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Gentling my new filly

1K views 5 replies 5 participants last post by  mlkarel2010 
#1 ·
Does anybody have advice on how to break/gentle my new filly? She's going to be my endurance trail horse one day. Any tips would be great. I'll be working with a trainer when needed, but any sort of training I can do myself I will do. I have a lot of experience with horses, but I haven't gentled a horse for myself, only for other people.
 
#5 ·
You said you hadn't gotten her yet, so what I would do is first just let her get accustomed to the new area first, then let her get used to you, then spend time just giving her pats and all then move onto leading her around and then tying her and grooming a small amount of time, if she begins to get bothered by the brushing then you're spending too much time on it and young horses have a very low tollerance and patience, it will take time to develop that. Just work up the time, start with a few minutes one day, a few more the next day, then maybe 10 minutes or 15 minutes, just increase the time slowly if she is having a problem with it. Don't start her feet right of, make sure shes okay with grooming first then you can try her feet. If she isn't okay when you first try her feet place a lead rope around her fetlock and stand at her shoulder facing in the opposite direction of her and gently tug on the lead rope till she lifts it up a few inches then set it down, Don't Drop It. Then once shes okay with lifting them a few inches with the lead rope do the same thing and pull it up to where you normally would hold a horses hooves and set it down, don't hold it up too long, thats the next step. Hold the hoof up for a minute or two, however long she will tollerate and then set it down. Then once she is okay holding it up a while then use your hands and ask her to pick it up and then set it down, then hold it up a little longer next time, then the time after that tap on it with the palm of your hand then set it down, then once she is okay with all that then you are ready to introduce her to the hoof pick, the ones with the brush work best, gently let her nibble on it and rub it all over her legs, then call it a day, next time do the same thing and then use the brush side of the pick and brush it out, then next time clean it out with the metal side. After she is okay with being groomed work on leading her, she should be able to lead on a loose lead line and not pull ahead, lag behind, or sidestep, this will take a lot of work, but it's worth it in the end. I can help you once you get to that step if you want to email me and I will send you tips on how to teach her to lead properly.

email: jdun722@aol.com
 
#6 ·
Get her comfortable with you touching her everywhere. Then work on leading some, but don't over due it. What she learns young is very critical and will stay with her forever. You can put odd things like tarps and balls and other obstacles in a pen with her and let her explore, but don't push the desensitizing too much because you'll have a chance of scaring her for the rest of her life
 
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