& month old colt no human contact

Question
I am trying to break a 7 month old colt that has had very little human contact. about 3 months ago the owner got a lead rope on her and has not been tending to her science. i am able to get her to come to me and eat apples and carrots out of my hand, she just recently started to let me touch her nose. i can get ahold of her lead rope but she will not let me stand close to her. how should i go about getting her lead rope of and being able to let me touch her? there are 3 other horses that come up and watch me should i keep them around or should it be just me and her?

Answer
Jakob

You should be trying to get this colt gentle and NOT break her!  You won't start riding until she is at least two and half years old.  I'm pretty worried that if there is a lead rope on her that also means there has been a halter on her head that has not been removed in a very long time and  that is just wrong.  Take the halter off.

It is clear that this filly has been very mistreated and has no trust in the human and for some very good reasons.  At 7 months old she really should still be with her mother.  What happened to the mare???  For the most part babies learn all sorts of social behavior from their mothers.  It is the great relationship that you have with the mare that helps teach the foal to trust. I can't tell you how disturbed I am by what I'm reading.  Why was she haltered at 4 months old and the halter left on?  Obviously she was being handled by someone that had no business owning horses.  Good Grief.  

So, if you no longer have the mare, heck this is just all to scary for me...take the dang halter and lead rope off.  I have seen horses that have been left like this due to just stupid handling and the halter will grow into the colts head leaving horrible wounds.  Take it off.  If you can't get your horse gentle enough to come up, offer to be haltered, lead quietly and then take the halter off DON'T halter them!!!  A foal that is well handled with a mare that is also well handled,educated and cared for this stuff does NOT happen!!!!  

Don't start by touching her nose.  Her head is a super sensitive, a place she needs to protect and with the total lack of trust she shows, don't go there.  It will just chase her away.  Rub her on the shoulder, offer her a good deal without offending her.  Prove to her that you can be a leader she can trust.  If you don't have the mare, who are the other horses she is with?  Is she bonded to any of them?  There is SO much missing information here, and such a lack of knowledge on your part, I think the best thing for you to do is to find a quality, competent horseman in your area that can help you.

Where in Utah are you?  I have folks I know that are students of Buck Brannaman and Ricky Quinn that will be able to help you.  Go to Ricky Quinn on line.  He has a clinic with Mona Niebrand in Heber City, Utah.  Mona's telephone number is on Ricky's site.  Call her.  Tell her I sent you and let her know what you have going on.  She will be able to help you and also to find someone close to you that will help.  You and this filly need quality help and way more than what I can do in an e-mail.  

It makes me angry that people breed horses and don't give them the proper start in life.  It is how very nice horses end up going to slaughter.  I'm proud of you Jakob for trying to get something good going on with this filly.  You didn't cause the problem and you are doing what you can to help and I respect that.  Call Mona.  Get to one of Ricky or Buck's clinics.  They will give you the hands on help you and this filly need.  

Please keep me posted and let me know if there is any more I can do.  I'll be thinking about you guys and hoping things get going on the right path.  

Denise