Tips on Halter Breaking a 2 month old colt?

Ok I am totally new to the miniature horses. I have never had a youngster before either. Just big horses already at least green broke...

I now am the proud owner of a little mini paint colt Born April 14th. He is currently still at the breeders about 10 minutes away from me until hes weened.

We are working with him on the weekends and about every other day we go out there and handle him and get him used to us.

I am totally lost on what to do to get started on halter breaking this little guy reliably? We may not get out there EVERY day right now (due to temps running 105 around here right now... )

I have been putting the halter and leadrope on him while we are out there without pulling onit but he spazzes out and while its on hes skittish and we dont get to brush andhandle him much.

We take it off when we leave for the day. So its on him MAYBE 1 hour.

any suggestions on what else we should be doing? Intentions are eventually to train this little guy to be a therapy horse with a group here that goes to nursing homes etc.

Maybe eventually train him to pull a cart.

I am open to tips and suggestions!

Right now we can only get out there once a day due to work schedules. I would spend all day out there if I could.

I am hoping to get him leadable by the time he is ready to move to our place... once hes here I can do a lot more work with him.

So you tie your babies from the start? I am afraid he would hurt himself trying to get away!?

Here is my little guy

There is an article on our web site that tells you in detail how we do it. Halter Training The Miniature Foal

It starts out with a younger foal, but the process is the same no matter the age...and even for a mature horse that is untrained.

Good luck with your little one!

Charlotte said:

There is an article on our web site that tells you in detail how we do it. Halter Training The Miniature Foal

It starts out with a younger foal, but the process is the same no matter the age...and even for a mature horse that is untrained.

Good luck with your little one!

Click to expand...

Great article Charlotte!! I do much the same. I don't "hard" tie until they're yearlings just in case they do pull back. I like their neck muscles to be more developed.

I agree with Diane, start as soon as possible with halter and lead training, I believe in imprinting and handling them as much as possible at a very young age, foals already have their natural instincts but that doesn't include having to deal with humans, although halter and lead training is the easiest thing to do, these foals learn quick from release from pressure, once you put the halter on make sure it in an open paddock or somewhere they can run, jump, and act foolish, until they learn the halter won't hurt them, once you see them start to ignore the halter, such as grazing, nursing, and acting normal, you can remove it, give them a few minutes and place it on again, this process they usual learn very quick, once they get used to having halter on and off it's time to start lead training, during lead training the first time you apply pressure they will pull away and this is fine, just continue to apply pressure however follow them with the lead so they don't hurt their neck but once you feel the least amount of foal starting to give release pressure, this step usually only takes about a week for most foals and they will soon learn to take the path of least resistance, which is to follow the lead..

Must foals like to bit and chew on your fingers, hands, arms, and clothes, and this SEEMS really cute when they don't have teeth coming in, I do not allow this behavior as it also teaches them that this is ok , then you have problems with your young yearling biting and chewing on anything they want, also foals love to turn their butt to you when they feel threatened or uncomfortable, a lot of horse owners like to scratch their rear side thinking that this is what the foal is wanting, when he/she are actually getting prepared to strike out if you do something he/she doesn't like, I NEVER allow them to turn their butts toward me, I will walk around to their rear sides during training , but they will know it's my ideal and not theirs, when you allow them to do these things as foals it's a lot harder to break them as they get older...

I also put my young horses through ground training real similar to what you would do with big horses, teaching them to stand, ground tie, release to pressure, trailer loading and unloading, desensitizing them to anything and everything, I make an obstacle course that they go through just after weaning, which includes several streamers, plastic sheets laying on the ground, wood plank board walks, and even a 10x10' square area covered with things that make noise like, alum cans, small toys, balls, and really anything I can find that they have not been exposed to before, most people would think I over do some things, but I have had very good success with very well behaved and non-spooky horses that like to be handled, most of these horses will go on to be broodmares, and/or sires, so I get them used to being touched and handled under there belly, this is really important for broodmares as it's a necessity that they allow you to handle there tails and teats..

Hope this helps, I'm sure you probably do a lot of this anyway if you have handled large horses, miniatures are just like the big one, they all learn from release of pressure and learn very quickly to tolerate things they are taught that want hurt them..

Charlotte said:

There is an article on our web site that tells you in detail how we do it. Halter Training The Miniature Foal

It starts out with a younger foal, but the process is the same no matter the age...and even for a mature horse that is untrained.

Good luck with your little one!

Click to expand...

GREAT article Charlotte..

Hi and welcome to LB, hope you enjoy the posts and the pictures. And please feel free to ask any questions, however silly they may seem, we all had to start somewhere with minis as against big horses and you will find folk here understanding and very helpful.

Love your little lad, what a pretty boy! How did you manage to get the halter on in the first place - was he happy to have it simply put on and taken off or did you have to 'grapple' with him a bit? Is there no-one at the farm where he and his Momma are kept who can help you?

I doubt many on here will halter foals the way we do it, but it works for us! We never halter until after they are weaned! For the first couple of days of their lives we dont even touch a foal - they belong to their dams not to us. Then when the mares are still in at nights after foaling we go sit in their stalls and wait for the foals to 'investigate' and come to us, after a while allowing us to do little gentle 'scratches' which they seem to love. During the day, when they are all out in the fields we spend time wandering around and talking to the mares, plus the odd scratch/fuss for the foal if it requires. Within a couple of weeks we are greeted by a batch of foals when we enter the field, cant get rid of them LOL!! We sit on the ground and have them swarm all over us for a fuss and attention. This is the time we start slowly picking up the odd foot for a game. A month on and we are picking up and trimming feet while surrounded by a batch of foals all demanding attention and their turn at the new game. Nothing more than this, apart from regular worming, is carried out. When we walk the fields all the foals follow us, just as their dams do if we call them - the foals are now learning to follow humans coz when you do you get fuss and scratches!

Weaning comes around 6 or 7 months, more fuss and attention and going for walks round the field, slow introdution to food and hay (we have so much grass we dont need to bring the mares and foals in to stables for food during the summer months, we just use good quality vitamin and mineral blocks out in the fields) in the big barn they have the use of. Soon there comes the new game of halters! Just another game so no problem with a careful pop on over the nose, gently over the head and a loose buckle up (no 'ends' tucked in so can do a quick release if necessary). Halters on two or three foals at a time, just for a few minutes then off again and on to the next two or three babies. Lots of talking and scratches. This playtime is done once each day, for two or three days, then a rope is attached and we do walkies round the barn. Foals are happy to follow on their ropes coz they always follow humans. Another couple of days and with the rest shut in the barn, each baby is taken walkies on its own. Some follow happily, some want to walk alongside you, one or two will stop, but a gentle tap on their rear end soon gets them moving along again together with a cheery 'come along little one'.

Due to family illness earlier this year daughter has only just got round to haltering/leading our six, now, yearling fillies. In two weeks she has got them haltered and being lead up the drive, round the farm yard past huge tractors/machinery and even through the shallow river nearby. Of the two yearling colts, one was haltered and lead last year due to a possible sale, but hasnt been touched since last Christmas. He popped his halter on with no problem, lead beautifully and even loaded himself into our large lorry, all as part of his first walk, he had forgotten nothing! The second colt took his halter on and off game like a pro, and the following day was walking up the drive, following his human friend!

The most important thing to do in my opinion is to first get the confidence of a foal, once it is happy to come and talk to you for fuss and attention, then the halter can be slipped on and off as a game, it is the on and off that is important rather than them just wearing it. Once you attach a rope you have to be more careful. Always be alongside the foal as it must never be allowed/able to pull back on the rope - can damage the delicate neck bones, so you need to be able to wrap an arm round the back end quickly before the foal can pull away from you. It helps if you have already been able to have the foal happily allow you to 'encircle' it with your arms (like for a cuddle!) before you even start with the halter.

WOW! I never meant to carry on so LOL!! Must admit it is a bad habit of mine - sorry! But maybe you have found something amongst this epistle of help?

Good luck with your little lad, take it steady and I'm sure he will soon get the idea.

Anna

When we put the halter on him, he pulled away a bit, but he would come back for more skritchinthen I would put it on and off while critching. Yesterday I buckled it and left a short lead rope attached and let him move around the pen. His mother was tied having her hooves trimmed and then after that we held him for the farrier to trim his. He is used to being petted and loves sckritchin, but the breeder is an older gentleman that

cant handle and train like before due to health issue in the last year . Hes just been fed treats and petted no halter work at all. This is my second weekend working with him since my husband bought him for me for my birthday( suprised me!). I have been sliding the halter on and off and grooming him while its one and then taking it off and then back on and buckling it. This yesterday was the first time he had it on running around. I can pick up his hooves and touch all over him, but when the farrier went to work with him he fought and had to be held. Then when I went to take the halter off he had to be kinda hemmed up in a corner. Today he was shy and not wanting to be touched at all and all I was able to do was sit on the ground and have him come up and let me brush his neck and shoulder, no back end or standing up brushing today... he took off if I tried. I didnt even try to halter today. I'm so lost on what to do.

Ive never really trained before and he is the first baby I have handled....

When I first started working with him he was mouthy and nippy and when he discovered the human gave good skirtches he would nip if I stopped. Took a day or two but hes no longer nipping... then he started pawing at me when I stopped so I had to work on that. Hes pretty good now about snuffling my arm/hand and barely touching me gently with his nose if he wants skritchin... no bad manners allowed! Im just worried that we overdid it yesteday with halter AND farrier ( I wasnt expecting the farrier yesterday, the breeder had him out doing all of them.

He probably didn't like all the extra "work" yesterday, but he'll get over that quickly. I've had a couple that were real pets up until I started haltering them, then they decided that if they keep away they can't have that horrible halter put on...no big deal, I just get the mare & foal into the shed--catch mom & tie her in the corner and the foal will soon go in to join her. and then I can corner him--once he's cornered I've got him--easy to nab him & put the halter on. This way they learn when they're caught & know they may as well give it up right now, and pretty soon they are back to being their usual friendly, always underfoot selves.

Personally I have never much cared which angle I have to approach from. If the foal goes in the shed and stands with his head in the corner, I don't waste time getting him to turn around and face me before I catch him, I just speak to him, walk up to him, put a hand on his hip or backside or whatever is closest, and move up to his shoulder, put an arm around his neck & then slip the halter on. People think that if they approach from the rear they'll get kicked, but I have no worries--I have never had one kick or even look/act like he might kick. Mine are all destined to be driven at some point in life, so they should have no problems with me being behind, beside or in front of them, whether I'm catching them, brushing them or just working around them, cleaning sheds or whatever.

Some people think it's bad manners if a horse doesn't turn to face you to be caught, because of the risk of being kicked if you approach from the rear. I disagree. I figure mine are better mannered than many, because I can safely approach from any angle--for me, bad manners would be kicking me if I approach from the rear!

But then I do also let my babies chew on my nose until their teeth start coming in--and I let them stand in my lap when I sit in the shed or corral with them, up until they get too big. It never leads to bad behavior--all I do is push them away when they get too big for this behavior, and that's the end of that. They don't grow up thinking they can bite or stomp on people as they please!

BTW, Pretty little colt! Congratulations on your birthday present!

Charlotte

I always use a butt rope. It is just a long rope with a loop at the end that goes around the rear end. The lead end, I put through the halter and have it with the lead from the halter. This way you are not pulling on their head, just using the halter and that lead to keep them straight. The butt rope keeps them from backing and is used to encourage them to move forward and not pull back on the halter lead. I also use the pull on the butt rope then release method until they will come without any pressure on the butt rope. I hope this is making sense to you. I have had most foals learn to lead in one or two sessions. In over fifty foals, I've never had one injure itself with this method.

how do you do the butt rope? Just run another lead rope around the rump, attach to halter or no?? I was "leading " him a bit by pushing on his butt while gently tugging the lead rope and it was working ok. If I can figure out a little easier way to manipulate it it might work better....

(Edited to note: I just now saw you said you run it through the halter... where do you run it? Im trying to picture how to do it... I have a long lead rope I can use.... hmm...)

would this be worth investing in??? Foal trainer "Teach your foals to walk on lead without rearing and kicking. Complete with 2 leads."

You can put a lot of easy going "halter" miles on by leading together with the mom. They get accustomed to the halter and relative restraints , but will keep going forward as long as the mom is moving.

That is a really good article. The only question I have is when you restraint the foal. Before you restraint them do you have to chase them around the stall? No foal is going to let you restraint them without a run. And if they catch onto you the next time will be worse.

For the first few days I sit in the stall. When the foal comes up to me I rub and scratch. Then teh come up even more. Then I rub them with the halter. Then I put it over there head and take it off. For a few days I play. Then I hook it up. Leave it on for a few minutes. Once they are comfrtable I attach a lead and butt rope. I realse after every step. Eventually they get and becomes secodn nature!

Yes, the butt rope is just a really long rope. I have found it easier to make the loop around their rear and tie a knot in the rope so that it doesn't keep slipping. I have made my own "foal trainer" to help keep the rope in place, but it usually stays in place pretty well without it. I just run the lead part of it through the chin strap of the halter, not through any ring. I hold both the butt rope lead and the halter lead and keep them about the same tension, but if I want to encourage him to follow me, I pull on the butt rope. The halter rope is just to help keep him straight at first. Later in the lesson, put some tension on the halter lead. Eventually he will understand that the halter rope means come forward. I never "drag" a foal by the

halter rope and have seen people do it at shows and it really irks me.

If you have a helper to walk behind the foal and keep him going (by pushing, NOT hitting, that works well, too.

To catch a foal I do put them in a stall with corners or gates. Then put the halter on as was described by someone on this thread. It works well for me.

Day after I wean, they have a (fitted) halter, and a lead rope. They drag it for a few days to get use to it. Yes check on them a lot.

Also teaching them come into pressure to release the pressure(you pull on the lead rope, they take a forward movement of any kind give slack in the rope) repeat a lot . Usually after a couple of days of that they are halter broke. If they fight it keep pressure until they quit fighting and move forward. I had colt that reared forward, but the rears got smaller and smaller really quick.

Took 3 days to halter break a never been touched quarter horse mare, so I believe in this way.

A halter, butt rope and 20-30 minutes (followed by a bit of a back ache)...

Jill said:

A halter, butt rope and 20-30 minutes

(followed by a bit of a back ache)...

Click to expand...

Funny! But true!!

uggghh... I didnt get to go out there yesterday OR today. We have been working on redoing the fence that hasnt had to keep much in or out for years. I may end up having to wait on real halter breaking until we bring him home at this rate. I have soo much to get done to get ready for him.... The pen and shed for him are all cluttered up with a few years of stuff... hubbys 4wheelers an d other junk. Sometimes even the best birthday present ever can really be frustrating... I am SO not ready! *waaa* (hehe I'm sniveling...)