, but the colt was usually out of reach. So go to put a halter on this colt.... he flips out. The auction lady clearly did not know how to halter break a foal, thats fine, just dont insist you handle MY foal, when you are endangering its life. She was standing at the end of the flipping lead line, pulling.... IDIOT! but i took the colt, cradled him, held his tail and loaded him myself.

So we get him home (I rode with him in the trailer as I have a 2 horse straight load....) he was good in the trailer, just a bit of a turd, but ok. He is clearly NOT handled at all. He likes to be scratched.... so I have that going for me...

But after getting out of the trailer, any slight pressure on the halter, and he's up and over, flailing around like he's gonna get eaten. Im trying to soothe him, and get him to stand still while we get a butt rope.

Now the question is..... and I dont normally WANT other people's foals, Mine are NEVER hard to halter break, but its because I handle them from day one, and literally daily, plus their parents are easy to train and overall be around. But with this foal, what do y'all think is the best way to start working with him? He sure is a flashy lil colt, but I dont want him hurting himself, and with the slightest pressure on that halter, he is up and over.

I know in a couple months I will have won him over.... but I just want an outside view to maybe give me some other ideas......

help? 7Cedars, Bluejay, Lynn, Triple J, WHERE ARE YA? lol

just do everything slowly

maybe once he sees you treating mom good he'll come around

Had sort of that issue come up tonight at the barn. Red's colt was being a pill... we just pulled them yesterday. Stupid sucker keeps trying to commit suicide and went through 3 strands of slick wire for some unknown reason Saturday - got 60 acres out there... go somewhere else... figures - danged boys! Anyhoo, he threw a bit of a fit...me and Rick get into it big time yeyaw - usual thing, no biggy. Had to doctor the little Sh*T! GAWD! If he makes it to 6 months old, it'll be a blooming miracle...

Anyhoo, back on topic. Because I don't handle mine when they're young - and I don't want to hear no yeyaw about that... anyhoo, sometimes you have flippers - that's what I call 'em. My best paint mare's babies always did it, aggravating little souls, but they danged sure were the friendliest and broke out the best of any babies I've ever had... anyhoo, this is what I would do.

First off, don't worry about the halter stuff at first, just get your hands on him period, and imprint him, so to speak, speak softly, rub your hands all over him, make him deal with it. If he fights, assume the position of getting up against a wall, your arm up under his neck and ahold of that tail. If he's too big for you to do that, fix a squeeze shoot of sorts, can be done with a panel or like we have in the actual deal is a sheet of plywood that Rick attached to the side of the stall. Just keep messing with him. Don't worry about the leading with the halter on and all that hoohah until he understands you're not going to eat him.

It'll take some time, but I'm sure you can do it. Once he figures out you're not going to eat him, and you can get up to him and pet on him, then start trying to halter break him.

Then if he's still doing the flipper thingy... well, there's one way to handle that, and what we've always done. Okie doke, fine, you wanna flip, flip all ya want... but don't do that until you've given them every opportunity there is, and they'll literally follow you around kind of scenario. You make danged sure that you're out in an area where there's nothing - I mean, no bumps, no holes, plenty of soft ground, no boards, nothing...If they flip, you sit on 'em real quick, at the shoulder. Just sit there and rub your hands all over 'em... usually about twice of that mess and they'll quit... BUT LIKE I SAID now.... do all the other stuff first...

One reason why Rick does the halter breaking of the babies - I don't have enough patience... Rick will sit out there with 'em for hours...

And ask Bluejay... she saw us doctor Cool's filly - she assumed the position pretty quick, no fighting. I did have to change her halter tonight... get this, that little pooter is wearing a new born weanling halter - I kid you not!!!!! She squenches up that nose ... don't touch my face, don't touch my nose... yeah, whatever...Rick said when he wormed her yesterday, she had her teeth slapped shut, she wasn't going to open that mouth - yep, that's Cool's babies! In a week, she'll be a puppy dog and follow ya anywhere...

Very simple. You start in a comfined area like a stall. If he flips you let him go and hang on so he does not hit his head.. I always start with getting the lead on. Use one long enough to go around the butt. Not too long or you will get tangled. Then, with the lead on you pull him towards his mama. He will turn with you. Make sure you are talking to him. When he does this praise the hell out of him and be sweet with a higher pictched voice. Just like you would a child. Then turn him the other direction. He will turn with you.. Need to go slow. Not like a slugg just ease in to it.

Then when he does that you can start to lead him around the stall. Use the lead behind the butt and gentle pressure. The minute he moves one foot. release pressure and praise him again in the same tone. Make sure to make a big deal out of how good he is and give him some of those little scratches he loves so much. This is how he learns to move away from pressure..

Keep in mind his lesson should not go more then 5 minutes. That is all the attention span he has. All you need is one foot moving towards you.

This is what I do when I am too stupid to train before weaning. It works really well. Keep in mind you cannot do this when he has space to get away from you. That is why the stall is so nice..

I have mine that have never even been haltered walking with me in one day. I have a cement isle way so have to get this done in order to turn them out. He will not be perfect in the begining. All my horses get lots of praise when they do well no matter how old they are. If you rough neck him it will not be a pleasant experience.. You have already started when you got him loaded. Everytime you touch him you are teaching him something.

It takes me about 5 minutes to get them to allow the halter on and off. I do this the same way. Yes you might sound silly talking to him. He will love it and he will not be afraid. Do not forget your body language..

Good luck and let us know how it goes..

I like Bluejay's dealey-do better.... by the way... how old is this baby? If it's a big honker, might need some help. If it's a little squirt, awww now, that ain't no biggy....call it Flipper... HA!

LOL flipper.... hahahaha, I was gonna call him thrasher, because once he hits the ground he goes into a death roll like a gator! hahahaha

I was getting short of patience, and getting tired (mare wouldnt back out of my trailer... and I hadnt eaten anything all day), so after he flipped the one time... I sat on his shoulder kinda, and held him down until his momma was out of the trailer.... looked like he needed a bit of a break too! LOL

He's only 4 weeks... well a month I guess, born may 20th. Big little pooper tho, and all I have done since I got him saturday is kinda cradle him (after catching him) and scratch and love on him... he's still kinda scared tho. Its odd, because his dam is a complete in your pocket girl.... hopefully he decides to come around here.... Will keep y'all updated, and hopefully get some pics of them soon...

Thanks for you're help! I appreciate it!

No whimps allowed. You are as strong as your mind will let you be. Besides, my method works and does not require stength of the body. Just the mind.. HA HA HA . No nice big boys helping around here.. Just us girls.. And some of us are old ya know..

Since he's a little feller, I'd definitely do it like Bluejay suggested - just wasn't sure how big this little tooters was. We even do the same thing with our big'uns....those little ones, you can pretty much direct them anywhere with that butt rope on.

Good Ideas, From both Shelia and Blue Jay, if I may add just a couple more ideas, Put him in a corner. Ask him to walk out of it. IF he Tries to flip, he has a much harder time of going up. If he does go up, try to contol the fall, I know its hard, but again you are taking the control factor away from him. Put a drag rope on him while in the stall or out in a really clean pasture, like an arena, with his halter on. Let him deal with his demons on his own some. Keep close by. Gosh, he sounds so much like a baby, I don't want to, Im scared, Big baby! Got to love them!