Halter Breaking a Colt

Question
Hi,

My mother bought a mare with a colt about 3 weeks ago at a local sale, and moved them into the pasture next to our house.  Since that time, my daughter and I have been spending time with them daily and I think it is time (or past time) to start teaching the colt to lead.  The problem is that I haven't spent a significant amount of time around horses in many years, and I have never attempted to halter break anything.  The colt is about 6 weeks old, and both he and the mare have a very good relationship with us.  They always come when they see us approaching (we only bring treats with us about 1 out of every 10 days), and follow us wherever we go.  Both the mare and the colt love attention (scratching, petting, patting) and can be touched all over.  Neither exhibit any problem behavior.  However, when I hold on to the colt's halter, he starts to get nervous and pull away.  He never gets angry, but I can feel resistance if I ever pull or put any pressure on the halter.  Should I just attach the lead rope and gently try to get him to follow in circles to start.  P.S.  He will follow us without the mare & she doesn't mind us working with him either.  Also, I'd like to keep this colt as my daughter's first horse for her to pleasure ride in a few years, so I'd like for her to help build a strong foundation with him.  (My daughter is 4 & they already seem to have a very trusting, solid relationship).  Any tips or suggestions you have would be much appreciated.

Answer
Hi Tanya!

Congratulations!  What fun for you, and how wonderful for these horses.  I would give your little guy more time.  He is just too young.  Continue to build your trusting relationship with both of them.  Hook this colt on so he will track up on you without the halter at all!  You can teach him to lead without touching him.  This will keep him light and soft and will build a wonderful base of trust for him with the time comes to start his education in earnest.

Four months old is a pretty good time to start teaching him how to give to pressure or leading!  I like using a good rope halter with a 12' tree line lead.  When you put a "feel" on the lead wait for your colt to TRY to find the release of pressure.  This may be as little as a slight shift in his weight forward.  When you feel this shift in weight, release!  Then, ask again.  Leading with quality is getting the horse to follow the RELEASE of pressure NOT the pressure.  When you hold on the lead, be looking for the slightest effort and the smallest try on the colt's part.  Always release for the slightest effort on his part.  The release let's him know he found the answer!  Keep building on this pattern of holding a light feel on the lead, releasing for the try, and asking again.  You will start with just a shift in weight, then one foot, then two feet and finally leading softly after you.

I would like for you to start watching the Colt Starting DVD's by Buck Brannaman, and Ray Hunt as well as Buck's Ground work DVD.  This will help you SO much.  Start saving your pennies now and find one of Ricky Quinn's Colt Starting Clinics.  Ricky is one of the only guys that will ride your colt for you.  Be saving and preparing for your colts first ride at between 2 and 3 years old.  If you spend this time really becoming a student of the horse, reading and watching everything of real quality, this colt will be the perfect horse for your daughter and the two of you will develop horsemanship skills that will be a blessing for the rest of your lives!  

So, for now do your reading and watching.  Keep doing what you are doing in the barn and in a couple of months, start teaching your colt to lead.  I am working on a complete resource list for my website of wonder books and dvd's that would really help.  Check  my site in a week or so and I should have it finished.  It is SO hard to stay inside and do computer stuff when the weather is good and there are great horses to be ridden!

Have fun, I think you already are!  
Smiles!  Denise