From: lcasey@uoft02.utoledo.edu
Newsgroups: rec.equestrian
Subject: Re: Babies and halters
Date: 28 Jul 92 15:33:27 EST
Organization: University of Toledo, Computer Services

In article <3030333@hpfcmgw.FC.HP.COM>, wendy@hpfcmgw.FC.HP.COM (Wendy Milner) writes:
> In rec.equestrian, lcasey@uoft02.utoledo.edu writes:
> 
>     Hi all!
> 
>    I have a snotty tb suckling filly that hates to be haltered.  Two of us
>    got a halter on her this weekend and I've opted to leave the halter on her
>    all the time against my better judgement.  I can't catch her alone (I caught
>    both hind feet in the ribs the last time I tried) and she can't be turned out
>    unless she has a halter on.
> 
> Why does the filly have to have a halter on?  She will just follow her
> mom around.  So when you catch mom, you'll have the baby too.

That's what you think.  This filly has her *own* agenda.  I have to lead
the horses down the side of a road and across it to get to my pasture. 
All I need is a loose baby in front of a combine!!!

> 
>    The question is, has anyone had problems with leaving a halter on a baby
>    all the time?  Hopefully, she'll get over this attitude problem soon!
> 
> Please don't leave the halter on all the time.  Only put a halter on
> the baby when you can watch.  Babies tend to scratch their heads with
> their tiny back hoof and that hoof can easily get into the halter.  Babies
> will also rub on something and catch the halter.  Having no experience in
> such things, they panic and can hang themselves (so do some older horses
> as well.)

I left the halter on for 5 days.  That's all it took to get her over this
foolishness.  No problems doing this, but it made me *Very* nervous.

> 
> Try going into the stall and just petting your filly.  Don't require her
> to do anything.  You should sit on the ground and let her come to you.
> You might bring in some grain.  The mare will come over to get the treat
> and show the filly that you are harmless.   When the filly begins to
> trust you, circle the baby with your arms and hold her for just a second.
> Let her go.  Then go back to letting her come to you.  Repeat this
> for several days till she trusts you enough that you can hold her for
> a bit longer.  Then you will be able to halter her easier.

She was always easy to handle.  If I had a halter in my hand, she would
run from me.  While I had the halter on full time, she learned to be 
caught.  At that point I practiced putting a little larger halter on and
off her head until she stood still for it.  Then I took the halter off
and haven't had a problem since.  Not bad for a weeks work.

Your advice above is exactly what I did with her.  I still don't understand
why she developed this halter phobia.  BTW she tied OK the first time!
Now, we learn to get into the trailer.  Always a new project with a baby!

Thanks to everyone who sent advice.  It helped alot.

> 
> 
>    WIsh me luck, I'm taking my QH hunter mare to a *Third* vet to try and find
>    out why she has been lame for a year.  So far, no vet has come up with
>    a reason.  Even her x-rays are clean.
> 
> 
> Have you considered the lameness might be a muscle related problem
> rather than a bone problem.  X-rays show up problems in bones and
> ligiments.  You may have a shoulder problem or even a back problem.
> One person on the net had a weird lameness that couldn't be diagnosed
> by anybody.  He/she talked to a massage therapist (Messenger or something
> like that).  The horse had a large knot in the shoulder muscle.  Once
> that was worked out, the lameness went away.
> 
>    Leigh
> 
> 
> Wendy
> 

The mare is still lame after injections of silicone in the knee and ankle
and something else into her first rib.  At this point, I'm ready to sell
her as a broodmare.  Sigh.

Leigh
Newsgroups: rec.equestrian