Hi, I'm new and have 1000000 guestions! [Archive]

Petra

10-29-2008, 12:14 PM

Well, I guess I should introduce myself. My name is Petra; I'm new to this forum and to horses too.
As I said in the title, I have a lot of questions and I'm hoping I'll get some answers here.
I just got a new horse. I never owned a horse before and I don't want to do anything wrong, so I figured I'd ask here.

I named her Sydney. She didn't have a name; has been kept on a pasture and didn't interact with people at all. So far I cannot do much because she is very scared. I had her for almost a week now. I'm slowly progressing though. I managed to get her to trust me enough to put a lead rope on her and yesterday she walked few circles with me.
She is about 3 years old and may be pregnant. (That's what her owner said.)
I'm guessing she will need to be wormed. But I'm not sure which wormer should I buy. I went to a hardware store and there is so many choices.
I read that horses should be wormed every six months. I also do not want to harm the baby in case she really is pregnant.
Grooming will have to wait probably a little longer; until she will trust me enough.She has weeds tangled in her maine and tail. Not sure how to get rid of that. Should I just cut it off?
Any information and any tips are very welcomed here.
Thanks,
Petra

WashingtonBay

10-29-2008, 12:36 PM

Well, Hello Petra. And welcome! I guess you have about 999,995 questions still to ask, but that's OK we have time and interest!

First, let me say that as a first time horse owner, you seemed to have jumped right in to a fairly complicated first horse to manage! Your work is cut out for you, I hope you can take it all on. It's not ideal for a green owner to take on a green horse, or a pregnant one who may or may not have had the best of care and training thus far. We'd all like to plan it so you had it easier, but it's too late for that now.

I think it will be most helpful if you hook yourself up with a local trainer who can help you work with this horse, the right way. That might help save you the time and risk of mistakes and setbacks at this point. It's risky, for you both, to be unsure what to do and trying to learn at the same time. Better if at least someone in the paddock has some experience behind them and can help evaluate her temperament and what she knows.

And get in contact with an equine vet. You'll want shots and worming, yes, and a check to confirm if there is a pregancy, and how far along she is so you can get a due date.

And I would guess she needs a farrier as soon as you can handle that. Depends on what kind of condition she's in now. Do you have pictures?

What order those three things have to happen in might depend on how easy she is to handle. How did you get her there? Where did she come from?

palomino

10-29-2008, 12:40 PM

Wow, you have so much to learn to have a possibly pregnant 3 year old on your hands! My suggestion is to get someone who knows a lot about horses to help you with her and teach you the fundamentals. I hate to see a beginner with a young, unbroke horse, but since that is your situation, please do whatever you can to educate yourself. IF you can afford a trainer, send the horse off to get the work done on her by a pro. That will save alot of headache and possible injury to you and her.
If you cant approach her enough to even groom her, you have an extremely long road ahead of you. There are alot of DVDs available online for pretty cheap on gentling and training colts.
Read, read, read, on the forum- there are a ton of knowledgable horsepeople here, and Never hesitate to ask questions!!
If you can get a halter on her and lead her, the next step is just leading, and grooming her. All my colts get groomed for a good hour a day, for a solid week or two before I do anything else with them. Touching and giving scratches and pats are the best way to connect and get your horse to trust you. Good luck!

palomino

10-29-2008, 12:40 PM

OMG!!! WB we posted at the same time and said the same thing LOL.

cloedoll

10-29-2008, 12:45 PM

Just wanted to say welcome and WashingtonBay always gives amazing advice...she's pretty darn awesome! Palomino, too! =)

WashingtonBay

10-29-2008, 12:46 PM

Well, at least we think the first answer is easy, at least to say.... :)

Mandy

10-29-2008, 12:46 PM

If this is your first experience owning a horse, please get a trainer to help you, you're going to want help!

The first thing I would do would be to get an equine vet out there to look her over, find out if she's pregnant, and go from there. Ask a million questions and do what the vet says. I would ask them about wormer and what not, and give the vet all the history on the horse that you can.

You have a very unbroke horse and will be needing all the help you can get. I would start by looking online, reading forums, asking questions like you did, and investing AT LEAST in a DVD set to help you along your way. But please, get professional help here, it will be helpful to you and make it so your first experience owning a horse is a pleasant one.

sugarsgirl

10-29-2008, 12:47 PM

I agree with WB and palomino.
And welcome to the forum!

Equine_Woman

10-29-2008, 12:56 PM

Welcome to the forum!! Glad you found us!! We will be glad to try and help you and I'm looking forward to getting to know you.

As for your questions:
I second what WashingtonBay said about trying to find a trainer to help you out. It's VITAL at a beginning stage to have someone help you with everything you need to know. Horses are sensitive animals and need a lot of care. They aren't easy to raise or train. I'm sure you are going to learn quickly.

As for worming. I worm my horses every 6 weeks with a rotation based plan. I use ivomec, Oxibendazol, and Pyrantel Pamoate. With a mare that you don't know's history and her being pregnant you need to talk with a horse vet about what kind of plan to start her on and how to go about it. If she is really wormy you can colic her by worming. She needs to have her vaccinations as well and you need to find out how far along the baby is so you can be sure she gets the necessary vaccinations right before the foal is born. Also know that 3 years is young to have a foal. I know it's done in some places but I seriously think it stunts the mare and it's just too soon. I know you didn't breed her I'm just passing that along.

As for the junk in her tail I've had some success with WD40 but that was in a mare that was very trained. You may be able to take a comb to the vet when you go (if you go) and get her tail while she is in stocks. If not be very careful brushing it out. Try to stay out of the way of getting kicked!

You're probably going to get a bit discouraged by all the answers you get here and I just wanted to say try to keep a chin up. We want whats best for you and your new horse and it's going to be a hard road for you! But it can be done! Just be willing to ask questions (which you obviously already are!!) and take the answers and try to do the best you can!!! Good luck! And we do love pictures. ;)

palomino

10-29-2008, 12:58 PM

Oh, heck yeah, ditto what Amy said- PICS!!!!

alittleoffkey

10-29-2008, 01:10 PM

Hi Petra! This is definitely the place to ask a million questions - we probably have a million different answers for each one.

You'll definitely want to get a trainer. Your vet needs to be involved, especially since she may be pregnant. S/he can come out and sedate your new gal so a farrier can come in and do his magic. And we LOVE pictures - and they'd really give us a good standing point as to what's most important to do first (vet/farrier/just training) :cowboy: Again, welcome!

Petra

10-29-2008, 01:43 PM

First of, I want to thank you for the welcome and for trying to help. I found several forums online and was hoping to find one where people prefer helping over flaming. I am new to horses, but have a lot of different animals and am aware what kind of responces to expect when someone gets an animal before any kind of research.
Therefore I'm thankful to find people that are obviously good hearted.

As far as a trainer I definitelly cannot afford one. I am not completely stupid when it comes to animals, though. I do get along with them; I believe that I can manage to train her with a good amount of advice.

I used to help out in a horse club when I was a kid. Those were race horses though, kept in a very nice barn and were literally pampered every day. However I do have an idea about the basic safety, how to aproach or groom a horse. At the same time it was a long time ago. Those horses were used to people and were not kept on the pastures. I should probably mention that I am not originally from US. I have never seen horses kept out in the open and it was quite shocking to me to learn that horses are comonly kept on the pastures without human interaction and grooming.

I think I'm doing OK so far. She learned that if she doesn't do as I want there is no sweet feed for her. :)
It took me a couple of days to get her to eat from my hand and she is already letting me lead her in a circle (With the help of sweet feed of course.) If she stopped by herself, she didn't get her treat. If she walked and let me stop her she got some. I managed to stand by her and pet her on her back and neck. I'm hoping I could introduce the brush to her next week. I'm thinking I should wait with the water and shampoo until spring and use just the dry brush?

We just moved to a new house. We have 5 acres so eventually I can let her out on the pasture too. Not just yet though - I noticed a lot of toxic weeds. And I don't think I'd ever catch her again, lol.

As far as temperament, she is still pretty scared, but is obviously understanding I'm the dominant one. She is definitely not aggressive.

How did I get her? The person who owned her works with my husband and didn't want her any more. He only wanted $100, so of course I wanted her. I wanted a horse ever since I was a little kid. It was always my dream, but living in town made it pretty impossible. The main reason I wanted to live in a middle of nowhere was so I can get a horse. You can probably imagine how thrilled I am to have her.
I'm not planning to ride her, she is a pretty small horse. I'd like to get her trained enough for my son to sit on her while I walk her around though. I have a lot of time and do not mind taking it as slow as necessary.
I own a lot of pets... I am aware of the responsibilities. I know what it takes. Also there is quite a bit of info online. I'm sure everyone of you how different it is to ask questions the actual owners with experience over reading every piece of information out there. Unfortunatelly there is just as much bad advice as good, that's why I choose to go to a forum.
Another problem I have, so far I do not have an Internet at home, so I can go online only at work and majority of websites are blocked due to security.
So you are my best bet to get some valuable advice.

We have a pretty good vet in the area. Hovever I'm not exactly rich person. I prefer to have him do the very minimum.
He will not be able to give her shots without a tranquelizer just yet. My plan is to get her little more used to people before I call him.
If she could stay on a pasture until now, I'm sure she can wait another week until she will trust me enough to hold her still for him.
What shots will she need?
However I prefer to give her the wormer myself. The more I will ask him to do the more it will cost me. So if I can get an advice from you, I'm sure I can give her the right wormer.
I'm planning to stop by the vet on the way from work and discuss it with him too. Maybe he'll give me some advice on the wormer too. Still I'd like to know if you have any experience with certain products.

Yes I have some pictures. Not sure if I can post them here....depends on the security settings on our web filter. I'll try though.
I better get out of here...I should have gone home an hour ago. :D
Thanks again!

Petra

vicklynn

10-29-2008, 01:50 PM

Welcome and Ditto to it all.

Petra

10-29-2008, 01:54 PM

whoops...I forgot the pictures

cloedoll

10-29-2008, 01:56 PM

We have a pretty good vet in the area. Hovever I'm not exactly rich person. I prefer to have him do the very minimum.I would say vet care, vaccinations, farrier, teeth floated (by dentist or vet...you're preference I guess), shelter, wormer and of course water & quality food are a must/need.

ETA: She has a really sweet face...her eyes look confused, but she's definitely cute! =) Is it just me...or does she have some skin issues? Almost looks like sweet itch on her shoulder...or something...?

WashingtonBay

10-29-2008, 01:58 PM

OK - well I hope you check in as you can from work then.

As long as you've heard all of our warnings and caveats about this not being ideal, we can provide what assistance we can. It's just hard not being there and seeing for ourselves. So it will probably not be the last time someone will say "it'd be a lot better if you could get someone there, in person, to help you".

It sounds like you've made some progress with the basic handling. Using food to work yourself into an important place in her life is good, but be a little careful with the treats as bribes for good behavior. At this point it sounds like she just hasn't had a lot of handling, which is better than bad handling anyway. You don't want her to get nippy and spoiled. What you want is for her to learn to give to pressure on the halter and follow your leadership, not to just how to beg for treats.

The vet doesn't need to give the wormer, but he's best to advise from her body condition and other signs which wormer to start with. Or heck... take a fresh fecal into the clinic, they can look and see what she's obviously got, and that will give you a good place to start. A fecal may only run you $10-15, if that. And they would be able to advise which product to start with.

At this point, I would want to have a vet out just to check her over and find out about the pregnancy so you can be prepared. I'd do this myself, on any new horse. From there, you can get advice on everything else.... feeding, worming, any health issues the vet sees, and how soon to expect her to give birth.

WashingtonBay

10-29-2008, 02:01 PM

Oh - nice pictures! What a cute little mare. Nice secure fence too! She looks to be in good shape. Even her feet, what I can see, don't look like they are in any kind of state of emergency. That's good!

I'd be a little bit careful with her on what looks like fresh grass clippings. You probably mowed that area for her to come in right? If it is damp out, those clippings will mold. She'll probably try to eat around the bad stuff, but make sure she has lots of good clean hay to choose from. Horses who aren't hungry are less at risk of eating what they shouldn't.

If that area is small, you might want to rake and remove the deep grass clippings.

Horseless

10-29-2008, 02:03 PM

well youve come to thre right place, ole Doc Horseless can fix ya right up and help ya out.

1. first of all you need to go to the Members Profile page and fix it all up real fancy like, add some albums full of horsey pic's and pet pic,s and people pic,s. oh and make sure you add me as your friend.
2. Be very careful when worming a horse, one they bite, two you can catch worms from horse's.:eek:

3. ask these nice people here on the horse form all the questions you want, cause they are very horsey smart.

ok guess that about covers it
good luck
Horseless
:cowboy:

jeezitsjacki

10-29-2008, 02:05 PM

haha nice advice horseless :)

cloedoll

10-29-2008, 02:06 PM

I guess we should let you know Petra that Horseless is our 'class clown,' you learn to love him, though! Ha ha. xD

3. ask these nice people here on the horse form all the questions you want, cause they are very horsey smart.

^^ Yes, yes, listen to that one. =P

Horseless

10-29-2008, 02:11 PM

I guess we should let you know Petra that Horseless is our 'class clown,' you learn to love him, though! Ha ha. xD

^^ Yes, yes, listen to that one. =P

except for cloedoll. :p

Equine_Woman

10-29-2008, 02:12 PM

She's a cutie!!!! And if I'm not mistaken she's in a round pen isn't she? That is a REALLY nice thing to have when training!!!!! I don't have one and I'm J.E.A.L.O.U.S!!!!! Lol. I agree about the grass clippings (what WashingtonBay said). There is a site on the internet that you can pay a small monthly fee and rent horse training dvds. It's a GREAT resource. Kinda like netflix for horse owners. I'm going to go see if I can find it. It might be worth it for you to look into for a few months!!! People like Clinton Anderson have great training videos out there. Be right back.

Oh and just wanted to ask. Do you know if your mare is registered? She looks like an Appaloosa to me with those eyes. And if I'm not mistaken I see a spot. Guess she could be a paint but I see Appy!

cloedoll

10-29-2008, 02:13 PM

except for cloedoll. :p

And Horseless!!!!!!

Equine_Woman

10-29-2008, 02:14 PM

Okay I'm back!! Found it FAST!! It's only 50 dollars a year plus the fee to rent and you can rent videos out and then return them when you are done!!! It's a wonderful bargain because the horse videos in the world are pretty expensive!! You can learn lot from them. It seems expensive but it's a great deal really!

http://www.yourhorsematters.com/

This would be a great starting point for you guys!
http://www.yourhorsematters.com/roundpenningvideoseries.html

Heck as soon as I have a round pen built I'm going to be joining there as well!! Lol. No matter how long you are around horses there is ALWAYS something to learn!

WashingtonBay

10-29-2008, 02:19 PM

Just to clarify, the risk, as I see it from the grass clippings is a risk of colic.

You may know about colic from your previous time at the TB facility, but stomach aches for horses can be very serious, even deadly. They're at high risk of toxicity from molds because, like rats, if they eat something bad, they can't throw up. They have to digest it. The basic signs of colic would be frequent rolling, biting at her sides, not pooping, and generally looking ill. If you see that, there's no question you need to call a vet. Without treatment, it's not good.

That said, I don't mean to scare you, just prepare you.

For starters, what are you feeding her? We can at least do a double check that it's a good diet to start with. You'll want to go easy on the grain. Heavier on the hay.

Mercury

10-29-2008, 02:24 PM

I would recommend going to your library or amazon.com and finding as many books on ground work as possible. Read til your blue and come here with questions. From your pictures she looks healthy. I would also recommend taking in a fecal sample. They also have wormers you can pour over her feed.

Start getting her used to moving without feed. Keep applying a small amount of pressure on her until she moves. As soon as she takes a step praise her, rub her (don't pat... horses don't distinguish between patting and smacking very well) and do it again. Eventually she'll learn that forward is good. Feeding time is a good time to work with handling (while they are distracted) so work on brushing and touching then. I generally recommend a long stick/pole/whip to use as an arm extension with never handled horses (at least around the back end), that way if they get nervous and try and kick all they kick is the stick.

What state do you live in? Maybe there is someone nearby that can help.

Gypsy Rose

10-29-2008, 03:01 PM

Just wanted to say welcome to the forum Petra, and I think everyone's just about covered everything.

Even warning you about Horseless!:D

PoniesRock101

10-29-2008, 03:15 PM

ditto to what everyone else said! its all been mentioned that i can think of at the moment! your mare is very cute! she looks like a sweetheart, and i'm glad to see your getting some progress with her!

shynbvs

10-29-2008, 04:12 PM

Hi! I agree w. everyone else, thats a lot for your first horse, but you will learn a lot! I would also get an experience trainer to work w. you and this horse. Best of luck!

p.s. this forum is THE BEST

oursarge

10-29-2008, 04:31 PM

Just wanted to say welcome to the forum Petra, and I think everyone's just about covered everything.

Even warning you about Horseless!:D

Yep exactly!

When I got my first horse I didn't know alot but I read everything I could get my hands on as far as books [that was before we had internet] and I had friends who knew everything, my vet, farrier, the guy I got him from, my trainer friend.

We lived together for 15 yrs with no real emergencies except for a couple eye issues and a cut. He got old and he coliced and I lost him but I thought I did good with him keeping him healthy up 'til the end. We still don't know why he coliced, the vet suspected cancer but I didn't have it checked. My heart was ripped out, it didn't matter all's I knew was that I lost my baby. I think I was just lucky with his health before his death because I have 3 now and there's always something wrong with 2 of them, the vet has been here more in a year than he was in the whole 15 yrs I had my other guy.

You will get lots of good help here, so many people know so many things. I learn something every day.

Good Luck, your horse is very pretty, such a cute face!

Ranger44

10-29-2008, 04:40 PM

Hi Petra, You found a good place to ask for advice. The people here are very friendly and there is some very good knowledge to be shared. Good luck with your project. I started out with horses for the first time a couple of years ago and didn't know near enough either. I'm better now but still have a lot to learn. The people here have helped me a lot and if you're not careful you might make some friends too.

Buckpoco

10-29-2008, 04:48 PM

Hi Petra,
Welcome. Your horse is so cute.
I like the idea somebody else mentioned of using videos and DVDs. If you can't get a good trainer, they are the next best thing. My husband and I are fond of Clinton Anderson as he's very easy to understand, and quite systematic.
We've solved many problems by looking at his DVDs. There are lots of good trainers with DVDs you can view. It's so educational.
I wish you luck...sounds like you'll put lots of time into this horse which is what she sure needs.

Mandy

10-29-2008, 04:55 PM

I want to recommend one thing here, I noticed that you said you aren't rich and you want the vet to do the minimum. Since your horse may be pregnant, and you are new to this, please start putting away some money every month incase of an emergency. Horses are by no stretch a cheap endeavor which I am sure you know.

One other thing you need to remember, is that while you may be gifted with other animals horses learn differently than a dog. You cannot train a horse the way that you train a dog - they just don't think the same way. I am sure you're aware of this, but I just wanted to say it as well.

I am sure this will be an amazing experience for you, it will take time, go slow and be happy with baby steps. However, you do need to get the vet out as soon as possible to look her over there could be issues that you don't know about yet since you don't know much of her health background, you want to be prepared.

Another thing, if you start saving money now, you'd be amazed with the trainers that you may be able to have help you. Don't rule it out yet, realize that it may be a long time before you ride her, if ever (I didn't notice or didn't read if you plan on riding her at all), it's a long road, but I am sure it's one you'll be happy to go down!

GrungeEquestrian

10-29-2008, 07:09 PM

Welcome to the forum! Your mare is quite a doll, her feet from the picture look great. She does look like she is either pregnant or wormy, but the vet will be able to clarify. Good Luck and welcome!

cyb

10-29-2008, 07:27 PM

Sweet looking little mare, good luck with her and welcome to the forum!

alittleoffkey

10-29-2008, 08:19 PM

Very cute little gal! You can't really learn horses from books or articles - explanations from other good horse people and hands-on experience are the real teachers. :) I'm sure she'll do well with you.

JackieB

10-29-2008, 08:23 PM

Welcome, Petra! I see that you are getting a lot of great advice, so I'll just say welcome. Please try to take in all of the information that you can, though. I also had a lot of experience with animals before I got seriously interested in horses and I was amazed and sometimes shocked at how much more I had to learn about horses in order to take care of them and be safe myself as well.

valleyrider

10-29-2008, 08:50 PM

Hello, and welcome to the forum. You will like it here, lots of great horsey people. I agree with WB and palomino and Equine Woman too.. oh yes we DO love pictures:D
Click please http://tinyurl.com/5tbhql/.gif (http://tinyurl.com/5f6mo5)

painthorse72

10-29-2008, 08:57 PM

It sounds like everyone has given you excellent advice so I will just say welcome ...

Petra

10-30-2008, 09:39 AM

Thank you everyone! I just got to work and am amazed on the amount of replies I have found here. I do not have enough time to answer everyone separately...I have to work a little too. :P

I have read everything you wrote. Thank you for the good advice.
I will get the fecal done on Monday. Also thanks for the advice about putting money away. As I mentioned earlier I do have other animals. I am aware how the emergencies go. I'm also pretty lucky, my vet would take payments if I have an emergency and it ends up being more than I can do.
I'm from Kansas. Maybe you have heard about the strike...until that will be over I have to really watch our expenses.
I live in a middle of nowhere - we have one neighbor (not close, but I can see their house), other than that there are just fields. I really do not see a trainer spending one or two hours a day just traveling to get to my property and back and doing it for cheep.

I will get the fecal done. I will see if the vet would come over to see her. I'd prefer that over taking her there and stressing her out again.
I'm guessing she is not registered. Her owner really couldn't tell me much about her. All he said that she hasn't been shoed and hasn't done anything with her hoofs because they look good. He said he had her on a pasture and didn't interact with her at all. Also he said that she seems healthy and he never had any problems with her.
As far as training, no worries, I do realize horse is not a dog. No animal is the same anyways.

Yes the ring was moved the day we got her. So far she doesn't have any signs of a problem. She "goes" often and the feces seem to be a regular shape and color. I kind of looked at it and no visible parasites are present. Yes I know I would need a microscope to be able to tell.
It is not moldy yet for sure. I'll rake it up today.
I didn't get to talk to the vet yesterday...I'll try again today.

She wasn't purposely bred. The person kept a jack on the same pasture. He was about her size. He had no reason not to mate with her.

No, I'm not planning on riding her. She is really small. If I can get her to carry my son around while I'm leading her, I'll be happy though.

Thanks for the references to the websites. Unfortunately, that will have to wait until I'll get Internet at home.

She gets hay and fresh water every day. I use the sweet feed as treats. I don't give her more than inch or two in a bucket.
I noticed it yesterday that she expects to get a treat for listening to me. So far I really don't have any other way to get her to listen to me. However, yesterday she was walking much better than the first day. I didn't have to carry the bucket with me any more. I sat it on the ground and made her walk. She still wanted her treat after every circle. I'll see if I can get her to walk without the feed today. I do make sure to praise her a lot when she does well. I also let her know I don't like it if she walks too close to me. (She did it few times and almost stepped on my foot.) However it seems to work, I guess the change in my voice was enough for her, because after that she started to keep a little distance from my side. Also I didn't let her to get the feed from the bucked by herself. I make her wait until I'll give it to her.
I think she is beginning to trust me. My husband was moving while we were walking. The mower spooked her. She raised her head and sped up, for a second it looked like she is going to take off running. However I kept talking to her and didn't change on my pace while leading her. She actually calmed down and walked with me. The second time we walked by the mower she seemed scared but didn't attempt to run any more.
I try to spend at least an hour a day with her. I do realize that the trainer would be probably much faster. But I have the patience. So far I didn't notice any bad habits.

Since I cannot get a trainer, I can write here what we do and how she progresses and you can tell me what we did wrong or what I need to watch for. Maybe it's not an ideal situation, but it is definitely better than nothing.
Thanks again!
Petra

Equine_Woman

10-30-2008, 10:06 AM

Awww so you might be having a little mule!! That will be fun. I definately think she will just take time. And it's good that you are making her respect your personal space. With horses it's important that you learn how to teach them to give to pressure. I'm not a fan of using food at all with my horses because they get nippy. I apply constant pressure, upping it if I get no response, and the instant I get a step forward (or whatever movement I'm looking for) I realease all the pressure I've been using. That's the horse's reward. With leading they get it pretty quickly. Obviously you won't be able to get into a pulling match with a horse (cause you'd loose) but I use pressure (as in taps from a long pole or whip) on the rear to encourage forward momentum. I never tap hard (no whipping) I just use the pole as an extension of my arm. There are a lot of exercises you can do with your mare and I could write for days on the subject. But it sounds like you are making progress and that is very good!!! Do you have satelite tv at your house? If so there is a channel called RFDTV that has horse training on quite a bit. (Clinton Anderson and others). It's a really nice thing to have and I know Clinton's show has been starting a rehab horse lately so the stuff he's working on might help you!

moka

10-30-2008, 10:16 AM

Uh, so you are going to have a Mule.
Do you have access to a library? Try to pick up as many books etc. as you can from there. It seems that you have lots of time. I'd say you are doing fine as of now. You could come up with things you would like to accomplish with her and kind of make a plan on what you want to work/train on. Like you started with leading, tying, picking up feet etc. See if you can find out how to go about it to make it easy and safe for her and you. Use common sense and figure out what works for you and her.
Let us know what the vet thinks when her due date is.
And you mentioned that you are not from the states? Where are you from?
Good luck with her.

Petra

10-30-2008, 10:43 AM

The pressure in pulling doesn't work so far. I have tried that. But I'll keep trying. Every day she acts better and better. What didn't work yesterday may work today. :)
I'll try to eliminate the treets. So far it was my only option.
She is scared of any kind of stick or objects for now. I have picked up a stick to get my dogs to leave ( I don't use it on them, however they get the message when they see me wave it and go their way). If I held the stick in my hand she would not come to me at all (or let me come to her).
Tapping didn't work at all. I tried that the first day. She took off running. I'm sure it will change. Yesterday was only second time I actually got to lead her. Three days ago I couldn't even touch her holster - she'd completelly freak out.
Yesterday was the first time that she walked the whole circle without stopping.

I have only the basic chanells. Between the work, house, familly and all my animals I don't really have much time to sit and watch TV.
The DVDs sound good though. And I could watch them when I have the time. It's easier than schedule my time around TV. I cannot rent them online thanks to the security at work, but maybe someone from my familly will get me one for Christmas. They may prefer that over the tarantulas I usually ask for. :P

Equine_Woman

10-30-2008, 10:56 AM

Lol, yes I could see where DVDs would be more fun to buy than tarantulas, at least for relatives!!! As far as being afraid of the stick you'll have to desensitize her once you get her trust a bit. Has she had that halter on for long? Just asking because if she's grown any while wearing it she could get sores, (which I'm sure you know. . ) It's just a common thing in horses that haven't been messed with. People stick a halter on em and forget them and then they grow and the halter doesn't. Once you get her to trust you it's best not to leave a horse in a halter unless it's a breakaway halter. There is too much they can get stuck on and hurt themselves. I'm glad you found us here cause I'm looking forward to reading about ya'lls progress!!! Sounds like your girl got a lucky break when she got you. Keep us posted!

Petra

10-30-2008, 10:59 AM

Yes, I can go to a library. I'll see what books I can get there.
That's a good idea. I'll try to work on tying her, while I pet her. Maybe we can progress to grooming in a couple of days.
Feet may have to wait until she trusts me a little more. She is way too scared for that just yet.
She is quite easy to read though. The look in her eyes changes depending on what is going on. The way she looks at me when she is scared is very different from the look she gives me if she just wants to be stubborn, or when she is relaxed. So it makes it easy for me to know what I can get away with without getting one of us hurt.
I will see how many people will be at the vet’s office today. I have to take my son to Karate so I will not have much time to spend at the vet today. I may not know anything until Monday, but I will definitely let you know what I found out.

BTW I'm from Slovakia. :)

Petra

10-30-2008, 11:20 AM

No, she has the halter on only a week. It was put on her when the person brought her over. That's why she was freaking out so much if I wanted to touch it.
While she is in the ring there is absolutelly nothing she could get stuck on. I'll take it off once she'll be comfortable enough to let me put it back on.

And thanks! :)

Mandzanita

10-30-2008, 11:57 AM

I'm glad you decided on this forum, there are some very knowledgable people here (as you've seen I'm sure) and so far you've gotten some great advice! From what I've read you have a very good head on your shoulders regarding animals in general. You are open to our suggestions and following good advice but you also seem to have good common sense regarding horses. I look forward to being of any help I possibly can in the future! :)

alittleoffkey

10-30-2008, 12:06 PM

Sounds like you're doing great! I use treats with my horses (I certainly don't work for free, so I don't ask them to), but it's not a religious thing. They know what they're supposed to do, and every once in awhile they'll get something special (carrots or apples or a bucket of sweet feed) for doing it right. The first time she tries to take a nip out of you for not giving her a treat though is the time to cut them out entirely. ;)

I wouldn't tie her inside that ring - I'd be afraid the fence would give and scare or hurt her. I like to tie to solid wooden objects (like trees, or hitching posts that are very solid in the ground, especially when they don't know how to give to pressure). :) Do you know how to tie a quick release knot?

I figure you can't see this on your work computer, but this is a decent video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tdfoq8jTuq0&feature=related)showing the quick release knot... you could maybe watch it at the library. :) There's many different ways of tying, but this is the one I've recently decided that I prefer. ;)

I look forward to hearing about your progress too!

Mandzanita

10-30-2008, 12:10 PM

I wouldn't tie her inside that ring - I'd be afraid the fence would give and scare or hurt her. I like to tie to solid wooden objects (like trees, or hitching posts that are very solid in the ground, especially when they don't know how to give to pressure). :) Do you know how to tie a quick release knot?

I figure you can't see this on your work computer, but this is a decent video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tdfoq8jTuq0&feature=related)showing the quick release knot...

GREAT advice!!

Petra

10-30-2008, 12:40 PM

Thanks for the advice. There is a tree near the ring. She cannot reach it, but the lead rope will. Would that work? Sorry I cannot watch the video. But thanks for the link. As I mentioned I have a son; he has a halloween party today and I have to drive him around tomorrow. So I will not make it to the library until Monday. Hopefully I'll get to watch it there.

I don't want her to hurt herself. I think I'll learn the quick release knot first. Comes cheaper than cutting the rope and buying a new one too.

I do not think she'll try to nip at me. I'm making sure that she gets the treat only the way I want it. If she wants to put her head in a bucket I take it away. The only way she gets the treat is for her to stand still. I know she is not a dog, but this works on them too. If they want a treat they have to sit down and be still. I don't ever have any of them misbehaving even if I hold a piece of bacon in my hand. None of them dares to jump or move.

My horse doesn't like apples! I find it really strange. I thought all horses like them.
Do all your horses like apples?

WashingtonBay

10-30-2008, 12:50 PM

I wouldn't tie her yet... not with your experience level and hers. If it goes bad she might pull till something breaks, either what she's tied to, the halter, or her neck. It's just too risky and there are safer ways.

You can use a pole or post on the fence to help teach her by just looping it around and not tying it. Hold it and hold pressure on her. Wait her out. If she goes backwards, give a short jerk and apply pressure again. If she comes forward, release the pressure.

Here's a picture demonstrating what I mean with a young foal. It's teaching the foal to tie without actually tying her at first.

http://www.horsekeeping.com/images/Sherlock/tied_holding_rope.jpg

WashingtonBay

10-30-2008, 12:51 PM

My horse doesn't like apples! I find it really strange. I thought all horses like them.
Do all your horses like apples?

Try slicing it up?

Mandy

10-30-2008, 12:56 PM

It took awhile for my horse to take an apple from me. He just didn't trust me enough and it took time. I would cut them up and try to give him pieces, sometimes he spit them out, sometimes he ate them, but it took at least a month for him to accept one from me.

Please learn to tie her before you actually do. Horses can be seriously injured if they are tied incorrectly and spook.

moka

10-30-2008, 12:59 PM

You can use a pole or post on the fence to help teach her by just looping it around and not tying it. Hold it and hold pressure on her. Wait her out. If she goes backwards, give a short jerk and apply pressure again. If she comes forward, release the pressure.

Yes, always keep in mind that she is possibly pregnant. You do not want to risk anything.

It might be, my horse doesn't like carrots - go figure.

Mandy

10-30-2008, 01:00 PM

I do not think she'll try to nip at me. I'm making sure that she gets the treat only the way I want it. If she wants to put her head in a bucket I take it away. The only way she gets the treat is for her to stand still. I know she is not a dog, but this works on them too. If they want a treat they have to sit down and be still. I don't ever have any of them misbehaving even if I hold a piece of bacon in my hand. None of them dares to jump or move.

So far it sounds as though her fear may be governing how she acts. Horses can be very pushy so please be safe. A horse can trample you, a dog cannot. My horse used to paw at my leg if I had a treat and made him wait -- bad news.

So far you are doing a great job from the sounds of it. You have a lot to learn - I did too when I got my first horse. I thought he was a handful but he had actually been semi trained and was broke to ride. You'll figure it out!

Read all you can!

Equine_Woman

10-30-2008, 01:00 PM

My horses all hate apples. Won't touch them. Try carrots! Never met a horse who doesn't like carrots once they figure out what they are!

Petra

10-30-2008, 01:01 PM

Try slicing it up?
Yes I tried that. She figured out it's probably a treat, sho she came over, poked it with her lip and decided she is not interested. I left it on the ground and have sheen her to come over to smell it. Didn't eat it though.

I will try to loop the rope on the fence. That's a good idea. Thanks! I will see what her reaction will be. If I'll hold on the end, it will not give way until I'll let go. As I said, she is very easy to read, I'll be able to tell if I can get away with a little jerk or if she needs to be released right away. I will not let her get hurt.

I need to get out of here. I'll be back tomorrow with more updates. Thanks for all the help! You guys n gals are great!
Petra

WashingtonBay

10-30-2008, 01:09 PM

I need to get out of here. I'll be back tomorrow with more updates.
Petra

You're welcome. This might become a really long thread indeed :)

FrogInABlender

10-30-2008, 01:56 PM

Hi Petra! Welcome to the forum! You've got a nice little horse there. What's her name?

Sounds like she's basically a good-natured horse if she didn't run over you or run off when she got spooked by the mower. I've seen even seasoned horses do that. She's just a little green and unsure of herself in her new surroundings. If you keep it up with the slow, steady ground work she should get used to being handled in no time. Making her respect your space is a good thing too. Good job on that!

If she'll let you, try scratching her on her back, behind the shoulder blade. One good way to a horse's heart is through a good itchy spot. Under her belly is a good place too, but not too far back, some horses are very particular about some areas. Stand up by her shoulder, facing the rear when you do. That way she can't kick you. You can work on more complicated stuff once you've got her trust.

FrogInABlender

10-30-2008, 02:12 PM

Oh, one more thing, you might try looking at your local feed store for some videos to rent. Some of the ones where I live have like a little horse training video library. Your local library might have some you can borrow too. Just a thought.

Horseless

10-30-2008, 02:17 PM

My wife use to juice carrots every morning and make us drink it. LOl
I would take the left over carrot pulp which would be a walmart bag full and carry it out to my horses and they loved it.
They loved it so much I could carry an empyt walmart bag out to the pasture and they would be waaay in the back field and hear me shake that walmart bag and they would come a running. LOL

oursarge

10-30-2008, 04:00 PM

My horses don't like apples, I got apple flavored Bute for one and he won't eat it. He likes the Alfalpha flavored stuff though. Carrots are a hit though.

SedonaThunder

10-30-2008, 04:37 PM

Welcome Petra! Sorry I just now had time to read this thread - the majority of my "forum time" is also while at work. :) It sure looks like you've gotten tons of great advice and I think your little girl is absolutely adorable! I too bought a three year old filly out of a pasture - it was last summer and this summer we were trail riding! However, she wasn't afraid of people as they had hand fed her, haltered her occasionally, trimmed her hooves twice a year and groomed her. We worked with her on our own for the first six months and then started driving her to lessons every Saturday for two months. I hope you have as great of luck as we did!

I should probably mention that I am not originally from US. I have never seen horses kept out in the open and it was quite shocking to me to learn that horses are comonly kept on the pastures...
This comment made me laugh as I heard something similar once. My husband had his co-worker and wife over to visit once and they are Serbian and Croatian. She wanted to see the horses so I took her out to the barn (in her high heels, fancy jacket and skinny jeans! :) ) and she told me that her dad had horses when she was little and that she would play with them and get to ride them once in a while. She then looked around my barn (which has stalls that are open to the outside paddocks and there aren't doors) and said "where do you put them in the winter?" I thought I misunderstood and said "i don't understand the question." She looked even more confused and pointed at the opening and said "do you build a wall there in the winter?" I said "no, why would we do that?" She looked at me like she thought I was crazy and said "where I am from the horses come inside for the night and are kept warm". Now my geography sucks so I just explained that it must be colder there and it doesn't get that cold here and that there are many horses in places like Michigan and Minnesota where there's lots of snow and it's much colder than here and some horses stand outside without even a shed and don't wear blankets. She was absolutely amazed!:D

Petra

11-03-2008, 10:40 AM

Sorry, I couldn't get online on Friday and Saturday. My regular co-worker is on a vacation. Person who came over to cover for her would tell on me.
At the beginning of the month I am a little busier at work so I'll try to keep it short today.
We are progressing!
Sydney let me groom her! I didn't wash her - I wasn't sure how she would react to water. But I used brush and brushed her for quite a while. In a beginning she was a little scared but I think she enjoyed it. She even let me get the weeds off of her hair. My husband had to hold her for me though. She wasn't trying to kick, but was about to run. Especially while I was getting it out of her tail. She looks much nicer now.

I did try to loop the rope on a pole every day and she is getting used to it. It is obvious I cannot even think of tying a knot yet. I only hold her that way few minutes a day. I think she figured out that if she is tied she cannot move much. I'm glad I looped it and didn't make any knot. The first two days she looked very spooked. I think as little as stepping on a twig would make her loose it. I had to pet her and talk to her the whole time and she still looked like she is going to take off any second.
I still have to stand right there and pet her but she doesn't seem so scared any more and if she tries to move her head and it doesn't go, she is not trying to pull on it.
It was so nice past two days; I decided to walk her in the front yard, so she can eat some nice grass. The first day I had to stand right by her and hold on to the lead rope, so she has just enough room to put her head down and eat. First she was really scared to leave her round pen. At the end I had to have a bucked with sweet feed to make her walk back. But other than that she did well. Yesterday I could loosen up the lead rope and actually sit on the ground by her while she was eating.
She got spooked once - my husband made noise with his truck. She ran off to the back but let me walk close enough to get hold of the lead rope. I think she really enjoyed it. She let me walk her anywhere I wanted to go. Even went back to her pen with no problem. I have spent a lot of time with her through the weekend. I think she is starting to like me.
I tried carrots. She took one from me, bit it and decided to spit it...
Dogs ate the rest.

I'm thinking of getting some shampoo and try washing her. I figured I will just bring some water in a bucket and try pouring it slowly with a pitcher. I think water hose would freak her out. What shampoo is a good one? I looked at them in a store. They have different products, not sure which one to pick. What do you use?

Also I looked if they have any videos in the store. They had absolutely nothing! Not even books! They had couple of magazines and that was all. I made my husband walk around twice, thinking that maybe I'm just missing it. Than he concluded that rednecks cannot read...And I need to go to the library.

I'm going to the vet today so I'll have more updates tomorrow.