ok, i see.
I can only speak about my mustangs. All of my domestic horses are too easy.
When these wild (feral) horses come, they are older than your 2 yr old was when you got her and they have all had zero input from handlers/trainers etc. So whatever happens to them i have personally done and know what has occurred. And when i have a misstep, i see a reaction and i backtrack and begin again differently. Always gradually, always trying to allow the horse to escape or stop or back out if they feel like it. I reward all incremental attempts toward what i am asking. I will quietly give verbal encouragement when i think they’re ‘thinking about it’. There is SO MUCH praise and food rewards in my training i don’t think i can related it to what’s going on with your young horse. I don’t restrain. I ask. and i praise compliance.
Recently i had a 6yr old mustang that was progressing steadily. I had a saddle on him and he stood nicely, would take a few steps forward and i could lead him in the short breezeway in the barn. When i opened the gate to lead him out into the corral he tore past me and went on a big ole buckaroooooo. With the lead rope occasionally getting stepped on on stopping him dead in his tracks. What i did was approach quietly with a calming voice and take off the (synthetic lightweight english saddle) that was hanging under his belly. And then i took off his halter. And then i started all over. From the very beginning. From touching him with a string. From touching him with a rope halter. From putting the halter on then back off immediately. And now, we are still at the stage where i am leading him one or two steps, That’s where we are at. Just right there. Because somewhere along the line, i skipped a step. Somewhere along the line i rushed things. He wasn’t ready.
About feet and farrier…
My horses learn feet at liberty. They are not haltered. I pick up each foot and tap … When i can tap each foot 25 times at liberty i’m ready to introduce them to the farrier.
All he does the first time is clip a bit at each front … and he will pick up the rear hooves IF the horse lets him. If the horse doesn’t let him, he will rub gently down the horse’s leg and just touch the hoof. When the horse raises it reflexively he praises and DONE. He’s done til next time. I have two mustangs that actually need trims regularly. (all the rest of them chip them down in the creek rocks). And these two can be field trimmed… We drive out and find the herd, i collect into a halter and lead and bring then each in turn and let them eat some alfalfa out of the gator while farrier trims. Then they get a carrot. They actually beam at the special treatment.
In your case? I don’t know what to say. All i can do is tell you what i do. I don’t ground drive each horse before getting on them. A few i have. It’s sort of a case-by-case basis for me. I don’t have a formula i can share. How my horses, how ALL my animals work for me is that they want to work with me. We have a relationship and they want, actually want! to please me. And it’s mutual. I want them to be happy. It’s a different kind of thing than me wanting to produce a safe mount.
and if you PM me i will read it and respond and no one else will be bothered by my own personal training bs…lol
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