Haltering a filly

Question
I have a 9 month old filly that will not let me halter her, I can finally hand feed her, but she is really afraid of me touching her, I need to vaccinate her soon, so how can I get to be able to touch her. I trap her in between panels and then I can touch her, but not if she isn't trapped.I can lounge her with out lines and she seems to be smart and willing to be near me, not to touch or halter.I have had her 5 months and just got her to eat from my hand. She will come to me if I call her name, but she is very timed. All help is needed.I have a 7 year old mare that was never affraid of people, but this filly was never imprinted at all.

Answer
Sandy,

I've worked with lots of Mustangs who were also never imprinted and you just have to be a little more insistent.  You need to put her in a small pen, preferably a round pen, and do some intense work with her.  Let her work around you some until she's willing to stop.  When she does move toward her. She moves away, put her to work again.  If not familiar with round pen work pick up one of the videos on it, Pat Parelli, John Lyons, any of them.  The basic idea is the same in all cases, just different ways of getting it across.  Let the horse work it out and figure out that it's easier to do what you want than to work.  You have to work past the "fight or flight" reaction. A long pole works well with the youngsters.  A piece of lightweight rigid PVC pipe is great for this.  In a 60 ft. pen, with a 15' pole they figure out pretty quick that they can't get away from it and that it isn't hurting them.  That gets them started with being touched and you go from there.  You need to get her to start thinking and stop going with a strictly instinctive reaction.  That's really what a lot of training is, getting the horse to do something other than react instinctively.  Face it, we are predators (meat eaters) and yet we ask horses to carry us around on their backs, let us pick up their feet, etc.  You should have her haltering in a few days with no real problems once you start working with her.  The first breakthrough will make further work much easier.  But patience is the key here.  The first work in a pen make take a few hours, depending upon the horse, before you get her to where you can walk up to her, touch her all over and put the halter on her.  Be sure to have lots of treats.  Bribery works wonders and will buy you a lot of cooperation.  

Up to now you've been more or less forcing her to do things.  Now it's time to change the rules and get her to realize that you aren't asking anything unreasonable and further more that it pays off with rewards.  She's a baby and you'd be surprised how fast she'll come around. And try to do what you want for the rewards.

Lyn