4 month old filly untouched

Question
"We just purchased a 20 year old quarter horse mare with a 4 month old filly still nursing.  The filly was born in a pasture and has never been handled.  We can't get close enough to even touch her.  WE have them both in a small portable corral surrounding a shelter with three stalls.  The mother is a great horse, well trained.  When we ride the mare we let the filly out to run for exercise but it is getting harder each time to get her to follow her mother back into the corral.  How can we get her halter trained?  We have been trying to entice her with food, but not much progress.  

Answer
Hi Roger!  

The mare will be your best helper in this situation.  From what you are saying she seems to be a wonderful mare.  Don't force yourself on the baby.  You have to earn her trust first and the mare will help you do this.  

As you are grooming the mare be watching baby.  Oh, one at a time only.  I'm not sure how many people are in and around baby, but just one at a time until baby can learn to trust you.  It may be there are just too many well meaning folks around and it is too much for a shy baby.  If I've guessed wrong, let me know.

Any way...groom mom and watch baby.  You have to earn her trust and find out what is a good deal to the filly.  Some horses just don't care about food, but scratching an itchy spot is really important to them.  Watch baby closely but don't let her know you are watching.  Let her natural curiosity build.  Do NOT approach her.  Let her approach you.  As baby steps toward you, you need to step backward to draw her in.  She will not be able to stay with you for more than a second or two and then she will feel the need to leave.  She just does not have the trust yet.  Some horses are just a bit shy and more slow to warm up.  They do not like a lot a exposure so you have to go slow and respectful with them.  This is also why it is important to only have one person at a time in with them.  

Never force yourself or allow any one else to force themselves on this baby.  It just won't work.  It will take you time to become a good deal for this filly.  If you are careful, pretty soon baby will be staying around longer as you are grooming the mare and making the mare feel really comfortable.  Baby will want to see what is going on.  When the filly comes up, just keep grooming the mare.  Be SMOOTH in everything you do.  No quick, jerky, movements.  Be confident, deliberate, business like and quiet.  Set things up so that you can brush up against baby, be careful not to do so much that it drives the baby away.  When ever baby looks like she is about to leave, back up.  She will really look at you and wonder what is going on.  She will wonder why things have changed and why you are not chasing her down.  Don't try to touch her head or face.   Start first by approaching her shoulder.  I want you to step back and leave her BEFORE she leaves you.  Watch her body and her feet.  If she shifts her weight to leave, YOU leave first.  Back away smooth.  Pretty soon she will be able to stay longer and you will start to rub her, not on her face, but find some place that makes her feel good.  Always leave her wanting more.  Soon she will be looking you up to get the itchy spot she can't reach.

When you have built enough trust that you can rub her all over including her face and she offers to stay with you, then and only then do you approach with a halter.  Begin by rubbing her all over with the halter and be smooth.  Rub the crown piece up her neck on the under side of her neck.  Keep your gear organized and not flopping all over.  Get her to tip her nose toward you by using the halter and your arms that are now over and under her neck at the throat latch.  Get the filly to be part of the process and have her help you put the halter on.  SHE needs to offer to put her head in the halter.  If she can't go back to the beginning and start over.  Something got missed.  Take your time.  Never try and go through something bad and come out good stop and start over!  

Roger, horses don't wear watches and we can't either when we are teaching and earning trust.  So, put your watch away and toss out the calendar when you enter up on this project.  Start with quality, live with quality.  You will then be able to raise an exceptional horse.

Keep me in the loop and let me know how it is going.  I'll do my best to help.  There are more resources on my website.  It is under construction so bear with me!  I'll have links up soon.  It is tough because I'd rather be riding than building a website...sigh!  Laurelmountainfarms.com   Let me know what you think!  

Smiles and Miles, Horseback of course!  Denise