[Plains Drifter]

I want to pick everyone's brain regarding working Comanche.

The Subject: Comanche~Coming 8 yr old~Has only been a broadmare so has been handled very little. She's in foal and due to deliver on or after April 16.

What's going on:

70% of the time I can walk up to her and rub her shoulder (if I'm not holding her) but then she will either throw her head over/into mine or push her body through/over mine in order to leave when SHE wants to.

30% of the time when I try to walk up to her, she chooses to walk/trot away throwing her head around.

The challenging part:

I don't have a round pen (where I usually start my horses) til spring.
She's in foal and due the earliest the middle of April.
The ground is frozen and snow covered

What I'd like before the foal is born:

For her to start yielding to pressure when I'm around. Yielding her neck and her butt.
I'd like her to respect my space.
I'd like to be able to touch her all over.
(should I be wanting anything else)

What are my options? Can I do anything right now to get what I want without endangering the foal? Or should I just deal with it until fall when the foal is weaned?

 

[kevinshorses]

You won't endanger the foal at all. Do what you need to do now when she isn't worried about a foal. Then when she foals leave her alone untill the foal is old enough to stay by itself for an hour or two.

 

[EveningShadows]

I agree with kevinshorses...I've never heard of ground work to a mare endangering a foal, so do what you need to in order to gain her respect now before she's more concerned about the foal. The last thing you want is your mare teaching the foal it's ok to run from you.

I have only one mare that runs about 5% of the time...every couple months she tries to say "no work today please" and those days I give chase. JoinUp in an 8 acre pasture is alot harder, but after 15 minutes or so she'll start licking and walk up to me...then she's good again for another couple months! LOL I'm not saying chase your pregnant mare, I'm saying you have to find something that works for you. But I'd get her accepting human contact now before baby's born or you may have the same issues with the foal.

 

[Plains Drifter]

When she's in the barn in her stall..she's normally fine. She'll actually walk over to me and want me to pet on her. If I back away..she will usually follow.

Having said that ..Today she tried to test me.

I was trying to water and feed the horses and it was Comanche's turn. She's in a small turnout/holding pen at night and after I feed her in the morning..she's turned out into a larger pen to be able to move and get excerise. Well, when I went to put hay in Comanche's pen, I tripped a bit and she jerked. So I was going to walk over to her and rub her shoulder and give her a once over like I normally do and she pinned back her ears and charged me. I moved cause she was going to go through me if she had to.

So I decided enough was enough. If she wanted to move away from me, I was going to help her. I used the run area to make her move her feet...and I kept them moving depsite that I thought I was going to die running back and forth to each side of that pen. Only when I decided to let her stand, did I allow her to stop moving and then I tried to walk up to her. She moved only once...and when she did..I sent her moving again. The next time I tried she stood still. I stood there while she was recovering alternating from just standing there to rubbing her neck to rubbing her forehead. Then when I chose..I walked away from her.

After today...the next few days are suppose to be real nice. I think she and I will be going to school for a while.

 

[Plains Drifter]

I just came from going back out there to feed and water again and there was 180 degree difference in Comanche this time. She was laying down and allowed me to walk up to her and rub her neck. When she stood up, she was calm and quiet. I was able to go and get the halter and walk straight up to her and put it on. Nice to see a change.

 

[jimmy]

like my wife used to tell me, pregnancy is a condition not an illness i can,t see you doing any harm

 

[EveningShadows]

Good show! Glad that method worked for you this time around...I'd do alot of walking up to her work...spend a good 10-15 minutes each time you work with her just walking up, halter on, rub her down, halter off, walk away and repeat. Do it 2-3 times each time you're out working with her and she'll get over herself fast.