# Halter Breaking a Yearling... Advice Please!!



## Jdun722 (Dec 27, 2008)

send me an email and i would be happy to go through the steps on teaching a yearling to lead.

email: [email protected]


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## nmb8 (Jan 13, 2009)

ok. thanks!


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## onetoomany (Dec 10, 2008)

When he refuses to move I would suggest focusing on other types of motion. Backing him, disengaging his hindquarters any and everything. Be agressive when asking for it. Most horses I know get sick of doing these repeated movements and eventually start looking for a release (moving forward).


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## NorthernMama (Mar 12, 2008)

Jdun722 said:


> send me an email and i would be happy to go through the steps on teaching a yearling to lead.
> 
> email: [email protected]


Any reason you didn't feel you could post some suggestions here? Although I don't have this issue, I often read threads just to pick up advice for future or friends or sometimes pick a bit here and there that I can use with my horses in other situations.


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## TimeChaser (Jan 13, 2009)

A horse not leading is either an ignorance problem or a disrespect problem. When I teach a young horse to lead (or to do anything in a halter) I try to start off in a roundpen, a set of small cowpens, a small paddock, anything where he can't get too far away. I start off without a lead rope and send him in a circle away from me. My theory is that when you send a horse away, the only thing he wants is to come back. Go both directions at a trot or lope, making him change by stepping in front of his face. A few minutes after he decides he wants to be friends again, let him come into you (make sure he is facing you) and put the lead on. Do basically the same thing as before, but now it is like lunging since you have the lead. Make sure as he is going in circles his nose is tipped in and he is not pulling on the rope. You can work on that by gently giving and taking with the rope. I use the other end of the rope or a lariat to send towards the hind end to keep them moving. When you want to change direction, switch your hands on the rope, turn your body to face his hindquarters and tug a little at his nose. The goal here is for the colt to swing his rear end out and turn to face you. When he does that, send him out again on the other direction. Basically what you are trying to achieve is for your horse to be soft to the halter, responsive to your body language, and to look to you for when to move what part of his body.

With a big ole horse like that, I wouldn't want to deal too close up with him! That's why I like sending them off away from me. Less accidents!

I don't know if I explained this well, but I hope it helps. It works with all the colts I start.


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## nmb8 (Jan 13, 2009)

you explained it very well. and yes, i know exactly what you are talking about. only problem is that my horses are in a new place and i dont have a round pen yet. but ive been making the best of what i do have and hes improved already. i do the backing (like onetoomany suggested) but what i also do is like... half way lunging?? only closer and on a lead rope. not very safe but its all i have. fortunately so far its worked!! what ive done is made him do circles over and over, and if he doesnt want to, or hes moving too slowly, i swat his butt with the lead rope and that gives him some insentive  the last two times ive lead him hes almost willing lol. but we are getting there


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## minihorse927 (Aug 11, 2008)

It will take some time but it does sound like you have the right idea. Just make sure that you keep those lunging sessions short on a short lead rope because it is rather hard on their joints, especially the young ones.


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## Britt (Apr 15, 2008)

I have a question, and it's not meant to be rude or anything, I'm really wondering...
Why did you wait so long to break the yearling to a halter? IMHO, a colt or filly should be taught to wear a halter and should be leading perfectly by the time they're two and a half months to three months old.

I'm just wondering; I'm not bashing you or anything... I just wanna know.


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## nmb8 (Jan 13, 2009)

the lunging on a lead rope does not take long at all to get him going... maybe 30 second sessions. hes very responsive to it.

to britt's question: ive only had this horse for about 3 months. i got him form a QH breeder (one of the leading ones in the state) he was born with bad knees- i also have another thread on here about him- and so the breeder thought he didnt have to work with him as much as the other horses i guess... he didnt do anything about the knees either and didnt work with his feet much either. ive had to start from the ground up with him but a year late. and i did mention that he is a BIG boy for a yearling. the only reason i took this horse is becasue the breeder said that he was going to shoot him. in my opinion, this guy was ignorant. i took on a huge project with this guy and that is my own fault. but my heart went out to him!! lol. hes a great horse, and i knew it from the first time i saw him, so i couldnt let him be destroyed.


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## Britt (Apr 15, 2008)

> to britt's question: ive only had this horse for about 3 months. i got him form a QH breeder (one of the leading ones in the state) he was born with bad knees- i also have another thread on here about him- and so the breeder thought he didnt have to work with him as much as the other horses i guess... he didnt do anything about the knees either and didnt work with his feet much either. ive had to start from the ground up with him but a year late. and i did mention that he is a BIG boy for a yearling. the only reason i took this horse is becasue the breeder said that he was going to shoot him. in my opinion, this guy was ignorant. i took on a huge project with this guy and that is my own fault. but my heart went out to him!! lol. hes a great horse, and i knew it from the first time i saw him, so i couldnt let him be destroyed.


Oh. I guess I should have looked at some of your other threads, silly me. I'm sorry, lol. It's great that you took the horse! I couldn't imaging letting a good horse be destroyed just because of a slight problem.


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## nmb8 (Jan 13, 2009)

i didnt put that information in my other threads... so more like silly me


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## toosleepy (Jan 14, 2009)

have you thought about ponying him off of another horse. My horse was a Huge yearling and he was very growthy. In order to minimize the stress on the joints i'd pony him off of my other horse. In the process he got some exercise and learned respect. You may fix some of your leading problems this way and get some exercise in the process. My horse Is 5yo, with actually b-day in april and he currently stands 17.1 hands tall and still up in the hip.


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## nmb8 (Jan 13, 2009)

no, i actually didnt think of that. but thats a great idea. it would take out alot of his frustration too. thanks


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## Jubilee (Dec 15, 2008)

I'm having the same problem with the horse I am working with as a favor to a Friend of my parents. Only difference is that he is a 4 year old Percheron cross! He's a sweet boy and will follow right beside me if he wants to, but he was never properly halter trained (yeah, I know it's sad. That's the nature of most of the horses in my area, no one works there horses here except me it seems) so if I try to lead him in a direction that was not his idea to go in, then he will lock up his legs and will not budge. I don't have a round pen to work with him in so I've been trying to think of ways to improvise. I'm a little nervous about trying to lunge him on a line because he is just so big and I'm recovering from a broken arm (completely functional now and cleared to work by the doctors, but still it's not as strong as it should be yet), I'm afraid he'll drag me across the field. It's really a fear unfounded because he hasn't tried that yet. 

Any ideas for me? I don't have a horse to pony him off of either.

Jubilee


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## nmb8 (Jan 13, 2009)

right now im just spending alot of time with my guy. i think if i take it back to basics with him and build up alot of trust first he will be more willing. try that with yours i suggest. and the lunging on a line... its not like im running him. i basically just get him to move his back end in circles. doesnt have to be at high speed or anything. what i do is i stay up by his shoulder and take the end of the lead line and twirl it in circles. not too big or fast because then it just scares them. and i talk to him the whole time. things like "get up.. keep going.. good boy" and etc. another person posted to make sure that you dont do it for long periods of time because its harder on their joints.

keep practicing on leading where hes comfortable too. sounds like he is a little insecure?? does he crowd your space and leads right next to you (he is touching you with his body??)? when he leads some where new, give him his favorite treat and then retreat back to where he usually leads at.

hope this helps. it seems to be working with mine.. most of the time


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## Sullivan17 (Oct 30, 2008)

I have a Arab stud colt He's a yearling.. will be too around September, but He's a very big boy.. He was my grandmas horse and was never really halterbroke and i just halter broke him a few months ago.. At first he was stubborn.. but now He's just awesome.. Goes anywhere you go on the lead.. All i did was made a bond with him and we just clicked. That prolly wont help but i thought i would put my expierience up.


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## Jdun722 (Dec 27, 2008)

northernmama said:


> Any reason you didn't feel you could post some suggestions here? Although I don't have this issue, I often read threads just to pick up advice for future or friends or sometimes pick a bit here and there that I can use with my horses in other situations.


i was running short on time and i dont come on the forum often.


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## hhadavis (May 3, 2008)

Personally all my horses started by just being tied by a lead rope under a tree...I get a old tractor innertube or a bicycle innertube which is wrapped around a sturdy branch above their head and I Loop the lead rope thru the ends of the inner tube( enough that they can turn their head but not enough they can wrap themselves in)...this gives horses that are new to it some give in their ropes so they dont panic and hurt their neck but not enough they will go anywhere...I have had them stand out there for up to 2 to 3 hours at a time depending upon weather etc...it also teaches them patience...it does teach them to lead better....now I got my horses at 6 months and one when he was 8 years old.....it also works when they are not cooperating with training, getting farrier work done....thats where there "time out" is later...the 8 year old I got lead terrible..it has helped him alot...and later after he came back from the trainer he got stubborn and wouldnt go away from the barn at all when saddled...so between round pen exercises and being timed out under the tree..he realized that being ridden was far preferable...I dont know why it works its just does...I know that a lady Ive bought tack from has a large group of breeding mares and thats how she halter/lead breaks all the babies...she ties them under the trees next to their mamas (so they dont panic) and usually doing that once you will already see the difference. And then you start with them walking beside you...etc...I thought the inner tubes were a little goofy but they do help because one yearling I was weaning at my place sat back on the halter and it gave her just enough give that she didnt strain herself...


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