# How to get a halter on a head-shy horse?



## Cherie (Dec 16, 2010)

> Obviously, she needs her halter back on- she's in her paddock, no stall.


'Obviously', to me, this horse needs to be trained to allow her head to be touched and needs to be taught to stand for catching, haltering and general handling. She desperately needs training.

Right now, you need to:

1) build or put up a small pen called a 'catch pen. Use portable panels or build a solid little pen (best plan), high enough she cannot jump out. 

2) Coax her into a smaller pen with another gentle horse. 

3) Hire a cowboy that can rope and drag her in.


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## amberly (Dec 16, 2012)

Does the horse not like you touching his head or any part of his body? Like, will she let you walk up to her slowly or will she run away? If you be a little more descriptive on how she is with head-shy-ness, I can help you better.


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## star16 (Aug 10, 2012)

Cherie: Well, yes I know that she needs training, certain circumstances have prevented her training from advancing in recent weeks.

Amberly: She doesn't like having her mouth or ears touched.


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## jamesqf (Oct 5, 2009)

Do you really leave a halter on the horse all the time? I've never seen that done: halters get put on when the horse is going to be led or tied, and taken off when the work is over.

Maybe that's WHY she worked so hard to get it off, and is so reluctant to let you put another one on her? I can imagine that it would be uncomfortable having it on all the time...


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## QtrBel (May 31, 2012)

If she will let you approach with it with treat in hand (if she isn't a biter or obnoxious about treats) don't give her the treat unless she allows for part to go over her nose, repeat as often as necessary until you get it up over her head and hooked. Helps to have a halter that clips so it is similar to bridling and slightly larger than necessary. You'd then need to fit. If that isn't an option having someone rope and tie her to get it on is going to be what you may have to do. Once on then every day several times a day go out with a larger halter and put it on and take it off repeatedly. She needs to be at a point where she can go without as that is safest.


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## star16 (Aug 10, 2012)

jamesqf- yes, we leave it on her all the time, since she is so hard to catch we have half a rope lead line on her halter, as recommend by our farrier. And that's so weird.... I've only been to one barn where they usually have he halters off, the others are only off in their stalls.

QtrBel- we're doing something similar to that- this morning,. we laid the halter on the ground with a treat resting in it, then she had to take a treat from a hand that was also holding the halter...


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## Celeste (Jul 3, 2011)

If I have a hard to catch horse, I will hide a hay string in my hand. I will feed the horse and rub on his neck. If I can drop the hay string over to the other side and wrap it around his neck, he thinks he is caught. I then put a more secure lead rope over the neck and then put on the halter.


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## star16 (Aug 10, 2012)

Celeste- I can try that, but she won't even let me touch her at this point. Even if I could get that far with her, she might get very violent.

Tomorrow we have a guy coming out who trains horses for the lady we bought this horse from- he'll probably just put her out in a field and run her ragged- I'm just hoping she won't jump the fence!


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## DriftingShadow (Jun 4, 2012)

Not to sound rude, but to me it sounds like there are more things you should be working on this horse besides trying to get her halter back on.

Especially since you said you were concerned with her getting violent.


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## jamesqf (Oct 5, 2009)

DriftingShadow said:


> Not to sound rude, but to me it sounds like there are more things you should be working on this horse besides trying to get her halter back on..


Yeah. And if that trainer guy who's coming is the one who trained her to date... well, maybe you should think about finding a different trainer, because it sounds as though you have way bigger problems than just the horse being head-shy.

I'd also question whether she really needs to have a halter on when she's out in the paddock. I certainly won't claim to be any sort of expert trainer, but in my experience, if you want a horse (or any other creature) to accept something, you do it a lot, so that it becomes accepted as normal, and you associate the action with something pleasant, like getting a treat.


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## beau159 (Oct 4, 2010)

I understand that "life happens" and gets in the way of plans, but I am wondering why you have a horse that cannot be touched, and seem (so far) to not have any interest in training it? Sounds like a big liability since the horse sounds like it is dangerous. 

Either your farrier must charge you an arm and a leg for his services, or he's a glutton for punishment. NO FARRIER should have to trim the feet of a horse that can't even be haltered, because I would imagine they won't hold their feet nicely. It's a little bit different of a scenario if you are dealing with (for example) a wild mustang that was just adopted and is in need of serious hoof care. Not when a horse just keeps their halter on all the time because the horse is head shy ..... rather than _fixing_ the head shy and violet problems. 

Sorry for the rant, but if you've never taken the time to work with this horse, you aren't going to get her halter back on today. Or tomorrow. Or maybe even the next week. Training takes _time_. 

Treats are fine and dandy, but what are you going to do when the horse isn't interested in a treat? You've got to demand respect from the horse whether or not a treat is involved. 

Get yourself a trainer (probably a different one since it doesn't sound like this guy did much, nor are you a fan of his methods). In the meantime, you can look Clinton Anderson or Chris Cox. They've both had episodes of dealing with hard to catch horses. Basically, always make the horse look at you. If the horse is not looking at you, then you are making them work. Once they look at you, leave them alone. This teaches them to pay attention to you and respect you as the leader. Also, don't square your shoulders directly at the horse. That's confrontational. Always have a slight angle in your shoulders away from the horse. Don't try to "sneak closer" to your horse. That's acting like a predator. Walk up casually and normally. Do NOT try to touch the horse, until they are ready. Most people try to quickly grab to catch them; that's setting you back. When you actually go to touch the horse, it should be a comfort to them that the leader is touching them. The horse should literally be following you around as the leader before you even try to put the halter on. When you do put it on, be careful you aren't pulling on the ears or hitting them in the eyes; that's not comfortable. 

I have never once left a halter on a horse. It creates rub marks on their face, and is just waiting to get caught on a fence.


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## star16 (Aug 10, 2012)

I have multiple trainers, and we are looking to sell or trade this horse. I just need to get her halter back on so that I can get her into a trailer when the time comes.

We have trainers who are very good, and yes, I understand that she needs more training. I've never had this guy out before, heard he was good by word-of-mouth. He has never even laid eyes on this horse before. We've made progress with her in the past.

And I'm concerned with her getting violent because she has kicked my mom once, and me multiple times- once square in the chest. Thankfully, she didn't break my ribs.

Honestly, this wasn't the right horse for us. She was the one of the only options available after my first horse was euthanized (vet misdiagnosis) and my other horse needed a pasture mate ASAP, and it was closing in on winter. We were very interested in training her, and have worked with her in the past. This spring/summer, I haven't really been strong enough.

Thank you for your patience and advice, wish us luck tomorrow.


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## jamesqf (Oct 5, 2009)

star16 said:


> I have multiple trainers, and we are looking to sell or trade this horse. I just need to get her halter back on so that I can get her into a trailer when the time comes...


Seriously? You can't even get a halter on this horse (indeed, it seems like you can't even get close without risk), and you're going to get her into a trailer? How, exactly?


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## star16 (Aug 10, 2012)

jamesqf said:


> Seriously? You can't even get a halter on this horse (indeed, it seems like you can't even get close without risk), and you're going to get her into a trailer? How, exactly?


Yeah, that's the whole point of this thread! She "loads well" according to the lady who sold her to us, and she did, she's just never had her halter off before.


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## Celeste (Jul 3, 2011)

I would get her into a fairly small area and toss a lariat over her head. If she loads, she is most likely just playing an "I don't like to be caught" game. Chances are, if you rope her, she'll stand there and let you put on the halter.


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## beau159 (Oct 4, 2010)

star16 said:


> I have multiple trainers, and we are looking to sell or trade this horse. I just need to get her halter back on so that I can get her into a trailer when the time comes.


I wouldn't bank on her loading into the trailer, because if I'm getting the drift of your post, the lady you bought the horse from lied to you. If she doesn't trust you to let you handle her head, I highly doubt she'll take one step toward a horse trailer; especially since she is downright dangerous. I wouldn't let anyone near this horse (except a trainer) if I were you. It's pretty easy to get a punctured lung from a broken rib and make a situation life-threatening in a hurry. 

You'll either have to do a lot of prepatory work with this horse before you sell her, probably spending lots of money on a trainer if you want to get any money for the horse. Or you can try your luck giving her away for free, with full disclosure of her problems. If she is sold, you'll have to "cowboy" her onto the trailer to get her to her new owners. 

Either way, not a good situation. 

Good luck.


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## star16 (Aug 10, 2012)

She was at an Oklahoma breeding farm for a lot of her life- she was just left out in pasture until it was time to give birth then brought in. (They didn't even refer to her by her name, she has a number branded into her rump.) So, I'm thinking that she may be familiar with a lariat. 

And we do feel that her previous owner lied to us. But hopefully, we can find a farm that will take her as a broodmare, since she is an excellent mother (and makes really expensive babies) with fantastic bloodlines.


And I had to "cowboy" my current horse into a trailer when we got her 3 or so years ago. Not fun!


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## star16 (Aug 10, 2012)

Celeste said:


> ...she is most likely just playing an "I don't like to be caught" game. Chances are, if you rope her, she'll stand there and let you put on the halter.


Definitely- when she had her halter on, and we would catch her, once she was caught she was very well behaved.


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## Celeste (Jul 3, 2011)

star16 said:


> Definitely- when she had her halter on, and we would catch her, once she was caught she was very well behaved.


If that is the case, I would lure her into a stall or pen, toss a lariat over her head, and then she will probably be ok. She would probably bring a lot more money if you sent her to a good trainer after you get her caught.


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## star16 (Aug 10, 2012)

We were considering that, but we ran across a barn that breeds high-end paints who may be willing to take her as-is, and do a trade for one of their horses, with us giving them some money as well. Two years ago, when we bought her, at least two other people were interested in using her for breeding.

Kind of stupid question, but I'm a dressage girl, haven't done western in over 10 years... lariats are made out of leather, right? Thinner than a lead line?


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## Celeste (Jul 3, 2011)

star16 said:


> We were considering that, but we ran across a barn that breeds high-end paints who may be willing to take her as-is, and do a trade for one of their horses, with us giving them some money as well. Two years ago, when we bought her, at least two other people were interested in using her for breeding.
> 
> Kind of stupid question, but I'm a dressage girl, haven't done western in over 10 years... lariats are made out of leather, right? Thinner than a lead line?


Generally they are made out of rope. 

Tough-1 Braided Rope Lariat - Statelinetack.com


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## star16 (Aug 10, 2012)

*Update!*

Well, we got her halter on! No broken bones, blood, not even bruises. The guy that came out is literally a miracle worker- he had her halter on and was playing with her ears in under fifteen minutes. No running or lariats, she just ran around a bit, then went into the shelter, he followed her, and got it on.

Thank you for your help!


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## Faylool (Dec 27, 2012)

*Haltering head shy/hard to catch*

I've only had horses 10 years and I didn't start until I was 50. I didn't know any horse people so I bought and used train your horse type materials. If I was presented with such a problem in my horse, and hard to catch was a little bit of a problem on a couple, I would have systematically fixed the horse and myself to make these doings uneventful. Especially since they could be at least a daily doing! Now I'm not able to explain as well as the professionals how to fix these things but I do know they take time, love and patience to do the right thing the right way until the horse gives just a tiny bit of positive response and then reward in a way the horse relates to, which is....pressure off or retreat so the horse is back in its own comfort zone. This kind of natural approach teaches both the horse and the person to communicate with each other better but it takes TIME. Also, with a horse like yours, which I call low on the willingness scale ha ha, you should keep sessions as short as possible. Maybe three times a day but short and reward with carrots. Look up natural horsemanship techniques. Read them all and will see a common thread which you might be willing to incorporate into your horse program


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## Celeste (Jul 3, 2011)

star16 said:


> Well, we got her halter on! No broken bones, blood, not even bruises. The guy that came out is literally a miracle worker- he had her halter on and was playing with her ears in under fifteen minutes. No running or lariats, she just ran around a bit, then went into the shelter, he followed her, and got it on.
> 
> Thank you for your help!


She sounds like a broke horse that just doesn't want to be caught. I have had several like that. I find that if I catch them every day, it gets to be easy.


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## SnowCowgirl (Jun 3, 2010)

If it were me I'd be having someone ripe her and snubbing her down to get the halter back on (be careful of front feet). Then I'd start working with her. I think the OP knows the horse needs work but there isn't much she can do until the horse is caught.

You mentioned your trainer running her ragged in the field... I wonder if this isn't part of the problem - maybe she has been taught that she is SUPPOSED to run away (inadvertently taught I mean, by someone running her round and round)

OP - I've had a few REALLY hard to catch horses and the short term plans for faltering were either roping or running into a chute.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## SnowCowgirl (Jun 3, 2010)

Just read your update glad you got her caught!
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## jamesqf (Oct 5, 2009)

SnowCowgirl said:


> If it were me I'd be having someone ripe her and snubbing her down to get the halter back on (be careful of front feet).


I'd think this would be a pretty good way of teaching the horse that getting haltered is an unpleasant experience, so she would try even harder to avoid it next time.


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## Katie123 (May 29, 2013)

I recently went to Carlos Tabernaberri's clinic. I learnt heaps and one thing I learn't and can apply to this it that you have no bond with your horse, sad to say, harsh to hear but its the truth. Your horse is scared of you and the halter. Maybe you or his past owners did something to scare him and no one has bothered to help him overcome his phobia of the halter. If I were in your position I would get my horse into a smaller area but where he/she still feels safe and I would show him the the halter isn't going to hurt him. Also just because a horse is hard to catch doesn't mean you can burden him with constantly having to wear the atrocious thing. A horse is never in the wrong, this behaviour is him telling you he is petrified of the thing and needs you to help him not punish him with sedatives, tie downs, hits, yelling or anything. Just be calm, take your time, if you need stand there for a hour letting him smell it or whatever and do it slowly. Don't just rush forward and put it on him all in one day. 
Hope this helps your horse and you. 
:-|:-lol::-o


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## Celeste (Jul 3, 2011)

I have a horse that can be a pain to get a halter on. She is not afraid of the halter. She just doesn't want to bother with having to work. The lazy thing........


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## star16 (Aug 10, 2012)

Katie123 said:


> I recently went to Carlos Tabernaberri's clinic. I learnt heaps and one thing I learn't and can apply to this it that you have no bond with your horse, sad to say, harsh to hear but its the truth. Your horse is scared of you and the halter. Maybe you or his past owners did something to scare him and no one has bothered to help him overcome his phobia of the halter. If I were in your position I would get my horse into a smaller area but where he/she still feels safe and I would show him the the halter isn't going to hurt him. Also just because a horse is hard to catch doesn't mean you can burden him with constantly having to wear the atrocious thing. A horse is never in the wrong, this behaviour is him telling you he is petrified of the thing and needs you to help him not punish him with sedatives, tie downs, hits, yelling or anything. Just be calm, take your time, if you need stand there for a hour letting him smell it or whatever and do it slowly. Don't just rush forward and put it on him all in one day.
> Hope this helps your horse and you.
> :-|:-lol::-o


 


I don't think that it is that she is afraid of the halter- I think it is that she is head shy, since she hates having her nose and ears handled, but we are making LOTS of progress! The guy who came out to help with the whole halter fiasco showed us how to get her used to being handled, and she's doing well! Still is uneasy about having the tips of her ears touched, but I can rub the base of both ears, and play with her forelock and bridle path!!


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## Boo Walker (Jul 25, 2012)

The internet is filled with horror stories and pictures of injuries horses have sustained getting tangled up with halters left on!


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## Celeste (Jul 3, 2011)

I have a horse that used to hate to have her ears touched. I started touching them for just a split second every time I handled her. I would do it several times each day. I got so that I would do a full second of touching her ears. Then two seconds. It took a long time, but she really is ok with the whole ear thing now.


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## jamesqf (Oct 5, 2009)

Celeste said:


> I have a horse that can be a pain to get a halter on. She is not afraid of the halter. She just doesn't want to bother with having to work. The lazy thing........


Well, mine can be that way sometimes. She's so lazy that she'll canter around the corral for 5 or 10 minutes avoiding the human with the halter


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## josmundson (Aug 4, 2013)

*Bridle too tight at the poll*

Is this horse being ridden? I have seen this problem in a horse before, and it was due to her bridle being always too tight. It seems to be popular to talk about two wrinkles in the lips, even when horse conformation is so different horse-to-horse. The bridle should not be tight at the poll ever! If it is tight at the poll, that means that the bit is exerting pressure constantly, even before you have started to ride. The horse is in constant pain. They can develop a sensitivity at the poll where they would not want to be touched. If the horse is also sensitive at the lips, there is another indication. Loosen your bridle quite a bit. It may take some time for the nerves to heal, and for the horse to forget its pain. Really, it is just important that the bit is not so loose that it bangs against the front of the teeth, but generally a horse will carry its bit anyway. There is no advantage to a tight bridle. The horse will not be able to feel your hands with the mouth if the bit is already tight. You will only be able to affect the neck in this case, and the horse will always be hard-mouthed. Good luck!


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## josmundson (Aug 4, 2013)

*Bridle too tight at the poll*

Is this horse being ridden? I have seen this problem in a horse before, and it was due to her bridle being always too tight. It seems to be popular to talk about two wrinkles in the lips, even when horse conformation is so different horse-to-horse. The bridle should not be tight at the poll ever! If it is tight at the poll, that means that the bit is exerting pressure constantly, even before you have started to ride. The horse is in constant pain. They can develop a sensitivity at the poll where they would not want to be touched. If the horse is also sensitive at the lips, there is another indication. Loosen your bridle quite a bit. It may take some time for the nerves to heal, and for the horse to forget its pain. Really, it is just important that the bit is not so loose that it bangs against the front of the teeth, but generally a horse will carry its bit anyway. There is no advantage to a tight bridle. The horse will not be able to feel your hands with the mouth if the bit is already tight. You will only be able to affect the neck in this case, and the horse will always be hard-mouthed. Good luck!


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## star16 (Aug 10, 2012)

josmundson said:


> Is this horse being ridden? I have seen this problem in a horse before, and it was due to her bridle being always too tight. It seems to be popular to talk about two wrinkles in the lips, even when horse conformation is so different horse-to-horse. The bridle should not be tight at the poll ever! If it is tight at the poll, that means that the bit is exerting pressure constantly, even before you have started to ride. The horse is in constant pain. They can develop a sensitivity at the poll where they would not want to be touched. If the horse is also sensitive at the lips, there is another indication. Loosen your bridle quite a bit. It may take some time for the nerves to heal, and for the horse to forget its pain. Really, it is just important that the bit is not so loose that it bangs against the front of the teeth, but generally a horse will carry its bit anyway. There is no advantage to a tight bridle. The horse will not be able to feel your hands with the mouth if the bit is already tight. You will only be able to affect the neck in this case, and the horse will always be hard-mouthed. Good luck!


 
No, she's not being ridden! When we got her, she didn't really know how to lead well. She's never had a bridle on, or a saddle, let alone a rider. She doesn't even know how to lunge. And I don't think that she will be able to have a bridle with a bit, since she is missing a tooth, her mouth is sensitive.


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