(If the entire photo doesn't show, you can click on it and it will open for you)
I'm using the same Shetland colt as in the previous lesson. He's doing much better about not kicking at me, but it's something we still work on each time I go in with him. In this lesson, though, I'm going to teach you how to catch and halter him even though that's the last thing that he wants to happen.
You're going to do this lesson in a fairly small pen again, but not something as small as a box stall. You and your horse both need room to feel safe and not trapped. Start off touching him with the lunge whip, this time up around his back and shoulders. Rub him with it, toss the lash gently across him, until he's not panicked by the action. Do it gently so it won't sting him, but resist the urge to comfort him. Don't say, "Easy, boy. It's okay, boy." Instead, let him think about what's happening and think his way through it without you distracting him.
Then, starting with the whip lash on the far side of him, reach forward so that it slides up the side of his neck, as close to his ears as you can get it. Pull back slightly until about half of the lash is on your side of his neck and the other half on the far side. Keeping slack in it, push the lunge whip forward past this nose then up the other side of his neck. See step one in the photo.
The goal is to get a loop of it around his neck, right behind the ears. Once you get one loop in place, do it again, getting a second loop. By now, you've probably run out of whip lash. Pull gently, tightening the two loops around his throat, to give yourself a bit of slack.
At this point, it's entirely possible that the loops can be tightened enough around his throat to partially restrict his breathing. Be alert for this. If he runs away, follow him, holding onto the whip handle. Don't try to stop him from running by pulling back, because one of two things will happen: the lash will come loose and he'll learn that running away from you works or the lash will tighten and you'll cut off his air. You're not trying to hurt or frighten him, and being unable to breathe well will do both. Remember that you're in a small pen and just try to stay with him if he runs away. Get him back into a corner and continue where you left off.
The next step is to get a loop around his nose. It's okay if you don't have a lot of slack in your lunge whip lash. The whip shaft itself is flexible and if you've got the lash snugged up around his throat, you can push the whip shaft forward to get past his nose and it will bend enough to get there. See step two in the photo.
Use the whip to gently pull your horse's head toward you (step 3 in the photo). If you pull really hard, or if he bolts and runs off, the lash will probably slide loose and he'll get away. If that happens, don't panic. Just follow him into another corner and do it again. It might take you 10 or 15 times of doing this before you actually get him to turn his head toward you long enough for you to catch him. Don't give up. If you quit now, you've just taught your horse that he really doesn't have to get caught if he doesn't want to.
Once you're able to draw his head toward you, gently ease up beside him and catch the dangling end of the lash along with the whip shaft beside his head. He is sorta caught now, although he might still try to run away from you. Touch him briefly on the forehead or neck, tell him he's a good boy, and reach for the halter which is (hopefully) on the fence right behind you.
While still holding his makeshift whip-lash halter, slide the real halter on and buckle it. See step 4 in the photos. Then, you can lead him out of the corner and unwind the whip lash, pulling it out from under the halter.
He's caught! If both of you aren't completely worn out by now, you might pet him briefly and then turn him loose and go through the lesson again. Catching him this way 3 or 4 times in one session will definitely help him to learn it more quickly.
I repeated this lesson with this particular colt about 6 days in a row. The first 3 days, it took me several tries before I was able to catch him. The fourth and fifth days, it only took me 3 or 4 tries. On the sixth day, he stood still enough that I was able to wrap the whip lash around him and draw his head to me in only one try. I haltered him, petted him briefly then turned him loose to try again. This time, he let me walk up to him and halter him without using the whip at all. He still wasn't happy or entirely comfortable, but he'd started to figure out that he was going to get caught one way or the other, and standing still for it seemed like less work than running away.
Remember that your horse might regress before he gets better, or he might regress if you don't handle him for a few days. If I gave this Shetland colt a few days off, then I'd have to catch him with the whip lash again, and it might take me several tries to do it. But, I'd eventually get him to remember his lessons and let me catch him.
Be persistent. Using this gentle method is much easier on your horse than trying to lasso him or manhandle him into a corner and it greatly reduces the chances of you getting kicked or run down by a frightened horse.
NEXT: The head-shy horse
You're going to do this lesson in a fairly small pen again, but not something as small as a box stall. You and your horse both need room to feel safe and not trapped. Start off touching him with the lunge whip, this time up around his back and shoulders. Rub him with it, toss the lash gently across him, until he's not panicked by the action. Do it gently so it won't sting him, but resist the urge to comfort him. Don't say, "Easy, boy. It's okay, boy." Instead, let him think about what's happening and think his way through it without you distracting him.
Then, starting with the whip lash on the far side of him, reach forward so that it slides up the side of his neck, as close to his ears as you can get it. Pull back slightly until about half of the lash is on your side of his neck and the other half on the far side. Keeping slack in it, push the lunge whip forward past this nose then up the other side of his neck. See step one in the photo.
The goal is to get a loop of it around his neck, right behind the ears. Once you get one loop in place, do it again, getting a second loop. By now, you've probably run out of whip lash. Pull gently, tightening the two loops around his throat, to give yourself a bit of slack.
At this point, it's entirely possible that the loops can be tightened enough around his throat to partially restrict his breathing. Be alert for this. If he runs away, follow him, holding onto the whip handle. Don't try to stop him from running by pulling back, because one of two things will happen: the lash will come loose and he'll learn that running away from you works or the lash will tighten and you'll cut off his air. You're not trying to hurt or frighten him, and being unable to breathe well will do both. Remember that you're in a small pen and just try to stay with him if he runs away. Get him back into a corner and continue where you left off.
The next step is to get a loop around his nose. It's okay if you don't have a lot of slack in your lunge whip lash. The whip shaft itself is flexible and if you've got the lash snugged up around his throat, you can push the whip shaft forward to get past his nose and it will bend enough to get there. See step two in the photo.
Use the whip to gently pull your horse's head toward you (step 3 in the photo). If you pull really hard, or if he bolts and runs off, the lash will probably slide loose and he'll get away. If that happens, don't panic. Just follow him into another corner and do it again. It might take you 10 or 15 times of doing this before you actually get him to turn his head toward you long enough for you to catch him. Don't give up. If you quit now, you've just taught your horse that he really doesn't have to get caught if he doesn't want to.
Once you're able to draw his head toward you, gently ease up beside him and catch the dangling end of the lash along with the whip shaft beside his head. He is sorta caught now, although he might still try to run away from you. Touch him briefly on the forehead or neck, tell him he's a good boy, and reach for the halter which is (hopefully) on the fence right behind you.
While still holding his makeshift whip-lash halter, slide the real halter on and buckle it. See step 4 in the photos. Then, you can lead him out of the corner and unwind the whip lash, pulling it out from under the halter.
He's caught! If both of you aren't completely worn out by now, you might pet him briefly and then turn him loose and go through the lesson again. Catching him this way 3 or 4 times in one session will definitely help him to learn it more quickly.
I repeated this lesson with this particular colt about 6 days in a row. The first 3 days, it took me several tries before I was able to catch him. The fourth and fifth days, it only took me 3 or 4 tries. On the sixth day, he stood still enough that I was able to wrap the whip lash around him and draw his head to me in only one try. I haltered him, petted him briefly then turned him loose to try again. This time, he let me walk up to him and halter him without using the whip at all. He still wasn't happy or entirely comfortable, but he'd started to figure out that he was going to get caught one way or the other, and standing still for it seemed like less work than running away.
Remember that your horse might regress before he gets better, or he might regress if you don't handle him for a few days. If I gave this Shetland colt a few days off, then I'd have to catch him with the whip lash again, and it might take me several tries to do it. But, I'd eventually get him to remember his lessons and let me catch him.
Be persistent. Using this gentle method is much easier on your horse than trying to lasso him or manhandle him into a corner and it greatly reduces the chances of you getting kicked or run down by a frightened horse.
NEXT: The head-shy horse
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