Unwanted horses

[Charlotte]

I was just reading the article on thehorse.com .. Reducing 'Unwanted' Horse Numbers. A very good article but this part about training hit home with me. Especially the part about the horse's insurance policy.

I would REALLY like to see this attitude promoted in the American Miniature Horse. Even a back yard pet or a broodmare should be well trained in ground manners and ANYONE can teach these skills. And, there is nothing that promotes bonding between horse and owner like consistent training.

Although our training clients may not look at it this way so much, one of our primary goals with our client horses is to send home a horse well grounded in manners so that he is easy and pleasant to be around. I hope we have been successful over the years. I do know that many of these horses have later sold for good prices and have gone on to further careers of some sort. We feel we have an obligation to the horse to give him the best chance that we can at a good life.

Proper TrainingMorgan Silver, executive director of the Horse Protection Association of Florida, believes equine training is key to preventing horses from becoming unwanted initially and for placing relinquished animals in permanent homes. A properly trained horse is not only more appealing to prospective owners, but it also has more adoption or career opportunities; for example, such a horse could be donated to an at-risk youth or prison program, a therapeutic riding school, or a teaching and research program at a university.

"Good training is a horse's insurance policy," says Silver.

But owners and rescue operators frequently overlook training as a factor in solving unwanted horse issues, according to Diane Panetta, founder of Rescued to Ride, a Colorado-based organization that promotes training for relinquished horses.

She would like to see horse industry organizations encourage owners to partner with trainers who can help horses reach desired performance levels. She would also like to see rescues budget horse training costs into their operating plans and require that adoptive owners commit to at least 30 days of additional training for horses acquired from rescues.

"In some cases you see the same horses coming back to a rescue again and again because of training issues," Panetta says. "That doesn't have to happen."

What do you think? Can those of us here on Lil Beginnings come up with ideas to promote this? Do you think it's worth the effort?

 

[JMS Miniatures]

I totally agree with you on this. I've heard it before by a top clinician that if every horse is taught just the basics or fundamentals not only would he be out of the job but how many horses will be saved from going to slaughter. I would love to work with CMHR and foster a horse or two and just train him the fundamentals and just rehabilitate these horses. I am building a new barn and everything but not sure if my facilities would be adequate for CMHR, would love to try one day.

 

[txminipinto]

I 100% agree. In the past, I have often been brought horses for training that didn't lead, didn't back, didn't allow basic handling, were pushy, and overbearing because someone didn't do the proper ground work. I've said it 100 times, minis and ponies are not dogs. While I think all animals should have manners, anything with a hoof, flight instict, and is 200 pounds plus should as well!

If you are unable to teach your horse basic ground manners, please find someone to help you and/or do it for you. If you breed, your mares and stallions should not be running wild in a pasture and herded like cattle at weaning time. You should be able to halter, lead, and tie every single horse on your property. You should not be producing more foals than you have time to halter break. Period!

I send each horse back with better manners and more experiences that they came with. And every foal that is born here is handled at birth, for at least a week post birth, is catchable, has had preventative veterinary care and farrier work, and is halter broke. It starts with those producing.

If you can't do it, don't do it.

 

[Marty]

At CMHR we are lucky to have some foster homes that do offer basic training if the horse requires it. We do not adopt out horses until they are at the very least "mannered" and have to pass an evaluation before he is. If we get a problem horse, we know pretty much what type of home he would need to go to in order to be properly worked with if they have room. We have had horses ground driven, hitched, and some totally driving all learned within our foster homes and shown whenever possible. Others lunge, set up, get used to clippers/bathing etc. Do they adopt out easier if they know a little sometin-sometin? Oh yes. The more these hoses know the more people will look and give them a chance.

JMS I will be on the lookout for your application and that really excited me a lot to hear you would be interested in fostering for us! I am possitive we could make you a very busy person!

By the way, Morgan is a very old buddy of mine from Florida who I had the pleasure of working with during Hurricane Andrew back in the 80's. She is a top notch person.

 

[bevann]

I really agree with this.I think part of the problem with Minis is their size.Many newbies get a Mini because it is little and cute and "dog size" and don't expect it to do anything.No training, no manners even basic stuff like leading cross tying etc.Most big horse breeds are lead broke etc.I also know that many breeders do not even touch their foals unless it is something that is traumatic to a young horse(like rounding it up using dogs and then body clipping)for prospective buyers to view.A horse that is trained in basic manners-having a halter put on&taken off,loading in a trailer, standing for a farrier,standing for grooming, leading etc will stand a much better chance of finding and staying in a home.If breeders would take time to train Minis I think it would greatly benefit all of us.Fewer Minis in rescues.When I was breeding no foal ever left here unless it had basic ground manners.It is my pet peeve with some of the breeders who have large numbers of foals each year.there is no way these babies get much attention.I don't have any solutions.I think it will be difficult to get breeders with lots of foals to change their ways.I think the smaller breeders are already doing training.

 

[islandminis]

I totally agree - as someone who has been on the receiving end of trying to deal with a big horse with poor ground manners I really value how good my two little guys are. I also know how fast a horse can loose thier manners if left to fart around on thier own too long (another mistake I have made thru one thing and another happening) Not happening with these two boys - it is such a joy to go out and work with trained responsive horses - not something to waste. I am not a trainer but I have learned the hard way not to through away all the hard work that has gone into a well trained horse. New owners need to take this seriously.

 

[Wings]

100% with you! ANY horse should have the basics and when you consider that most minis go to pet homes and often with children I think it makes it more important that the horse has an idea of what the basics are.

I have a policy here that my unsold foals should continue to learn things until their point of sale. I may as well keep working them while they're here!

 

[shelterwood]

Um, yeah!! Does anyone regularly peruse Craigslist Farm and Garden section for horses? If you do, you know that horses of all sizes have this issue. The most frequent and cheapest postings I see are those that read "needs work" or "knows very little" or my favorite positive spin "blank slate". These animals are the most at risk of being bought up by meat buyers and unscrupulous folks, as they are simply not appealing to many people looking for a companion, riding, or driving animal. Or, worse, they are bought by some well-meaning but uneducated person who then has a total mess on their hands and the horse then goes through another risky change of ownership and more uncertainty. This is a BAD cycle. I try to stay off Craigslist because it makes me sad, and if it weren't for my husband to balance me out, I would own many more horses.

Minis are especially at risk because of the reasons already posted here. What's worse too, is that this time of year you see people posting ads for "Christmas Pony" which makes me totally cringe. Yeah, good idea, bring home a cute mini, have no where to put it, maybe in your garage, shed, wherever, it's little right? then give it to your little kids to play with, feed it whatever, and wonder when it kicks your child or gets sick, then repost it on Craigslist when you have had enough. Sorry, but this is a SERIOUS pet peeve of mine, and all of us probably.

Training any animal offers hope that whatever the circumstance may be they will have a better shot. Dogs need obedience training so they don't bite someone, attack another dog, etc and have to be euthanized. We are guardians of the animals we own and owe it to them and to society to provide basic training to them.

CMHR, I think you do awesome work, what I know of it anyway. I would love to be a foster home someday when I have facilities set up to handle more than my two sister mares who are inseparable and eat drink and sleep together. Until then, thank you for your work. And we all are responsible for doing something. I email people on Craigslist and educate them......sometimes I get nasty responses, and I'm nice about it believe me, but I just keep doing it anyway!!

Katie

 

[Charlotte]

I am SO thankful to see the interest in this subject and this says it all

We are guardians of the animals we own and owe it to them and to society to provide basic training to them.

You go Katie!

 

[JMS Miniatures]

Marty I'll put it in once I have my barn built. Right now I'm still rebuilding from the toranado.

 

[chandab]

I try to stay off Craigslist because it makes me sad, and if it weren't for my husband to balance me out, I would own many more horses.

Katie

Your husband sounds like mine. I know I'd have many more horses if he weren't around to keep me in check.

 

[CASINO]

Very very good points everyone. I must admit, I love it when my horses go to Robby Barth to be shown. They always come back as better equine citizens.

I do think that sometimes just "growing up" and getting some mental maturity seems to make a difference

 

[Riverrose28]

I so agree about training as a responsable breeder I pride myself on it. Last year I had a filly born on Dec. first, I already had a buyer waiting on this silver black filly and she couldn't wait for her to be weaned, I weaned her at six months, told the buyer and she made another payment, but I also said I was still training her, she knew how to lead, was halter broke, and had had two baths and had been clipped, wormed, her hooves trimmed several times, but hadn't been trained to load or cross tie. I asked the buyer if I could keep her for another month to finish her standard training. I wanted her to leave here not stressed on being in the trailer for the first time and to be able to tie for grooming, etc. The buyer was agreeable and now the filly is happy the buyer is happy and I'm happy. I do think that responsible breeders do the standard training, but I"m not so niave as to think everyone does as is evident from some of the ones advertised on some sites such as craigs list.

 

[targetsmom]

I come from the big horse world so to me "training" is more or less a given. Not very many people will have any interest in a big horse over the age of 2 years that hasn't been ridden. Some will want western pleasure, hunter/jumpers or dressage horses, or maybe they just want a "backyard" or "trail" horse, but those horses all would need to be very well broke. I don't think I will ever see it, but I like to think that some day the same will apply to minis and an ad for a mini might read (like one for a big horse): For sale: All-around mare, 7 year old, B/W pinto, 8 H, AMHR/AMHA/PtHA reg, drives (breed shows, obstacle, ADS dressage & cones), jumps 2'6", does halter obstacle and showmanship. Also good at public relations, therapy work. (I have one that fits the description, but she is NOT FOR SALE). Any one of those things would be fine.

I would love to think that all minis have the same basic training as we give, but I know that isn't the case. When the basics are there, it is so much easier to do specific training such as driving or jumping. Our foals all learn to lead, tie, back, have their feet cleaned (whether tied or not) and do a simple halter obstacle pattern, including trotting and halting on command. They will also have had their feet trimmed by a farrier (who will be impressed with their behavior), had shots (impressing the vet), worming, and probably clipping. Makes everyone's life easier if they are used to these things.