Yearling (filley)

Question
A friend has offered me a filley who is still nursing. She has never been handled but she will however come towards you and smell. I just want to know how I would go about building trust with her so i can put a halter on her and begin ground work.

Answer
Hi Van,
I have found the best way to get a young horse to trust you and let you put your hands on it is to just sit on a bucket as close as you can to her. Take a book and read. This takes some time. Ignore her. Act like you're not interested in her. Her curiosity will lead her to you. Keep your halter and lead rope with you so she learns that it's not a threat. This will take alot of patience. When she does approach you, walk away in a relaxed, passive manner. Then sit down again. This shows her you're not a threat to her. When you do finally approach her, walk in a zigzag pattern toward her looking down at the ground as if you're just looking for your lost keys. You can watch her from out of the corner of your eye. Approach her in this manner from her shoulders, not straight on. As soon as she looks at you, stop and pretend your looking for something on the ground. Or even turn and walk away for a few yards. When she steps away or looks away, approach her in the same manner again. Eventually, you will find yourself standing next to her. When this happens, stay clam and relaxed. Raise your hand with your palm down and just touch her shoulder. Don't be sneaky about it. If she should turn from you, again, walk away calmly and start the process over again. As I said, this will take some time so keep patient. The object is to show her that you are no threat and enjoyable to be with.
Good luck and enjoy your new horse.