scared rescue horse

Question
QUESTION: Hello,
This year we started fostering a few horses with the bcspca and have decided to adopt a few. One of the horses appears to have been heavily abused as he is covered in scars on his neck and head and is particularly jumpy around men. He was found with a herd of abandoned horses. We havnt been able to do very much handling of him but, have been working to gain his trust for a few months now. Before my friend went back to school, she was able to get him to eat out of her hand. Since then I have been working with him in a smaller area so that I can get close enough to touch him and brush him a little bit, and have moved him into a small pen for ease of working with him. We would like to at least be able to get a halter on him so that we can move him without need a large group of people and makeshift runways. We are also hoping to get him more handlable so that his feet can be done etc. And he can learn to trust us sooner. My friend is hoping to use him as a project horse at college next year but, we aren't sure what all we need to do to gain his trust or if there is something that can speed up the process at all.
I have been thinking about sedating him to get a halter on and then get his feet done but, I am not sure if it would help or hinder our progress. We had one mare who wasn't quite as bad as him who needed to be sedated a couple times just after she foaled to allow the foal to nurse until she accepted the baby and she came around pretty quickly after that.
Do you have any suggestions as to how we can help the gelding?

ANSWER: Hi Vicki,
         Congratulations on your rescue. I would not worry about haltering him or doing his feet unless they are very bad.  When rehabbing an abused horse, you need lots of time and patience. It sounds as though you are doing a great job with him. Sedating a horse can do more harm then good, unless it is an emergency. I would keep him a pen that is no more then 40 x 40. To begin with, just go out and spend time with him. You never want to look him in the eye as that is a challenge to him. The smaller pen will make it easier for you wo work with him. Read a book, listen to some music, just talk to him.When he grows comfortable with having you around, then start to  groom him, run your hands over his body, scratch his withers. During any of this, if he backs away or shows fear then you stop and reassure him. Do not do anything that he is not comforatble with. This could take a few weeks or it could take months. But it will come. If you do need to do his feet, please e-mail me and I will tell you how to make a squeeze chute.

Good luck.

Lisa

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Thank you for the answer.
With his feet, they appear to need doing pretty quickly as it looks like his toes may start curling soon which we don't really want to have happen. How would you make the squeeze chute? And how would it work? Thanks again!

Answer
I use 2, 6 foot high panels. Tie two of the panels firmly together so that they look like a "V". Tie the other end of the first panel to the round pen. Take the third panel and tie it loosely to the end of the panel on the left side.  Gently herd the horse into the wide end of the chute, so his nose is in the direction of the V. Have your partner, start to slowly move the left panel in the direction of the round pen, so that it ends up against the horse. This way you are able to safely sedate the horse as he will not be able to move. This site has pictures of the chute. http://www.kbrhorse.net/tra/safsqz01.html

Lisa