# Found horses, don't know what I am doing!



## MissKatie (Jul 17, 2012)

It sounds like what you are doing is good. A baby and mummy need lots of nutrition, and bubbie should learn to pick up his/her feet relatively soon to have them trimmed in the near future. This is to avoid any misconformations. Doing heaps with the bubbies is not essential as they are quite young, but getting them used to you rubbing them all over and accepting treats etc is all somethings you could start doing. Getting a halter on is also going to become important, when I taught my horse I began giving him a carrot everytime he put his head near the halter so maybe introduce the treats as it will make teaching much easier. Or conditioning them could be another option (i.e moving toward them with a halter, follow them until they stop moving and as soon as they stop, stop walking toward them with the halter and etc.).


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## TexanFreedom (Apr 2, 2012)

Pictures might help in assessing the situation. :lol:


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## EvilHorseOfDoom (Jun 17, 2012)

TexanFreedom said:


> Pictures might help in assessing the situation. :lol:


Some groups ask for gruelling initations. We just ask for lots and lots of piccies!


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## Kayty (Sep 8, 2009)

Please find an experienced horse person to help with haltering the youngsters. You can do a huge amount of damage to their poll, neck and spine if you simply put a halter on them, and they panic and start leaping and twisting, or pulling against the pressure.
Foals should be taught to lead using a bum rope and halter. A rope that goes behind their rump, and either looped through the halter or held seperately by the handler. Pressure can be put on the bum rope to encourage the foal to step forward, without risking pulling on its head and neck with the halter.


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## Menzie3 (Jul 17, 2012)

Yes, we used the bum rope to trailer the one foal. I dont plan to force the halter on, If possible, Id like to take my time and earn their trust in doing so. I have a lady that is suppose to start coming out tonight to help show me things to do to earn their trust and be able to work with them. My main goals for now (other than the obvious care) is to be able to halter, lead, and pick up feet. of course, love on (but I think we are getting that part). I will post pictures just as soon as I can (the sheriff advised us not to in case some one local or near by just claim they are theirs to sell or some thing). So, when its said and done, I will post pictures. 

Is it okay to feed babies sweet feed mixed with oats? We were doing so with the one we had euthanized. the others get straight sweet feed, with Bermuda hay and green grass to graze. 

Also, we have a salt block (might be called something else), out for the horses, should we be giving anything else (especially for the babies)? I try to stay out of their business for their horses, which are all healthy, but I want to do right by this foal so if I am missing anything, please say so.


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## Menzie3 (Jul 17, 2012)

This is Red and Gracie










this is Starbaby










and just for show...

this is my daughter









and these are my boys



















all 3 together









my step daughter









and these, are our dogs

Corsair with our kitten Ash


















Lucy


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## Menzie3 (Jul 17, 2012)

Oh, and this is Nophica (sounds like NovaShay)


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## LetAGrlShowU (Mar 25, 2009)

I dont have the slightest advice for the foals, but I looooves your doggies! I have 3 pit bulls myself and i'm extremely partial to them. Enjoy your new found horsey-ness


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## Whisper22 (Jan 2, 2011)

Interesting situation. How old, do you think, the other baby is? Twins are rare, as I understand it, but that would be neat if they were. If not, I wonder where the other baby came from.


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## Menzie3 (Jul 17, 2012)

Thank you LetAGrlShowU. I am very bias to pitbulls/bullies. I do a lot of rescue with them and have for 5 years now. I will have other breeds if they need help, but I won't have a day in my house without a pitbull.


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## Menzie3 (Jul 17, 2012)

Whisper22.. the other foal is the same age. Our vet put them at 5-6 months old. If they are not twins, then I should prob be out looking for more loose horses! 

We THINK what happened was, SPCA has been in town A LOT lately.. we think - maybe - someone was over their limit for the space they had and feed wise and dumped them to keep from getting into trouble. When they showed up, a crap load of designer dogs were dumped too! The shelter thinks the dogs were kennel dogs because they were obviously bred to no end. we figure that is why no one has claimed them.. so not to bring attention to the situation. (which is sad, but tends to happen a lot).. when they first showed up, the mom and one baby was underweight.. just hanging around the ladies yard, they started gaining weight.


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## ThirteenAcres (Apr 27, 2012)

How strange! 

Well I have a 3 month old foal. He had some interaction, but not a ton before he was brought to me. Mostly he was put out with momma to do some growing.

I took several weeks of just getting to know my foal, getting him to trust me enough to come up and let me mess with his face and pet him all over. Then I would put a soft cotton rope around his shoulders and just gently encourage him to step forward. All that went really well.

But when the halter came into the picture, he'd get tired of the "game" and back off. So I started feeding he and his mother in a stall together, and while he ate, I'd put the halter over his nose and let him eat through it. Slowly he got used to me doing that, and I was able to put the strap over. He'd pull away some, but with persistence, he'd eat and forget I was there.

Finally he stopped paying attention to me messing with his head while he ate, and I was able to buckle the halter.

It was like magic. It was like after that he just accepted it and didn't care. We're now working on leading forward with the butt rope. =)

But it definitely helped me to isolate them from all the commotion of the big pasture and other horses. In a confined space, I was able to work with him in a space too small for him to really run off, and kept his attention.


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## Menzie3 (Jul 17, 2012)

ThirteenAcres, Separating them really helped? I can move her over to a smaller pasture but we do not have stalls (they use a carport type thing for shelter). I plan to buy a small double stall, but with the vet bills right now for this horse, it will be a month or two before I can. I never really planned to get a horse of my own for awhile, until I - myself - was completely ready with everything I needed (barn, etc), but I guess someone higher seen it more fit to do so now than later! If a stall is extremely important.. I can borrow the money and do so now, but with my roommates going 2 years without one, I didn't see no rush!?!?


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## FlyGap (Sep 25, 2011)

Hi fellow Arkansan!
I'd be sure that both foals are nursing right now! If they aren't twins then the one that isn't will need to be watched closely and have a monitored diet.
Way to go, I know things are getting REALLY tough around here with the drought and I've heard a ton of stories about dumped and loose horses.

You must post photos of the found horses! Dying to see them!


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## Kayty (Sep 8, 2009)

Be careful with sweet feed. I personally wouldn't be giving it to youngsters. Oats and hay (with alfalfa/lucerne preferably as it contains a good balance of protein and calcium - perfect for young, growing horses).
You can get very good balance pre-mix youngstock feeds, my youngster has been on Prydes Biomare since he was weaned, and has done exceptionally well on that, with some lucerne and ad lib meadow hay. 

Just avoid the sweet feeds if possible, it's like feeding a human baby a bucket load of sugar!


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## ThirteenAcres (Apr 27, 2012)

Menzie3 said:


> ThirteenAcres, Separating them really helped? I can move her over to a smaller pasture but we do not have stalls (they use a carport type thing for shelter). I plan to buy a small double stall, but with the vet bills right now for this horse, it will be a month or two before I can. I never really planned to get a horse of my own for awhile, until I - myself - was completely ready with everything I needed (barn, etc), but I guess someone higher seen it more fit to do so now than later! If a stall is extremely important.. I can borrow the money and do so now, but with my roommates going 2 years without one, I didn't see no rush!?!?


Yes! There was no way I was getting the halter on my foal in the pasture with the others. There were too many places to run off and get distracted. 

The stall has worked wonders. I've made it part of my feeding routine. I put he and momma together, feed them both, and work while he's eating. Then when they're done, I snap a lead on and take them to the back pasture for a little work
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Regula (Jan 23, 2012)

I have no clue about raising young horses, but I second that pits/bullies are the best. I grew up in aa country where they're forbidden (Germany), and now enjoy every minute that I can finally have a bully.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Reno Bay (Jul 8, 2012)

Dumping horses? Sometimes I wonder how people can be so cruel. Good luck with those babies. Flamenco was a real ****** with his halter (Andalusian foal I worked with), but he's really food motivated so he got used to it right quick.

Since people are talking about Pit Bulls (two words...it's a peeve - American Pit Bull Terrier...it doesn't magically become one word when you shorten it), I've never been a PETA fan but what they're doing recently is really making me angry. They're advocating euthanizing in all shelters/rescues and banning _breeding _ them (essentially they want to wipe the entire breed off the face of the earth to "protect" them...because we all know that every single Pit Bull is abused).


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## rascalboy (Jun 30, 2007)

If you want to get stalls to feed them in, that's cool. I personally wouldn't get stalls just to bring them in at night. It really is best for most horses to stay out 24/7, especially for babies since they're growing and their hooves are still stabilizing.
Do make sure all the horses have correct hoof care. You can mess up a baby's legs if their hooves grow all wonky. Make sure to deworm Mama (check the dewormer warnings to make sure it's ok to give if the foals are still drinking milk).


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## lives2hope (Jul 12, 2012)

I wouldn't worry over much about the stalls at this point. I would work on getting your horses healthy and use to people. Bring little treats out when you go and see them feed mom if babies won't come to you and slowly start offering the treats to the babies. If the babies haven't been handled very much there is no rush to get a halter on, I would guess they were not imprinted at birth so everything is going to be new for them.

It is entirely possible that they are not twins and the mother took on a second foal from another horse. We once had two mares give birth 4 days apart, the foal from one abandoned his mother and stuck with the other mare like glue. I guess he just didn't like her. She ended up bringing him up and nursing him along with her filly. After a while she wouldn't even let the other mare near him. I am not sure how common this is but I do know from experience it could happen. (It was the first time we ever had mares give birth so close together)

And of course congratulations are in order. Best of luck with your new baby!


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## Menzie3 (Jul 17, 2012)

I am here to update a little. the owners of the horses claimed them, verified they was theirs then agreed to sell them to us so we got all 3 for $175. the 2 babies, are not twins.. born 1 week apart and are 14 months old. they have the same dad ( a throughbred) and different moms. We have done a lot of work with them and the smallest baby, we are getting somewhere with.. she now, lead walks, stops, backs up, lifts feet.. the other baby is more stubborn.. We did get a halter on her and can catch her and put a lead on her.. she walks with the lead and LOVES baths.. but is very pushy and demanding.. if not given her way, starts to act out. we are learning as well as she is so we have a guy working with us working with her. he is really good and she listens to him very well, so I am sure her pushyness with us is something we are doing wrong. she will walk with me very well, but if I try to treat her, she becomes demanding and pushy to get more treats even when I do not offer.. so I have been leaving the treats out of it until our time together is coming to an end for the moment.. then I treat and release. she has finally started licking her lips and yawning when around me (from my understanding that means she is giving in).. but like today, after working with her for 30 minutes, I hosed her down (which she loves and is always upset when I stop), I gave her her treats and went to rub my hand on her shoulder (backish area) and she threw her head back, screamed at me, and turned to kick. 

I just really hope my learning with her is not going to do more harm to her (mentally).. she is definately much better than 2 weeks ago when she was biting and kicking everytime we came near. but I also think removing her from the bigger horses is helping alot too. the 2 babies are in a pasture together and the rest are in another. any thoughts?? also, I am going to post pictures now that we legally own them.. so let me figure that out and I will post them here as well!


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## Menzie3 (Jul 17, 2012)

Also, if it helps on background on her (the stubborn one), her mom was shot when she was 3 months old, they did not think either her or her mom would survive, so they seperated them in hopes to save the baby alone.. mom did survive as well, but baby was on her own from then out..


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## Kayty (Sep 8, 2009)

Good to hear the owners surrendered them to you if they can't look after them themselves. 

Re the treat issue - don't treat at all. You're asking for trouble. Some horses you can treat without them being pushy, but for a youngster who is already starting to stretch her legs and test the boundaries, treating at any time is asking for her to get worse. 
If you REALLY want to treat, put some carrots in her feed, but never allow her to eat from your hand.


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## Menzie3 (Jul 17, 2012)

This is momma - KaSigha' (11 yr old bay) with her baby










This is Kenta (the stubborn one)



















and this is KaySha' - mommas baby


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## Saddlebag (Jan 17, 2011)

The youngsters should have an adult horse with them to teach them some manners. As for the sassy one, I'd start her moving around the paddock with you off her hip out of kicking distance. Use a lunge whip and hold it behind her like it's a barrier. Horses drive those of lesser status in this manner. If she tries to turn toward you without you stepping back and inviting her, move your whip to block her jaw. Try to keep it low key but be persistant. If you handle her all the time in the paddock then you can drive her when she becomes resistant or offers to hurt you. You are reminding her that you are the dominant one, not her.


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## Menzie3 (Jul 17, 2012)

I have been watching videos and reading up on training like crazy.. but to be honest, I am a little fearful of them (unknown horses with attitudes).. with that said, I am doing my best not to show my fear.. I do not run when she pushes.. instead I push back.. not hard to hurt her or anything.. just enough to get her out of my space and when she stops being pushy, I reward her (well, try to with a rub and a treat).. I guess I will stop using the treats if that could be doing more harm than good. 

Kenta is a natural jumper.. she loves trotting around and jumping any and everything from the feed station to rocks, etc.. she does it so beautifully.. 

and yes, if your curious about the sore on KaySha's leg.. she came to us that way.. not sure how it happened, just that it was a huge nasty hole in her leg (you could see her bone).. it is no longer a hole, just a flesh wound now.. her swelling has went down dramatically and she now put pressure on it..


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## Cowgirls Boots (Apr 6, 2011)

Id do away with the barb. Been there, done that. No good!
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Menzie3 (Jul 17, 2012)

Saddlebag. We did go and get a lunge whip and have tried it a few times... her attitude does improve right after using it.. (we have not whipped her with it, just the noise alone it makes on the ground and air work fine).. but in all honesty, I am not sure we are doing it right.. We've watched over 100 videos trying to learn, but we've had it less than a week too. (we've never had to use one on the other horses).. when we run her with it, she runs about one turn then stops and faces us with her ears up and starts licking her lips.. so we stop.. if I am correct, that is what we are suppose to do?


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## Menzie3 (Jul 17, 2012)

Cowgirls boots, we plan to. We are doing some reading on what to use.. our trainer uses electric, but I am afraid the kids would touch it.


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## minihorse (Aug 3, 2012)

Just carry the halter, let them become accustomed to seeing them. once they accept the visual, try very slowly to touch them with it ever so lightly and continue until they accept that without fear. Keep that up and every time you see them accept the touch (and each time they accept you praise and if they allow a pat or stroke) increase duration of the halter touching them. being young it shouldn't take long if you are patient, calm and kind (and sounds like you probably have those 3 qualities). Let us know how you make out no matter what you use as an approach.


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## Kayty (Sep 8, 2009)

The kids will learn very quickly NOT to touch it then won't they? 

I don't know if you've ever touched an electric fence, but I promise it won't kill or injure your kids. It gives a zap a little stronger than a static zap. Might leave your hand feeling a bit heavy for a few minutes, thats the extent of it


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## FlyGap (Sep 25, 2011)

Well congrats!
Glad to see that they are safe! 
First tip, NO TREATS. Especially with the youngsters! They will become pushy, then start nipping. I know you mean well but it's not going to help, like you are seeing.
If I were you I'd go find a reputable trainer in your area, tell them your situation and have them come out to give some hands on lessons. DVDs are great but timing is everything. Not really something you can learn from them.

I too would run some electric when you can... Even if it's just one strand. Once your pasture gives out in this drought they are going to crawl through those three strands. Don't worry about the kids, hopefully they are smarter than horses and once is all it'll take! Lol!!
Talk to your feed store/co-op, they'll have lots of info on how to run it and hopefully know of a trainer that could help you out!

Good luck! Bless your and their hearts!!!!
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Coloureds4Mimi (Jul 9, 2012)

Well done you for giving them a good home! Try to make every encounter they have with you a pleasant one and always finish on a positive - if she's testing you make sure you never let her win! 

I had the same problem with my yearling, nothing had been done with him at all and I wanted to treat him when he had done well...well, this made him incredibly nippy and in no time at all when i went to see him he wasn't interested in what I was telling him to do any more, he was more interested in seeing if I had anything for him. So I would recommend cutting out the treats (other than in his food) until you have a clear leadership and she's totally respectful of you.

Also remember that what works for one horse may not work for another so it's going to take you a bit of time to really get to know your new little girl. Everyone else seems to have covered halter-breaking so just stick with it and be patient  keep taking baby steps and really rewarding the good behaviour, I have found a rub on the forehead is enough, although make sure she drops her head to you for this as this is a sign of submission 

If you are sending her ruond and she is stopping and looking at you, then she is not doing as you ask really, you need to keep encouraging her around wirth your whip until her inside esr locks on to you, she lowers her head and starts to lick her lips. Then stop applying the pressure and relax your body and see if she comes over to you, if she doesn't come right up to you then repeat until she does - make sure you do not approach her and she needs to come right up to you to have fully submitted.

I wish the very best of luck with them and make sure you keep us updated


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## Menzie3 (Jul 17, 2012)

We got them both haltered and can now lead them both. well... for the most part! Kenta is stubborn and tests a lot, being pushy while leading, we are currently teaching them to lunge. is not as easy to teach as it looks to be. I have toughened up a little to Kenta. (I was afraid of her and would back off when she pushed or tried to bite when walking, rubbing her) I went to a trainer and asked him to help me and he first said that I have got to get ahold of my fear and remain calm no matter what happens. then he showed me where to hold the halter so that I can correct her before her bite happens. so last night, I got out there and made her let me rub her. I was not mean, just firm (wouldnt let her scare me to walk off).. it took about 15 minutes but she finally stood there and let me.. she was not happy about it but she allowed it! so then, I kissed her and released her. I am going to video our work with her today and the trainer is going to view it and we will go from there.


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## Army wife (Apr 29, 2012)

This is such an awesome story!! Bless your heart for helping these horses. What an amazing thing you've done. Do you know if they have any medical problems? Or if the mare has ever been ridden? I agree with everyone here...No more treats!!! lol That's playing a HUGE role in her being pushy and nippy...which will lead to full on biting if it hasn't already. I hope you learn a lot from these horses. Making them move their feet is a great way to assert your dominance. If she tries to stop on the lunge line, I'd keep her going. She doesn't get to stop until you tell her she can. Your the boss here!! Very excited for you


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## Delfina (Feb 12, 2010)

My kids touched the electric fence *once*. We neglected to mention the gates are not electrified and so it acts as double protection, keeps horses in and my kids out!


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## Elana (Jan 28, 2011)

FWIW looking at those foals they look pretty good.. conformation wise. 

If you can get a trainer to help you they look like they might turn into really good horses.. Mom looks pretty good too. 

Wish you luck. Too much needs to be said to offer any training advice.. get a pro to help you and eventually send them out for training if you can.

Agree that you need to get better fencing. Barbed wire + horses = disaster waiting to happen. 

Again, good luck


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## mnl764 (Apr 8, 2012)

*Its a good start BUT......*



Menzie3 said:


> Saddlebag. We did go and get a lunge whip and have tried it a few times... her attitude does improve right after using it.. (we have not whipped her with it, just the noise alone it makes on the ground and air work fine).. but in all honesty, I am not sure we are doing it right.. We've watched over 100 videos trying to learn, but we've had it less than a week too. (we've never had to use one on the other horses).. when we run her with it, she runs about one turn then stops and faces us with her ears up and starts licking her lips.. so we stop.. if I am correct, that is what we are suppose to do?



It sounds like she is still running the show. You should have her go around a few times and when she is listening to you (she is not allowed to stop or change direction unless you ask her to).....then you soften your presence, stop putting pressure on her and drop your arms down at your sides. She should slow and stop and walk towards you....you shouldn't have to walk towards her. By letting her stop when she decides to be done, you are letting her think she is in control of the situation and you....by the way, some horses literally give you "lip service" and start licking their lips without being vested in actually looking at you as their leader. I have a boy that will lick his lips a few seconds into lunging but when I ask him for a lope he will kick and buck and be a big jerk....so dont automatically stop as soon as you see lip licking.

Anyways, sounds like you are on the right track, at least you care enough to worry about if you are doing it right  Good luck


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## Menzie3 (Jul 17, 2012)

A little update:

everything is going great. Kenta (the stubborn one) has come a long way.. Thanks to an amazing guy (trainer) for taking his time to come work with both the horses and us.. He's showing us a lot and correcting what we are doing wrong. Kenta is having a problem though and we are going to have her checked out for past injuries to be safe. When we go to rub her front left leg, she tries to lay on you.. if you are bent down rubbing, she is ok, but if you stand up while rubbing, she gives out on her leg around her knee. we can rub the whole leg but once we touch that knee, she flops down. the other knees are ok to touch. We also put a blanket on her and she did great. (just the blanket.. I wont try a saddle until she is 2, but we are working with the blanket).. KaySha' (the other baby) is wonderful. we can pretty much what ever we want with her and she does great. Her only problem is with Kenta.. if we are showing Kenta attention, she will bite/buck at Kenta.. Kenta loves baths and anytime we get the waterhose, she comes running for one. KaySha' is starting to like them.. she will come up and as soon as she gets wet, tries to walk away but then comes back wanting it.. They are so amazing!! Kenta still tries to give attitude to new people or when new people are around, but instead of biting and bucking, its just a head throw at first then she ends the attitude.. still a lot of work to do, of course, but so much better!! We did have 2 stray horses run on our property the other day and got them all hyped up.. We had to get them under control and back to their owners, then ours calmed back down.. 

Other than that, its going great!!


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## Menzie3 (Jul 17, 2012)

Army Wife, The previous owners said momma horse saddles and rides with no buck.. but we have not tried.. we did saddle her up, but you could tell she just wanted to get back to her baby, so we did not go further.. we just rubbed her down with the saddle on.. then removed it.. She did good with the saddle.. she stood there but kept looking over at her baby constantly..


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## Menzie3 (Jul 17, 2012)

Kenta with the blanket... first time doing so!



























KaySha' with the blanket with my roommate


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## Chevaux (Jun 27, 2012)

Thanks for update and pictures -- keep them coming!


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## Spirit Lifter (Apr 23, 2012)

You can definitely see the thoroughbred in them! Should make some nice horses. Good luck with all the hard work!


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## Army wife (Apr 29, 2012)

Keep the updates coming!! You guys are doing the right thing by getting help. Soak up as much as you can!


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## arrowsaway (Aug 31, 2011)

this thread is particularly awesome, menzie, because you are so open to suggestions and guidance! some people mean well by rescuing neglected horses but never learn how to properly interact with them, and the horses end up with behavioral issues. I want to commend you for your willingness to learn - these horses are incredibly lucky to have you!


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## Menzie3 (Jul 17, 2012)

Thank you. That alone makes it all feel worth it..


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## star16 (Aug 10, 2012)

You're doing such a wonderful thing, taking care in rescues! All my dogs, cats, and horses were rescued in some wasy- whether it be from a humane society or just an owner who didn't give them the love and time they deserved. I have great respect for what your doing, and it looks like your new mom and foals will have a great home, form the looks of your other horses. I can't believe they're rescues, they look amazing!


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## Tracer (Sep 16, 2012)

You're doing wonderfully, Menzie!

I also need to say that there's something about that mare that has made me fall in love... She looks like she has such a kind eye.


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## Menzie3 (Jul 17, 2012)

Thank you both. That Mare (KaSigha' - KC for short) is a wonderful horse. SHe is just amazing. The ONLY issues I have with her are, she will NOT trailer.. she is very very fearful of it.. and she does not like to be away from baby for too long. other than that, she is absolutely amazing!


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## Army wife (Apr 29, 2012)

When will you be weaning the babies? And how do you plan on doing it?


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## Valentina (Jul 27, 2009)

I haven't read through all the response but for halter training - put halter on by buckling behind the ears. Aftyer many times being able to do that and foals not caring about their ears being touched you can transition to halter over the ears.

To train walking on the lead it is easiest for 2 people - one at head with lead line attached to the halter, the other person holding a large soft cotton rope which goes from withers back to rump then over to the other side of the withers. Then when lead line person steps forward and gives a light tug on lead line, person holding butt rope pulls rope forward so foal is encourage to step forward. After a few steps pat and parise.

Keep all lesson short - under 10 minutes - and gradually increase time to match foal's attention span. Like humans they have short attention spans when young. 

Be caREFUL WHEN TEACHING THEM TO TIE and also do not keep halter on them all the time - horses can break their necks quite easily - so better to teach them to come up to you in paster for a treat (start with luke warm applesauce) then halter in the pasture.


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## Menzie3 (Jul 17, 2012)

ArmyWife, both babies are completely weaned now.. honestly between momma doing it on her own with one and us just pulling the other out, it went smoothly. 

as for an update:

We can now trailer both babies, saddle them (we do not ride them or put any extra weight on them (just the saddle itself), lead, I can walk them through town with passing cars/dogs, etc.. They stood for the farrier, had their hair braided.. both take baths like a pro.. While bathing Kenta, one of our kittens jumped off the chuck wagon and on to her back while I was at her legs.. she hopped a little but did very well considering.. Both are now learning to wait for their feed. (still working on that), but all else is well.. I just knew trailering them was going to be a rodeo alone, but both just hopped right on with no issues! We keep the feed in the back storage.. we had them roaming the yard when my husband went into the storage (by this time, they have learned thats where the good stuff is).. all of a sudden you can hear my husband screaming for help.. we ran to him to find one of the babies in the storage with him.. she just walked right up the stairs and into it.. amazing how smart they are...


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## Menzie3 (Jul 17, 2012)

and we can not do this with Kenta (the stubborn/wild one)


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## Army wife (Apr 29, 2012)

Sounds like they are doing awesome!!! I might wait a little bit longer to put the saddle on though. Are you still getting help?


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## Menzie3 (Jul 17, 2012)

Yes, we still get help. Our trainer will be with us through it until the end (until they are completely broke/sound). He was unsure of the saddle too (but thought it would be ok with a childs, light weight saddle..). 

Here real soon, we will be taking them to his arena for training. (thank goodness his property is only up the road from us or I'd miss them like crazy).. 

Kenta will be trained for jumping and KaySha' will be trained for barrel. I think the 2 new ones will eventually be trained for head/heel horses. (well, those are our long term goals)..


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## Mochachino (Aug 14, 2012)

*At this age I worked a lot on desensitizing and ground manners/work. Going for road walks, trail walks, introducing tarps, umbrellas (always at shows), fly masks, hoof boots.....introduce to everything. Mine was always hesitantly curious and if I touched it he would be fine, I would let him smell it them rub it on him gently. Everyday we worked on tarps, until he would let it drag behind him and eventually he used it to lay on in his paddock. I have a personal training log on another site, that I blogged on a pretty regular basis what I was doing from 7 months until now. If you would like to see it, I can PM you the link, it might give you some ideas. *


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## Thunderspark (Oct 17, 2012)

*Mom not being away from baby long*



Menzie3 said:


> Thank you both. That Mare (KaSigha' - KC for short) is a wonderful horse. SHe is just amazing. The ONLY issues I have with her are, she will NOT trailer.. she is very very fearful of it.. and she does not like to be away from baby for too long. other than that, she is absolutely amazing!


I have a mare and her baby is now 3 1/2, now starting him under saddle!

Anyways, my mare never minded after the first couple of weeks if he was out of her sight and it didn't matter for how long. How does the baby feel like when his mom is out of sight?

I used (still do) take either the mom or baby out into the yard to graze/brush while the other one was in the pasture, at first the baby would run back to the gate looking for his mom. After a few times he was quite content to come out into the yard with me and mom stayed in. I would mix it up and take turns who came out.

You are going to learn so much with this baby and just be patient and you don't want to force the baby, let them do it at their own time and things will be great fun.

As for the biting, my baby would try to suckle me from day one, which I knew would lead to biting, so I squealed at him like his mom would and to this day he's never nibbled or bit people. I never gave him treats from the hand, all treats went in a dish....one of the worst things to do with any horse is hand feed treats!

Have fun with your new ones and I am going to keep an eye on this thread just to see how things are progressing with you!


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## Army wife (Apr 29, 2012)

How old are they by now? What age do you plan on starting them under saddle?


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## Bluebird (Jul 20, 2011)

Caring for horses is 95% common sense! Don't do too much with the mare too soon. You don't know her and I would suggest that you go through the motions of 'backing her' before you attempt to do any riding on her. The foals need to get used to head collars and the best way to do this is with the help of someone experienced. Leave the collars on for an hour or so and just do little bits with them each day. You won't do much with a foal until they are about 2-3 yrs anyway (depending on the breed). Let them enjoy being horses. Well done you for taking these horses on.


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## Menzie3 (Jul 17, 2012)

Army wife, they are right about 19 months now. We've set the saddle on them (but have not buckled (just roped the buckle around) them. I will not let anyone on them until they are closer to 2 1/2 years. When they turn 2, I will saddle (and buckle), but from my understanding, the longer you wait to put weight on them, the better their bones will be.. so I will wait to as close to 2 1/2 as I can instead of 2. 

Thunderspark, when we first got them, mom and baby were a fight. If we pulled one out - it was constant hollering for each other. If one didn't call back asap, they would run wild looking for each other. Now, they are fine! It took awhile, but mom weaned on her own with a little help with us pulling them out for a short while each day to separate them some. 

I am fairly sure we have them where they need to be (for their age).. I really think actually saddle breaking them will be a breeze when the time comes. I think they are going to be amazing!!


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## Army wife (Apr 29, 2012)

19 months?!?! girl, stay off of them!!! You could do a lot of damage to their joints that young!! Gotta think about their future. You want them around for a long time, and not dealing with arthritis and other painful joint problems, right? I know it's hard to wait, trust me. My filly is 2 1/2 right now. I'd probably be tempted to start her under saddle if i were home. (I'm not because my husband is in the military.) But she can carry a saddle fine and I MIGHT hop on her when I go home for Christmas. But just once, for about 10 mins. You really gotta be careful. I don't think they should even be carrying a saddle that young. But that's just my honest opinion. Not trying to rag on you, just trying to help. Wait till 2 1/2 or 3...you won't be doing any harm, the longer you wait. It's not that their bones will be better, it's that their joints are still "open"...they haven't fused shut yet. I'll bet your girls still have "ditch" looking gaps in the middle of their knees.


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## Menzie3 (Jul 17, 2012)

no no,we dont get on her. not at all. the only thing we have done is set the saddle on her. (would a saddle really be too heavy for her right now?) I know human weight is, but our saddle (our kids saddle) is not really heavy.. 

I wouldn't do anything to harm her in any way. (not on purpose anyway). Our trainer said our saddle was light enough for her. 

No worries about ragging on me.. I'd rather someone be honest and blunt than not to say anything and it harm her.


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## Army wife (Apr 29, 2012)

Oh ok good! I was thinking that i miss read your message. Sorry girl! I don't think it would be too much. I put a bareback pad on my filly about that age. No weight. Just to get used to the feeling of a cinch around her.


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## Menzie3 (Jul 17, 2012)

When should I have their teeth floated and checked out? We've had our others floated but he didn't seem too concerned about regularly coming out or anything.. so not sure about all that.


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## Army wife (Apr 29, 2012)

I think (correct if wrong) usually around 5 is when you start?? Before that, they're mostly all just baby teeth that fall out anyways. But make sure you can mess with their mouths, and make sure they don't have any issues losing their teeth. The mares should be done every year I believe


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## Drifting (Oct 26, 2011)

You'll want to have their teeth done/checked before you try putting a bit in their mouth. Make sure their wolf teeth are removed if they have any.


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