i have a 9 month old colt and a 5yr old mare. how do i make my relationship with them stronger? how do i get them to trust me more then they already do?
One little tip I can give you is confidence. Be cautious and confident and your mare will trust in you more in almost anything you do.
Spend time with them and learn their every move, the way a mare learns her foal's behaviors when they are first born. Try Parelli natural horsemanship, as it builds a bond with your horse. I'm not experienced enough to say it has worked miracles with my own horses, but I am a witness to its miracles in close friends horses. Good luck.
Spend lots of time with them. You don't always have to be in the saddle though, spend time brushing them, or just sit in the paddock while their eating grass. Bonding is the best way to gain trust
time/affection/groundwork/treats
im sure you can figure it out.
im sure you can figure it out.
Trust? You mean like trusting you to get out of the way when they move into your space? I don't expect my horses to trust me, just be ready for my next request.
You can teach the little one to be haltered and lead if he is not doing that already. You need to separate them soon. Colt should be able to eat grass and hay by this time. Work on getting the colt to lead and being able to pick up his feet and stand for the farrier. Don't hand feed treats. This will make them mouthy and heavy on the front. It also encourages biting and other bad behaviors. Don't fool with the colt's face too much. But you still need to get him to lower his head and be handled on any part of his body without kicking, striking or biting.
You will find, if you work on this you will gain the colt's confidence. Grooming and handling the mare will do the same but she will also need ground work in earnest and maybe some riding later on.
Happy Trails
HorseFeatherZ
You can teach the little one to be haltered and lead if he is not doing that already. You need to separate them soon. Colt should be able to eat grass and hay by this time. Work on getting the colt to lead and being able to pick up his feet and stand for the farrier. Don't hand feed treats. This will make them mouthy and heavy on the front. It also encourages biting and other bad behaviors. Don't fool with the colt's face too much. But you still need to get him to lower his head and be handled on any part of his body without kicking, striking or biting.
You will find, if you work on this you will gain the colt's confidence. Grooming and handling the mare will do the same but she will also need ground work in earnest and maybe some riding later on.
Happy Trails
HorseFeatherZ
Spend more time with them.
With my horse it was lots of treats and finding her spot. Every horse has a special spot they just fall in love if you scratch it. My mares happens to be her belly button, the crease between her back leg and stomach, and as gross as this sounds in between her teats (they get really gunky and you scratch all the gunk out). She practically lays down when I do this. My friends horse loves her neck scratched. She likes you to push really firmly up and down her whole neck. They just push back against you and rock when you do these things. Some like it under their forelock or under their chin where they can't reach. Just scratch around every where and I promise you'll find the spot and your horse will fall in love.
Time. If you spend a lot of time with them desensitzing them to stuff they don't like eg if they don't like plastic bags stick them in their paddock and when you bring them in rub them over with it stuff like that to them used to it. Groom them find spots they like to be scratched. Teach your mare some tricks like bowing kissing you hugging you etc. Maybe your foal as well.
Sit in their paddock and read a book or sunbathe, don't have an mp3 or ipod as this makes you dis connected and standoffish. to your horses.
Take them for walks see what you can get them to do. How steep a hill they can go up/down.
Play with them in the paddock take treats and race them play hide and seek. Or get a ball and play soccer (they might be a bit scared of the ball at first or try attacking it like my mare lol)
Sit in their paddock and read a book or sunbathe, don't have an mp3 or ipod as this makes you dis connected and standoffish. to your horses.
Take them for walks see what you can get them to do. How steep a hill they can go up/down.
Play with them in the paddock take treats and race them play hide and seek. Or get a ball and play soccer (they might be a bit scared of the ball at first or try attacking it like my mare lol)
experience
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