Re: "Hating" the Halter

["Jeff & Bambi Forbes" <forbes@mountainmax.net>]

> He came to me with a halter on.  I put him in the pasture with my 8 yr
> old grade arab and all went well.  He was somewhat nervous but eager to
> make friends......I noticed his halter had rubbed some raw spots under
> the jaw, so I removed it.  First mistake!  I could not catch him again!
<snip>
>  He may keep the halter on for a day or
> so, but ends up rolling and rubbing it off!!!  The boys catch him again,
> put the halter on again, and again......he rubs it off!!!!  Today, it
> was over one ear, and I tried to pull it back over the ear but couldn't
> so I loosened the near side and he was OFF! 

 If he is telling you he hates the halter, believe him.  Leave it off.  A
day or two later, have, and ACT LIKE YOU HAVE, the entire day to catch him.
 It won't take much more than about a half hour.  Walk out into the
pasture, no treats, carrying the halter in full view, maybe over a
shoulder, looking him in the eye.  (This next is in case he won't let you
walk up, or you may need it if ends up running off)   Do not chase, follow.
 You are going to LET HIM CATCH YOU.  He may run off and be wary of you.
Stare him in the eye even as his butt is to you, and follow him, walking. 
(Doesn't matter how big the pasture is, although bigger may take a little
longer.)  Watch him carefully. The MOMENT he stops, stop and look down.  If
he holds his ground, move toward him INdirectly, casually, patiently,
slowly, shoulder first, eyes down.  Take your time, maybe zig-zag a little,
or walk closer but on a diagonal so you're not approaching him directly. 
Your intention is NOT to catch him. You are gaining his trust, entering a
partnership where you are the leader.

He may look away or take off.  Look him in the eye and follow him walking. 
Be unconcerned. Do not corner him.  If he stops near a corner, go sideways
so he can get out.  This pattern will repeat a few (or maybe many) times. 
Always WATCH HIM for your cue to stop or follow.  He's going to get pretty
interested in what you're doing, and pretty tired of you moving him around.
 He will let you approach closer and closer.  Breathe slowly and evenly. 
Talk sweetly to him.  Do not get discouraged if he runs off when you are 10
or 5 or 2 feet away.  If he's that uncomfortable you can't get next to him
anyways.  He'll let you know when he is comfortable.

When you can get close to your calm, comfortable horse, KEEP YOUR HANDS
DOWN, and be a bit to the side of him so he can see you.   You're still NOT
looking him in the eye.  If he so much as tightens a muscle to move away,
back up immediatly.  Sweet talk.  When he relaxes move a little closer
again.  Take a huge breath and sigh it out your nose, (the way a horse does
when he finally relaxes).  Chances are he will sigh relief just after you
do.  Maybe push his nose out to sniff you.  Keep your hands down.  Bend
your head down and "talk" with breath through your nose, the way horses do.
 When he's really comfortable, SLOWLY move THE BACK of your hand from your
side toward his nose, keeping it at least 6" below his nose, and let him
come to you.  Then slowly drop your hand, move a little away, be casual. 
It's a very slow dance.  Chances are he may take a step toward you.

The best place to first touch your horse seems to be the front of the
"shoulder" and that's where they love the scratch.  DO NOT TOUCH HIS NOSE. 
Scratch the shoulder, sweet talk and WALK AWAY.  Now you've got him!  You
can probably scratch him some other spots and move up his neck a bit. 
Scratch his mane and maybe over the top and onto the other side.  Do not
grab his neck.  He outweighs you by, say, 65 to 75 percent, and you could
end up doing some under the neck circus trick.  Try scratching over the top
with the right and onder the neck with the left, WITH THE INTENTION OF
SCRATCHING, NOT CATCHING.  Walk away and take the halter slowly off your
shoulder.  Do the same thing you originally did with your hand so he can
smell it.  He may run off, and that's ok.  Drag the halter along at your
side and follow again. 

When he can comfortably sniff the halter, move to the shoulder and scratch
some more.  He trusts you.  Put the halter in your left hand and scratch
his neck with your right.  Walk away.  One of these times he will probably
follow you.  Hang out, squat down, see who he is.  He may walk up to see
who you are.  He's caught at this point so you can leave the pasture with a
LOUD sigh.

When you're ready to put the halter on, if you push the halter up onto his
nose with both hands IT WILL SCARE HIM.  Halter in left hand (ready to hand
the behind-the-ears-strap to the right hand), scratch with the right hand
up and over the neck, far away from the ears.  If for some reason he
freaks, let go and start over.  When he's all okay, you've handed the strap
to your right hand and everybody's loose and relaxed.  Hold the open nose
hole under his nose and wait to slip it up until after he has sniffed it
(he knows it as non threatening now because you've been so patient and let
him get to know it and YOU.)  Ease it up onto his nose (DON'T CHASE HIS
NOSE) and move the strap over the top, handing it to the left hand. 
Scratch, encourage, appreciate.  Maybe call it a day.  He'll like that. 
Take it off exactly in reverse of the on process and MOVE AWAY FROM HIM
before he can move away from you.

He's in your back pocket.  You can lead and he will follow.  I love this
stuff.  Good luck!

Bambi Forbes
Edwards, CO



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