need help putting a halter on

[PHF Fancy]

Hi All,

I figured I'd post my questios here since my guy is a long ear(sort of) and maybe you can help me. I adopted a pony mule from a local rescue this past week. He's very sweet and kind just needs some ground manners. The one thing I'm having trouble with is putting his halter on. He absolutely hates it. Once it's on he's fine but getting it there is near to impossible. Out in the field he can be a bit hand shy but once you touch him he loves to be patted. Any suggestions as to how I can get the halter on without a major battle? I've tried holding a treat in the nose band part so he'd go for it while I slipped it over his head but no go. I'm at a loss with this guy and don't want to keep fighting with him.

Thanks.

 

[Celtic Hill Farm]

I would suggest if you can't get a halter on him, when you turn him out either use a break away halter, or a leather halter. You said he needs ground work, i would suggest to using a Rope halter, everyone seems to be geting the best results with them, and they are really common with the donkeys. Plus, if you are having trouples haltering him/her I would think it would be best to use a halter that goes up and over there head, not a halter you have to put over them. You mule could have been abused, and afrad of people when they go near there head. so, by using a rope halter, you bring the strap that goes over ther head from the left of the donkey over there head to the right. where with a regular halter, you place there head 'into it". did that make any since? if not' i can try and re-write it.

 

[Bunnylady]

My mini mule Betsy taught me that mules are kind of like cats - the more you fight them, the harder they fight you.

She spent her first few months here wearing a halter, because I didn't think I could catch her without it. She came a bit hand-shy and with no ground manners, too. Per advice from an old hand with longears, I kept my hands below her withers to start with, working my way up her neck gradually. Her ears were the hardest part, I have good reason to think people had twisted them in the past to make her hold still (rather like using a twitch on the lip, she's completely immune to a twitch.) I spent a lot of time just brushing and petting her, or just catching her for a minute, giving her a bit of a scratch and a treat, trying to get her to think that being caught was a good thing. When I started practicing taking the halter on and off, I put her in a small pen, so she couldn't go far. I didn't "chase" her, I just calmly walked after her until she stopped and let me catch her. Betsy seemed to find a lead rope looped around her neck less threatening, for some reason, so I did that a few times to get her to hold still while I put the halter on. I kept my hands as far away from her ears as I could, and gave her a treat when I was done. Buckle/unbuckle the halter, don't try to pull it over the ears!

You have to be very, very patient with these guys, but they are smart, and they do get better. It didn't happen overnight, but Betsy practically halters herself now!

 

[PHF Fancy]

Betsy sounds just like my Henry. I'll take your advise and go very slow with him. Henry is also hand shy but once I start patting him I can touch his head and ears. I just can't go at him with my arm extended like I can with my horses. My other issue with him is he tries to run me over while I'm bringing him out of his stall. I use my voice to back him up and that works but I wonder if that is the right thing. Once I get him to stand quietly I lead him out of the stall. Is there a better way to deal with this kind of thing?

 

[Bunnylady]

Yep, mules are a breed apart, aren't they? You have to really watch your body language around them. Betsy is so sensitive, she almost seems to read minds. I've had to learn to be so "soft," I joke that she's turned me into a marshmallow!

They can be pushy, too, so they do need to know where the boundaries are. They can pick up on fairly subtle changes in your tone of voice, so if that'll do it, there's no need to get physical. Trust is a huge issue with mules, once they learn to trust you, things do get smoother.

When I work on Syd's feet (she's my 2-year-old mini,) if she gets wiggly, I can repremand her. She respects that, and usually will straighten out. If I spoke to Betsy like that, she'd get all tense, and things would go downhill from there. I can grumble a bit, soothe, weedle, all of these may get her to settle down, but if she's determined to put her foot on the ground, I have to let her. If I try to hang onto it, or speak to her sharply, she'll freak out. Of course, I immediately pick the foot up again, I'm not about to let her think that being fretful means her feet won't get done! She's much better than she was, but some days she still has to test me a little. Recently, she's begun resting her face against my leg while I'm working on a front foot. Most of the time, it's done so gently, it's like, "a-w-w-w!" A few days ago, she did it, but gradually increased the pressure until she pushed me over! She'd gone too far, and she knew it, so a sharp word from me was expected, and she behaved perfectly after that. Dealing with Betsy is never dull!

 

[PHF Fancy]

I'm finding Henry to be SO different from my donks or horses that I'm almost afraid to do anything for fear of ruining him. I've only had him a few days so I know he'll get better but I can't wait for that day! I'll work with him but I've also discovered he's food aggressive even towards me. I'm sure he's always had to fend for himself but that is not something I can deal with. I threw him som hay today then walked in the stall to change his water bucket and he turned his butt so fast in my direction that had he kicked out I would have caught it dquare on the face. Little stinker!