Youngster won't be caught!

[alessasavoca]

Basically a bit of background.

Diva has not had a lot of human handling before but has headcollar on (do believe it was left on 24/7 tho). She has had a farrier trim her front tootsies, had rugs on and was happy being touched all over before, but I've started from scratch with her as she didn't settle too well to begin with.

She's just turned 3 and she's a TB x.

She'll come up to me and let me stroke her and follow me around and let me me touch her all over her head with her headcollar but she doesn't like it when I go to put the headcollar on, she either turns her head to the side or she pulls her head out of the noseband if I get that far. She's not nasty, she just doesn't like it. She doesn't run away either, just stays there.

I was thinking of putting a field safe headcollar on her to begin with so I can put a proper one on over it when i need to do work with her. But question is....has anyone else had this problem and how did you combat it?

any help appreciated!

[AengusOg]

Try putting it onto her face and taking it off straight away and stepping away from her a few times.

If you can beat her to it, as it were, and take it off before she objects, you are getting somewhere.

There'll come a point where, even if you have to move around with her a bit, she will allow you to get it on.

Advance and retreat works wonders if you are patient.

[coolbeans]

Yeah, I agree. Try advance and retreat, its an old way of doing it, its all about a horses confidence, thats actually what everything is about. When going up to the horse, walk towards it, then stop hold your hand, as soon as it shows some interest, walk away. Keep doing it, until curiosity takes a hold, and hopefully, your horse will come to you. It takes a long time for a horse to be confident sometimes...
hope that helps...
feel a bit out of line here. haha:cool::)

[alessasavoca]

i forgot to say i've been doing advance and retreat with her already lol! I will do more work with her and her headcollar though as I don't really want to leave one on her, even if it is a field safe one!!

Thanks for the reply guys!

[wundahoss]

Yes, I agree that approach & retreat, gradually desensitising her to the halter is the best way. If you add positive reinforcement(treats, Good Stuff) to the experience, it'll be so much quicker & better too!