Since the first of the year, I have been volunteering at a horse rescue called A Hoof & a Prayer. The love of my life has become a silly filly named Jewel, a chestnut blanket Appaloosa yearling. I have never trained a colt, but I spend hours every weekend working with her, sacking her out, handling her feet, teaching her to lead and give to pressure and respond to voice commands.
Tonight, when I got home from work, there was a note on my FaceBook from the barn manager:
Just wanted to let you know that your little girl had her feet done today for the first time, and she was absolutely WONDERFUL, and we all know that it’s thanks to you taking the time to work with her. So consider this a big thanks from all of us, Jewel and the farrier included!
I am just gushing like a proud mama here… I literally cried happy tears over this. My baby girl was GOOD for her first hoof work! I am so, so, so proud of her!
Congratulation! You’ve done a great job with your little girl.
She’s got a really nice slope to her shoulder; I’m betting she’ll make a lovely riding horse for someone when she matures. What you’ve done with her makes her chances of getting there so much better!
It means like, rubbing her all over (traditionally, with burlap sacks) to get her used to the feeling of being touched by humans and feeling something on her back. Eventually you grauate to saddle pads and saddles. It can also mean introducing the horse to strange or unusual – yet safe – objects, such as balloons or flags or tarp on the ground, to encourage them to approach and investigate them.
Horse tend to be initially frightened of new things but over time they accept them as normal. That is how you can train a horse to joust or pull a carriage in traffic or be a vaulting horse (action starts at 1:45). The more different sorts of things a young horse can experience in a safe and calm environment, the more they will accept new stimuli calmly in the future.
(perhaps you recall the part in “Black Beauty” where Beauty stays in a field with a train? At first he’s scared by the noise and speed but then over time he ignores the train)
Yup, Hello Again nailed it. I have got Jewel to the point I can hang a flannel shirt over her head and she doesn’t even flinch. I have also been leaning across her back, applying pressure to her sides. THAT she’s not too crazy about, she actually nipped me the first time (and was promptly corrected for-she hasn’t tried nipping again!) but she is becoming more and more accepting. I am also teaching her to back up on verbal command and turn to pressure of the lead rope on her neck.
Any of you guys with horse experience have any other thoughts on what I need to be teaching her as a yearling to become a functioning member of equine society??
Has she been introduced to other species - goats, cats, etc. - as part of her acceptance training? That’s the only thing I can think of that you haven’t mentioned yet.
When I worked with Irish as a yearling I would kick soccer balls under his feet (while he was standing, not trying to trip him as he was moving!) to simulate small animals like dogs or cats. I walked him over horse-eating tarps. He was stalled as a yearling, so I’d tie a plastic grocery bag outside his stall so he got used to the blowing and noise. Basically, I’d try to introduce him to anything he might run into outside the safe confines of the barn.
I’m envious Pap! I have a rescued mini-mare that is horrid for the farrier, for five freakin’ years now. She picks up her feet nicely for me, but hates the farrier. Same trimmer for five years and last week mini-mare tried to bite her FACE! Mini-mare is just a total bitch for the farrier.
Jewel’s corrections have been a swift smack and firm NO. She is a very smart girl and I have honestly not had to correct the same behavior twice. She attempted to kick me once (PMSing… why I prefer geldings!!) and she got the correction, then i left her alone for about a half an hour. She didn’t like THAT at all, and when I came back to her, she was much more willing to work. She is very driven to please me, which I like, and makes her easier to work with.
She has been exposed to cats and dogs, no goats at the barn (yet). I actually called the owner today and we talked about the directions to take her; going to begin lunging and walking her over a tarp this weekend. Eleanor also wants to start putting a pony saddle on her soon.
This is all so new and exciting to me! I love that moment when the light bulb goes off over her head… ‘oh, THAT’S what you wanted me to do!’
truthbot - Maybe you should have your farrier teach you how to trim her yourself. It’s funny watching my farrier trim my minis - he is basically on his knees. Sometimes Peanut tries to pull away, but he’s just so cute when he does his little stompy foot that we laugh at him.
Sound like you’re doing great training up the little lady.