Getting a foal to accept the halter

SaddleBrat · 06-17-2008, 06:13 AM

I need some advice on how to get my foal to accept the halter. She has had the halter on a number of times but it is always a fight to get it on her. Once it is on she does great but I do not want her to learn to fear me when I come out with a halter (she is usually VERY people oriented). How can I go at this slow enough that I can eventually put the halter on peacefully while she is standing there and she knows it's not a bad thing?

Lopinslow · 06-17-2008, 06:46 AM

it just simply takes time. Halter her a couple times each day, scratch her, etc. pretty soon it will be no big deal for her

SaddleBrat · 06-17-2008, 06:56 AM

Thats what I was trying but I can't get her near me when I have a halter in my hand and then I have to catch her and hold her (arms around front and back) and then how do I get the halter on? I am running out of arms

I was thinking maybe there is some way to get her used to the halter in general. Like rubbing her with it etc. What do you think? I am usually the only one out there to try to get this done and I am having a really hard time.

Lindsayanne · 06-17-2008, 07:24 AM

Get in into a small little area like a stall, and get mom out of the way so the foal cannot run and hide behind her. (I do this by putting mom and foal in a stall, then luring mom out with feed- and just letting the dam say within sight but out of the way)

Once you have 1 on 1 time with the baby, just start making yourself enjoyable. If you have trouble petting/catching her, just forget the halter for a few days and focus on teaching her people are fun. Don't force her or pin her, just let her seek you out and scratch her chest and withers- those sports feel particularly good to foals (do NOT pet her face. it's overly sensitive for the first few months).

For a few days, just isolate her, pet her, and put her back out with mom.

After she's seeking you out and comfortable with being near you in the stall, start petting her with a halter in your hand. Rub it all over her till she likes it- over the course of a day or three or however long it takes.

When she's okay with the halter, start bear hudding her around her neck, then praise. bear hug, praise, bear hug praise. Once she's okay with that, you can put the halter in one hand when you bear-hug and start buckling it around her neck. Then take it off and tell her what a good girl she is.

Once THAT is no big deal, begin slipping the noseband over her nose- then taking it off and praising and scratching her, on, of, praise & scratch.

If you want her to be willing haltered in the pasture- you have to teach her from square one that being haltered and what happens after you are haltered is good things- like being petted and loved on. If her memories of being haltered all involved being pinned up against something, terrified, and forced into a halter the she's going to keep running.

Keep your sessions short, positive, and break up the halter training with working with her on picking up legs, cleaning tail/eyes/everything, flyspraying and getting her used to clippers. Babies are curious and willing you just have to be more intentionally positive with some.

rusty123rus · 06-17-2008, 07:31 AM

Yes. lol. Lindsayanne knows what she is talking about! xp! I remember her telling me this and I can just run out there Dazer comes running to me and I halter her just fine in fact she searches for the nose band haha! But just try what she said. So Im seconding everything she told you!

! haha

SaddleBrat · 06-17-2008, 07:34 AM

Thanks! That is exactly what I was looking for. As I said she is VERY people oriented. She runs up to you in the pasture and will choose hanging out with me over being next to mom

I was having a hard time thinking that when I would come out with the halter she was very leary of me. She would come up but I couldn't put my arms around her. My other two horses will come up to me in a field and pretty much put the halter on themselves and I want the baby to be the same. Growing up I had horses and you would have to trick them with a bucket of grain and quickly put the rope around their neck to catch them and if you missed your chance the chance was gone. I will start on your tips right away. I want her to know that the halter is a good thing, and the way someone had me doing it before was just stressing her out. I hated to see her stress out when she is so sweet and trusting right now. I worked hard to get her that way and don't want to loose any ground. Thanks again.

06-17-2008, 06:13 AM	#1
SaddleBrat Full Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Missouri Posts: 137 Images: 10	Getting a foal to accept the halter I need some advice on how to get my foal to accept the halter. She has had the halter on a number of times but it is always a fight to get it on her. Once it is on she does great but I do not want her to learn to fear me when I come out with a halter (she is usually VERY people oriented). How can I go at this slow enough that I can eventually put the halter on peacefully while she is standing there and she knows it's not a bad thing?

06-17-2008, 06:46 AM	#2
Lopinslow Senior Member+ Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: MN Posts: 564 Images: 22	it just simply takes time. Halter her a couple times each day, scratch her, etc. pretty soon it will be no big deal for her __________________ Quality AQHA Western Pleasure Horses The Naughty Version, Goallthewaymay & Unzipped n Naughty

06-17-2008, 07:24 AM	#4
Lindsayanne Senior Member+ Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Joplin, MO Posts: 9,537 Images: 372	Get in into a small little area like a stall, and get mom out of the way so the foal cannot run and hide behind her. (I do this by putting mom and foal in a stall, then luring mom out with feed- and just letting the dam say within sight but out of the way) Once you have 1 on 1 time with the baby, just start making yourself enjoyable. If you have trouble petting/catching her, just forget the halter for a few days and focus on teaching her people are fun. Don't force her or pin her, just let her seek you out and scratch her chest and withers- those sports feel particularly good to foals (do NOT pet her face. it's overly sensitive for the first few months). For a few days, just isolate her, pet her, and put her back out with mom. After she's seeking you out and comfortable with being near you in the stall, start petting her with a halter in your hand. Rub it all over her till she likes it- over the course of a day or three or however long it takes. When she's okay with the halter, start bear hudding her around her neck, then praise. bear hug, praise, bear hug praise. Once she's okay with that, you can put the halter in one hand when you bear-hug and start buckling it around her neck. Then take it off and tell her what a good girl she is. Once THAT is no big deal, begin slipping the noseband over her nose- then taking it off and praising and scratching her, on, of, praise & scratch. If you want her to be willing haltered in the pasture- you have to teach her from square one that being haltered and what happens after you are haltered is good things- like being petted and loved on. If her memories of being haltered all involved being pinned up against something, terrified, and forced into a halter the she's going to keep running. Keep your sessions short, positive, and break up the halter training with working with her on picking up legs, cleaning tail/eyes/everything, flyspraying and getting her used to clippers. Babies are curious and willing you just have to be more intentionally positive with some. __________________ Bashkir Curly Poster Child NE Prime Time Regal - 2006 ABCR National Champion & 2008 Breyerfest Demo Horse HAVE YOU SEEN MY STOLEN PONY EXPRESS HORSE TRAILER?*

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06-17-2008, 06:56 AM	#3
SaddleBrat Full Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Missouri Posts: 137 Images: 10	Thats what I was trying but I can't get her near me when I have a halter in my hand and then I have to catch her and hold her (arms around front and back) and then how do I get the halter on? I am running out of arms I was thinking maybe there is some way to get her used to the halter in general. Like rubbing her with it etc. What do you think? I am usually the only one out there to try to get this done and I am having a really hard time.

06-17-2008, 07:34 AM	#6
SaddleBrat Full Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Missouri Posts: 137 Images: 10	Thanks! That is exactly what I was looking for. As I said she is VERY people oriented. She runs up to you in the pasture and will choose hanging out with me over being next to mom I was having a hard time thinking that when I would come out with the halter she was very leary of me. She would come up but I couldn't put my arms around her. My other two horses will come up to me in a field and pretty much put the halter on themselves and I want the baby to be the same. Growing up I had horses and you would have to trick them with a bucket of grain and quickly put the rope around their neck to catch them and if you missed your chance the chance was gone. I will start on your tips right away. I want her to know that the halter is a good thing, and the way someone had me doing it before was just stressing her out. I hated to see her stress out when she is so sweet and trusting right now. I worked hard to get her that way and don't want to loose any ground. Thanks again.