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Post by foxyfrosty on Aug 22, 2006 15:03:51 GMT -5
Welcome Mara! Are you adopting the little tyke? He sure is a cutie!
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Post by averyacres on Aug 22, 2006 15:03:58 GMT -5
BTW-he looks great, and I have total confidence in your approach!!
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Post by shireluver on Aug 22, 2006 15:04:26 GMT -5
Well, here's my opinion on doing it sooner rather than later. I would rather have any baby on my farm halter broke as soon as possible. For one, in case of emergencies. What if something happens and I have to get them down to Pilchuck, and I can't get the baby to follow mom or in the trailer? To me, I want to know I can get the foal wherever I need to with or without mom. Secondly, its a safety issue. He's just going to get bigger, and while yes, I agree that if you take your time you can make it so it is the least stressful as possible, it is always possible (and in my mind probable) that you will run into at least some minor resistances. I would rather be dealing with an 80 lb. foal on top of me than a 400 lb. weanling. Same thing with picking up feet - I see no reason to get a halter on them and start working with picking up their feet, because if they are going to kick, I'd rather get kicked by a little foot than a big one. I'm kind of a one-woman show here, so I can't really afford to get hurt, so safety is a big issue for me. With my other baby, who is now two, I was forced to halter break her at day 2 because she would not follow her mother. She is a VERY independent filly - still is to this day - and when I first opened up the stall door to take mom and baby outside she took off in the other direction and her mother nearly mowed me over trying to run after her. So, by necessity we halter broke early, and I never thought of doing it any other way with this little one. Amen Schwung! The last baby I worked with was halter broke within about a week, and tied, bathed, clipped, and picked up all 4 feet within a month. It so much easier on you and the baby to have him doing grown up horse things at a young age.
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Post by averyacres on Aug 22, 2006 15:05:21 GMT -5
Thank you! I sure hope so. I am going to take a peeksie at him this weekend. I fell in love with him the minute I saw him...didn't tell schwung that right away as she knows I have a soft heart.
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Post by averyacres on Aug 22, 2006 15:18:26 GMT -5
Thanks, glad to be here!!!
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Post by Whiskey Brat on Aug 22, 2006 15:18:55 GMT -5
Well I guess using the "manhandling" method at that young of an age would work - simply because they have no other choice but to do what you are telling them (eventually, after lots of resistance). Personally, I like them to make the choice on their own and stay completely soft on the halter, but thats my opinion. Whatever works I guess!
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Post by pdevlieg on Aug 22, 2006 15:20:39 GMT -5
WB - I would love to see your methods of working with foals as mine is a bit bigger than Viv's baby and still needs to learn how to lead! You can see him under the photos thread in general chat and also under the health thread with Baby's Angular Limb Issues.
Help always appreciated.
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rhea
Junior BB Member
Posts: 59
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Post by rhea on Aug 22, 2006 15:20:50 GMT -5
I feel it is in the best interest of any horse to be broke to as much as possible as early as possible.
When a youngster like him learns to respect the halter they are also learning some skills on how NOT to panic if they get themselves caught up in a fence, etc...
The natural fear of losing their independence with the halter is a similar fear in getting stuck in something else that could injure them more if they panic. Methods of teaching them to accept being bound by a halter or such is an excellent way for them to learn to NOT panic.
Kuudo's Schwung for working with him at an early age. He will be a better horse for it.
Lol, foals are tough, it would be extremely unusual for him to get injured by pulling and releasing the leadrope. Looked like fun to me.... wish I was there playing with him too ;D
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rhea
Junior BB Member
Posts: 59
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Post by rhea on Aug 22, 2006 15:30:09 GMT -5
Am I the only one that takes offense to this "manhandling" remark? Aimee, there are plenty of things that could have been said to you regarding you, the care of your horses and upkeep of your pens with a new foal in it. But I kept it to myself. Please leave you snide remarks to yourself. Well I guess using the "manhandling" method at that young of an age would work - simply because they have no other choice but to do what you are telling them (eventually, after lots of resistance). Personally, I like them to make the choice on their own and stay completely soft on the halter, but thats my opinion. Whatever works I guess!
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Post by foxyfrosty on Aug 22, 2006 15:30:41 GMT -5
Well I guess using the "manhandling" method at that young of an age would work - simply because they have no other choice but to do what you are telling them (eventually, after lots of resistance). Personally, I like them to make the choice on their own and stay completely soft on the halter, but thats my opinion. Whatever works I guess! Hey Aimee maybe you could do like a step by step instruction for halter breaking? That would be great!
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Post by Just Jolene on Aug 22, 2006 15:30:45 GMT -5
I will pitch in my two cents that halter breaking must be done early. We had a mare suffer a severe injury that required many stitches, and she had a foal at side who was not yet a month old. BUT, he had been halterbroke, and this made life easier on both the vet and my partner (of course, I wasn't around, as fate would have it).
I'll throw in the caveat that we've never halterbroke anything but thoroughbreds. That said, we've never had one stand there as if to say "heeeey, this is pretty cool!" They all hate it. It's often a rodeo (albeit in short snippets) the first time or two. Bit by bit, it comes together. You regress, you improve. We have a just weaned foal who leads flawlessly and respects his handlers, I credit the early start. (Schwung, Cardi Corgi, et. al. are welcome to see if that holds in September, LOL)
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Post by schwung on Aug 22, 2006 15:31:05 GMT -5
To me, 10 minutes isn't really "lots of resistance" nor do I feel that was manhandling. There was lots of giving and praising going on there. But everyone has their own preferences.
But anyway, how about we take the discussion of halter breaking of foals to another thread and leave this thread to pictures and video of Viv's colt!
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Post by shireluver on Aug 22, 2006 15:32:24 GMT -5
Well I guess using the "manhandling" method at that young of an age would work - simply because they have no other choice but to do what you are telling them (eventually, after lots of resistance). Personally, I like them to make the choice on their own and stay completely soft on the halter, but thats my opinion. Whatever works I guess! Maybe I'm a little off here, but generally I don't let horses choose if they want to do what is asked of them. These animals grow to weigh ten times the amount of an average person, and though I don't expect perfection by any means, and I know every horse has good and bad days, I still do expect them to do what is asked. If you get on a broke horse and he bucks you off is that okay, because he is not choosing to do what is asked? I mean really, he's making the choice not to be rode, so that's okay, right?
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Post by shireluver on Aug 22, 2006 15:33:31 GMT -5
Sorry Schwung, I think we were typing at the same time.
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Post by Whiskey Brat on Aug 22, 2006 15:34:30 GMT -5
Ok, so I worded that wrong. My bad. I meant learn on their own, not be forced to do it. Forcing them to lead & teaching them to give to pressure are two completely different things. But hey, to each her own!
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