Late start yearling

Question
QUESTION: My son bought a 9- month-old colt who should have already been weaned. The colt was running with his mother and about seven other horses. We got him gelded and brought him home. He has a halter on but will not let us touch his head or body. If we have the bucket he will cautiously put his head inside and when we click the lead rope onto his halter, he will lead with no problem, just no touching. He is in a small lot alone very close to our house. He is a saddle horse. My son is very excited about his first horse, but he has no horse experience whatsoever. He is doing well by being patient and trying to find useful information to use to help. Thanks for any help, Laura

ANSWER: Hi Laura!

The only thing I can recommend is to get hands-on help.  The Internet and reading on this subject is necessary but, not nearly enough.

Speak to your vet, farrier or tack shop and ask them to recommend a local trainer who has experience with saddlehorses.  Whether it is with American Saddlebreds, Arabians, Morgans or National Showhorses, it doesn't matter.  Just avoid Quarterhorse and western trainers.  They can be too harsh in their methods for the fine and delicate mind of a saddlehorse.

Have the trainer out to your place to evaluate your situation and discuss your son's goals with the horse.  If you are all on the same page, hire them to train the colt and teach your son at the same time.

It is now solely your son's responsibility to insure this young colt has the very best opportunity at a long and happy life.  Well-trained horses have just that. And there are no shortcuts.  It takes time and then, more time.  Horses are like having a child.  They need you all the time to show them the way.

The slaughterhouses are full of ill-trained horses, either through abuse or ignorance doesn't matter.

Spending the time and money now to put his hooves on the right road will give them both 20 years of a solid and trusting riding relationship  :-)

Good luck and remember to always wear an ASTM/SEI approved helmet!

Solange

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

QUESTION: We can't afford to hire someone, but we can spend lots of time with "Luke". So saddle horses are finer-tuned than quarter? This explains so much through the years. I've been thinking of tying "Luke" up for short periods of time for learning and to have more versability when brushing and grooming, what do you think? I know we're behind on what he should be doing, can you tell me how far? Thanks again.

Answer
Hi Laura!

It's unfortunate that you cannot hire a professional to get you started.  Such a youngster is very impressionable and really needs a correct upbringing to make sure he is good for the rest of his life.

Spending time with him is important but, you need someone to show you how to correctly dominate him to insure he knows where he stands in his herd of humans.

See, backyard owners with little to no real experience tend to treat their horses like pets.  They are too soft and lenient with them.  Spoiling them is truly a bad thing to do.  Now, when I say dominate....I do not mean hitting him with a 2x4 to get him under your control.  I mean dominating his mind so he understands his place in the herd is below you.  This herd instinct is hardwired into a horse's head.  It's all they know.  Being too easy on them allows them to believe YOU are below THEM.  This is very bad and leads to all and any kind of disrespectful behavior.  Horses do not love or hate, they respect.  Period.  However, after a long time and a truly trusting and respectful balance has been achieved between horse and human, they can both experience something very much approaching "love".

Lastly, as for tying him to anything....a wall, a tree... I say DON'T DO IT!  He will instinctively pull from the resistance and it will become a bad experience for him.  If you want him to stand still, you must teach him how.  Take him to a safe, enclosed area.  Put a longeline on him and let it hang to the ground. Put him where you want him and ask him to "STAND".  If he moves, put him back to the original spot and repeat the command.  An occasional treat to solidify the good behavior is fine.  Don't attempt to do anything with him like grooming.  Just teach him to stand still when asked. Once he has this down well, then you can add short grooming sessions to the lesson.  Then, after that is fine, add picking up his hooves....and so on and so on.

I cannot say how far behind you are.  Again, I feel professional help would be the best for your youngster and your son.  A person right there and seeing the situation could give you a better overview of what needs to be done.

Solange