A little of everything

[Cait]

Alright, Lena and I are working on all sorts of fun stuff, (well not for her ) and was hoping you guys could help me a bit.

Teaching Lena patience is a big one. Some days she just does NOT want to stand. What I started doing was putting a chain on her and lead her to her stall small steps at a time. I will stop and make her stand quiet, move a bit, make her stand quiet, move a bit, etc. If she starts to jig, we turn around and go back. Is there anything else I can do? I'm scared she is going to recognize when the chain is and isn't there.

Vet was out today and took a look at Lena's sarcoid. He wants me to go get some zincoxide (sp?) and apply it to the sarcoid 2X a day. Sure, sounds easy...While she will let me touch her ears, her sarcoid is off limits. How can I train her so that I can apply the medicine safely without her getting scared or mad?

Catching her can be a pain...huge pain. She actually has to wear a halter at all times at this barn because the barn owner doesn't want to mess with not catching her. Even in the stall, when Lena sees the halter she puts her head in the corner. I did treats with Stella, but now Stella demands a treat everytime. Any ideas?

Working with Lena's feet is not that bad, but when I am by myself, I don't know how to do it. I can't hold her and mess with her feet and tying her just makes her panic. Is there some other way to do this? I mean, the front feet aren't a problem, but when I put the rope around her back feet and try to pick it up, she tries to walk off.

How do I get her used to cross ties without panicking? Everytime I put her on them, I don't even have her clipped on both sides and she is already acting scared. Is there something I can do here?

For those who have had a wild horse, unworked horse, hard to earn trust, etc, is there anything special you did with them to help earn their trust? Lena is just beginning to trust me and I don't want to push her along, but maybe if there was something else...After I work her I always put her in her stall and let her munch on hay while I brush her so she gets used to me walking around her and everything.

Finally, anyone do join up? I always attempt it with Lena but it doesn't go right. I get in the pen, let her free, get her going, and stand in the middle. I make eye contact the whole time, and when she doesn't turn when I ask or cuts corners I get after her. I keep her going at a trot. But I cannot seem to get the 3 signs. I can get her ear on me, and she'll drop her head every now and then and but she never licks her lips. And then when I ask her to stop she won't come to me but instead chooses to try and eat the grass outside of the round pen. She keeps her attention on me, but will not come to me. Any suggestions?

Sigh, I wanted my project horse, and I sure did get one

[Horselady44]

Yes...you do have a project horse But, I like projects dont you!
Patience- What your doing is good. Make sure you are rewarding when she stands quite. I use treats alot in training...and it sure makes things go alot faster IMO. This goes for the crossties as well. Make sure when she stands till that you reward and praise her. Instead of just leading her, you can also turn her around and back her up as well.

Catching- What I do is actually teach the horse to come to me when I snap my fingers. While you have her haltered and have a lead rope on her take a step back and snap your fingers say 'come here' keep snapping your fingers until she takes just a step forward. You may have to apply pressure to the lead rope. When she takes a step reward her. Then step back a few steps and snap your fingers telling her to come and reward her when she does. Eventually you can go across the arena and tell her to come and she will come from across the arena. Another thing for you to do is take the lead rope and put it around her neck that way you have a way of holding onto her take the halter off and put it back on. give her a treat...take it back off...then put it back on and reward her keep doing that. She will learn that when she gets her halter put on she gets a treat.

Feet- This is hard to do by yourself I know. But, it can be done. Tie her up. then have another lead rope(a long one) and that way you can have a way to correct her if she moves while your working on her back feet. Again, when Im done working with their back feet I go up and reward them if they stood nice. Make sure you make these things fun for the horse.

[GoLightly]

"Instead of just leading her, you can also turn her around and back her up as well."

That's the only part I sort of disagree with. Horses were not born to stop, and take small steps, and back up a lot. Train her to walk forward, willingly. Strong forward walks. Trot in hand, too.
jmo

[tallyho]

yikes......you made me giggle with your "sure got a project horse" remark......hey, at least you have a great attitude about it....
i had an abused pony that was so scared, if you backed him against the stall wall and touched him, he would just fall to the ground...no agressive stuff, just total , heartbreaking fear....
it took a LOOOOOOOOONG time for him to give the 3 signs of join up...it went a bit faster when i was loving on him in his stall, then he did the lip licking thing......and i found that the best way to his heart was with the crispy, super smell-icious ginger snap cookies.......he could always smell "more" in my pocket, so tended to hang around a bit longer to see if he could get more...and that little bugger never did learn to be caught , unless he was the last one in the field/ring.......he always had to be LAST, then he came to me willingly........
and i use a whistle to call my gang in.....the sound carries further than finger snaps.......every time i feed, or brush, or whatever, i jjsut do a long, low whistle..................now they come running, no matter what, when i whistle

[dunamovin]

Zinc Oxide is the white cream lifeguards and surfers put on their noses to stop sunburn. It doesn't smell, is real sticky, and doesn't cost much (yeah!) Should be a snap to treat her.

[Horselady44]

Originally Posted by GoLightly

"Instead of just leading her, you can also turn her around and back her up as well."

That's the only part I sort of disagree with. Horses were not born to stop, and take small steps, and back up a lot. Train her to walk forward, willingly. Strong forward walks. Trot in hand, too.
jmo

I was saying that to help switch things up with her. Give her something to think about. not back her up instead of leading her Shes trying to teach her patience, so backing her alittle will not hurt her by any means and it will give her something to think about

[Range]

It sounds as if she's rushing to get back to her stall or rushing to get somewhere. So, in my opinion, the backing up is a good idea. It makes her use a different section of her brain. When I have a horse that rushes to get out a gate, I will just turn and back them out of the gate.

With the treat for haltering...I do it. I've had several hard to catch horses and I prefer to give them the treat each time to spending an hour running around the pasture. I will change when I give it, though, to stop any demanding behavior. Sometimes before the halter (especially in the beginning), sometimes after, sometimes after a few steps. And, I will pair it with a good scratching so that I can replace the treat on some days with just a nice scratch. That way, they don't know for sure if they are, or are not going to get a treat, but that something good will happen with that halter. Plus, if I have an emergency and have to go grab someone, I don't have to run for treats first.

Joining up? I had a mare that would never join up. Never. I wouldn't worry as much about the joining up as getting the respect.

[Cait]

Thanks for all of the help guys!

Horselady44- She is one of my first projects that I am going to go all the way through with...so far I like projects!!! Lena is turing out to be a great little horse. And the me and her time is really helping her bond and trust me (finally!). She is coming along great.

Dunamovin- Cheap is exactly what I thought! I just hope it works...I felt silly also because I didn't realize that zincoxide was in diaper rash cream, so now I'm putting diaper rash cream on my horses ear...

Range- Yes, she rushes to go to her stall because apparently she is going to drop dead without getting her pellets right then at that very moment...yea....right.... She also gets impatient just standing. She wil start to bump me which I know is also a sign of disrespect. Sooo next question!

I am doing the parelli/clinton anderson techniques of moving a horses feet. Backing is coming along very slowly...some days she will, others she won't. Today I tried clinton's approach of marching towards with carrot stick in hand and she got scared thinking I was going to hit her . And sidepassing along a wall...well I wouldn't call it sidepassing. Her front end goes faster than her back so she is more walking on an angle. Is that ok? She's still crossing her front legs like she is suppose to. And leading right with me, she doesn't enjoy that either. She will walk with me but trotting is a no go. I swing the lead rope back and tap her butt to get her going and she just doesn't care. So I guess are there other techniques I could be doing also?

But I must proudly say, Lena got her hooves trimmed today in 20 minutes! No bucking, rearing, charging, etc. The farrier took it nice and slow. I was so proud of her! Although the other farrier cut her one foot WAY to short

[Range]

I have had more success getting a horse to trot next to me after I've worked on round pen/lunging. Voice commands! And, you have to practice with the jogging with them...that can apparently be extremely scary.

Try not putting the pellets into her stall until later. So, she doesn't have a reason to rush.

[Horselady44]

GREAT JOB with her feet! Your work is paying off! Its nice to see that isnt it? Makes it all worth while! Just remember to keep working on her feet even though she was just trimmed. Keep picking them up everyday, clean them out, and tap on them with that hoof pick. That way if you ever wanted to shoe her it wont be a battle I even take a empty milk jug and bang on their feet with it, I also use a bag of cans, a water bottle full of rocks...anything that you can think of. Its a matter of desensatizing that area. My instructor did a demonstration...he started out small(like the hoof pick) and worked his way up to the scarier objects...within 25 mins...he was using a electric sander on the horses hoof Of course...he didnt sand the horses hoof hardly at all...it was just a matter of showing us how desensatizing works. If you can use a sander on a horses hoof...you really think hes gonna care if you hammer a couple nails in it..NOPE! Im not reccomending using a sander by any means...just get those hooves desensatized

With the pellets...I wouldnt feed them to her in her stall at all. Take her out and feed them to her...that way she looks forward to going out...instead of in JMO

With the trotting beside you...I would wait with this. Beings you said shes rushing alot anyway. Just until you get that under control I wouldnt be asking her to speed up while you walk her. But, when you do go to do this, I would lunge her and teach her voice commands like Range said. "walk" "trot" and for the canter/lope I say "run" Also, if she dosnt know it already teach her what clucking means(the sound you make with your mouth when you want a horse to go) That way...when you do start riding her, you can simply cluck or say "walk" and she will walk out without you kicking then you can say "trot" and she will start trotting...and then if you want to run you can simply say "run" and she will start loping...then say "walk" and she will slow back down to a walk eventually without you even having to touch the reins...of course these are all options. You can do it your own way after all shes your horse and she can adapt to you and your cues

[Cait]

Originally Posted by Horselady44

GREAT JOB with her feet! Your work is paying off! Its nice to see that isnt it? Makes it all worth while!

Why thank you, thank you *bows*...

It feels GREAT!!!!! I love finally having a project horse to work with...love it! Heck, I'm excited to go out and work her tomorrow, I know kinda nerdy hehe. It does make it so worth it. And I mean, all I accomplished was being able to pick up her feet and I am so proud of my girl. I can't imagine what I'm going to be like when I am able to ride her (Properly that is. Ya know, steering, stopping and everything! ).

Thanks for the encouragement!