Halter training 1 1/2 year old colt

[Brigitte]

There's a colt who for some reason unknown to me, has never been haltered, or even had a rope around his neck. I'd like to halter train him a bit before it's time to get him saddlebroke. I've spent some time with him today, I can touch him all over, his face he's ok with the rest of jis hoby no problem. He was very people shy at first, not anymore. I also showed him a halter and rubbed him with it. He stood for the most part still, he'd run away but then let me rub him again. As soon as I got too high on his neck he'd move away.So what other things should I do?

[CarolU]

keep doing what you're doing Brigette. Rub him with the rope and halter. If he moves away, let him and start again where he's comfortable with it. It helps to have a pan of feed there to keep him there.

When you finally get to where you can rub his head all over, you are ready to START to halter him. Put it up his nose, take it off, up, off, again and again until he's comfortable with that much. Then start putting the head piece on, off, on off...don't buckle it though..just on and off until he's comfortable with that. When you start to buckle it...put it in and out in and out...don't fasten it until he's fine. When you finally do buckle it, don't have a rope on it. Let him get used to the halter. On, off, on, off. If he runs, let him.

This is where I like rope halters, because you start with some pressure and let them move away if they need to, but eventually you teach them to move away from the pressure...a little pull towards you, the SECOND he moves his head towards you, release. The same thing away from you.

Only after he will move from pressure should you attach the lead rope and only after he leads VERY well and turns and backs, THEN you tie him up. If he ever runs...let him.

BTW..do all this in a fairly confined space, a small coral or round coral.

[Pinto Paso]

Brigitte, I always start with the nose - it appears he is not afraid of the halter so I would keep doing what you are doing as far as rubbing him. For the nose I take a the lead line folded over and run it on and off the nose, after the horse is comfortable with that I take the loop and add a bit of pressure towards the chest and turning the nose towards and away from me... If you do that in conjunction with working your way up the neck with a lead line draped over, slowly being able to apply pressure with it moving him towards and away from you pretty soon you can replace the leadline with a halter..

I also generally try to remove the pressure (actual or what the horse thinks is pressure) by backing away before the horse leaves but if he does leave let him move away from you then approach him again.