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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 725
  
| I am having alot of issues with my weanling. I got him when he was 5 months old and untouched. We made slow progress but I got him halter broke, picking up feet, etc. We had alot of issues with catching because he still has a fear of people, and doesn't respect me. (Swings his butt, kicks, etc) I left the breakaway halter on 24/7 so that I could just pick up the leadrope, and pretty soon he let me approach him with no issues. Now I absolutely cannot get him into the trailer. I decided it was still a respect issue so I took him into the roundpen (He's now 10-11 months old) and that was a disaster. Instead of hooking on and trusting me, he became dulled to the longe whip where he will stand there and be smacked, and not move. We got him to lunge decently and after an hour he still wouldn't stop and hook on. I had a guy that works with dozens of weanlings per year do the lunging, he's been to numerous Clinton Anderson clinics and he said he's never dealt with anything like it. Dulled, and won't give up. So what do you do with weanlings? Do you even go to the roundpen. After today it feels like we took 10 steps backwards, since he never hooked on and got the reward, now he lost most of his trust for people. Any help/suggestions?
Edited by IowaCanChaser 2017-05-23 1:25 PM
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 Extreme Veteran
Posts: 460
| I don't roundpen weanlings, too hard on their undeveloped joints. I actually don't do a lot with my weanlings, just what you have already stated, halter break, pick up feet and brush. Other than that, their minds are too small to pay attention to really learn a whole lot without being bored. I would leave him alone personally...but if you're having some bad respect issues, like you said he's kicking at you? I would just do some ground work. No lunging, since he doesn't respect the whip. Leave a long lead rope on him, and make him follow you with his eyes, never let him turn away. Do circles around him, making sure he is giving you head on contact, you should see both eyes. Make sure you use a rope halter with knots for pressure points! The second he doesn't follow you with his eyes, or turns away, turns his rear towards you, or pins his ears, you jerk on him in the direction you are going. Stop, when he looks at you head on, hopefully he licks his lips, and you can let him sit for a reward. I am currently doing this with a yearling that won't lunge either =/ Hope that helps! Also, (not sure how bad he is being) I currently have a 3 year old in training for a client that came in very very nasty. Always pinning his ears, biting, kicking, taking any chance he got. I laid him down with a rope, and sat on him for probably 10 minutes. I rubbed him everywhere, especially the places he wouldn't let me touch him. I've only had to lay him down 1 time since then, and I've never had an issue with him since =] |
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 A Barrel Of Monkeys
Posts: 12972
 
Location: Texas | I don't do a lot with my weanlings either.
If you think about it, the babies are so susceptible (in a natural state) to preditors, they are going to have that fight or flight instinct really strong. They get a lot better as they get older and more curious. Some of my wildest babies have become my best horses. |
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 639
Location: God's country...aka TEXAS | I don't do much with my weanlings either except halter breaking and trimming their feet. Other than that I spend a lot of time in their pen and let them come up to me etc. They have such a short attention span at that age, so you are probably doing more harm than good, hence why he is sulling up and not responding to the whip. I would turn him out for a while and just let him be. |
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  That's White "Man" to You
Posts: 5515
| I'm assuming he is actually a yearling right (since its only may and he is at least 5 months old)? I once had a young horse I started and he would sull up everytime he had to go up a hill, or if he just didn't want to do anything. Eventually he would explode, I have a bad back thanks to him. He is actually the only horse to buck me off. I sent him to the glue factory and have been satisfied in that decision ever since. Some just don't have any desire to work, and I have no patience for those type. |
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 Take a Picture
Posts: 12838
| Whiteboy - 2017-05-23 12:43 PM
I'm assuming he is actually a yearling right (since its only may and he is at least 5 months old)? I once had a young horse I started and he would sull up everytime he had to go up a hill, or if he just didn't want to do anything. Eventually he would explode, I have a bad back thanks to him. He is actually the only horse to buck me off. I sent him to the glue factory and have been satisfied in that decision ever since. Some just don't have any desire to work, and I have no patience for those type.
You are so tactful. I could learn from you |
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 Queen Bee Cat Owner
Posts: 3629
Location: Way up North | I'm not sure your herd situation but turn him out with a cranky old babysitter, mare or gelding. They will teach him far more in less time about respect and moving his feet than you can. He's young and still figuring stuff out, don't make things a battle unless you need to.
ETA: I feel the sulling up happened because you overwhelmed him with pressure and he shut down. Take it back a few steps and don't put so much pressure on him and I think he will come around.
Edited by AllAroundRider 2017-05-23 1:13 PM
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 725
| Thanks for all the replies! And he was a very late baby. Late June maybe July? Close to a year now |
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 Experienced Mouse Trapper
Posts: 3106
Location: North Dakota | Have you had him castrated yet? If not-do it if everything is dropped. That alone can make a world of difference in those little snots :) |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 618
| Our yearlings are halter/lead broke. They stand for farrier and vet. I groom them a few times a week without halter/lead. They follow me everywhere. I will start teaching them to trailer load soon bc we will be moving. Ive always backed the trailer to a low spot even with the ground and lead them up to it. I do it in baby steps and any cooperation is rewarded. Usually takes 30 minutes max.
I think if you spend more time establishing trust and your presence in a non threatening way you'll have a much easier time getting him to load. |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 1165
Location: California | My paint mare was exactly like that as a 2yr old! I had to enlist the help of a professional trainer who didn't believe me until she had my mare in a round pen! It was not pretty and it wasn't always fun but I wouldn't trade any of that struggle now! That mare taught me more then I could have ever hoped. She's awesome now, now it's just a matter of keeping her sound after so many years of bad farriers.
It's going to take time, determination, and tact. Honestly I'd pull in some outside help to have another opinion on how to go about things. Some of the youngsters who people think have no "want to" or "try" acut ally turn into pretty gritty horses with time and the correct training! |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 672
| I don't do a lot with my weanlings besides halter breaking, picking up feet, and brushing all over. For loading in the trailer use a butt rope. I always use it the first 2/3 times loading and they learn to load right up. I've round penned a few yearlings that had attitudes, but keep the sessions short at 10-15 min and ALWAYS end on a good note. They are babies and from what I've found you're not always going to get the same submission as an older horse. Watch for any sign of them giving in to you and reward that. Once they understand what you're looking for they'll hook on fast. |
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 Expert
Posts: 1857
| now that you've started the battle you really don't want to stop until you achieve a little respect from him. I'd leave him in the round pen, once a day go work him and try to get him to hook on but only give it 10-15min, stop when you notice his ear listening to you, or when you stop him he turns in and faces you or at least doesn't turn his butt to you(even if that is just standing parallel to the fence). Then I'd walk out, not touch him, look at him, nothing. just walk out and leave him standing there. good luck |
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Tried and True
Posts: 21185
Location: Where I am happiest | Sorry for the bluntness but.....weanlings and yealings are way to young physically and mentally for that whole round penning hook up crap. Did you over work him in the round pen to the point of physical and mental exaustion so he just completely shut down? Forget the hooking up and round penning. Just work with him on leading and picking up feet and brushing and let him be a baby. IF you still have a willing mind left.
Edited by ThreeCorners 2017-05-25 9:40 PM
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Expert
Posts: 2685
| I agree with the fact that since the battle has been started, you can't give up now. My advice would be to ask for less. Ask for a smaller step forward. Reward something smaller. Like someone else said, ask for an eye or an ear. Put a drag rope back on him and ask for 2 eyes with the rope on him so you can guide him instead of giving him free rein to screw up. Can you get him to change directions instead of stop and hook? Start with changing directions to the inside and removing the pressure when he turns in to turn around. |
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Tried and True
Posts: 21185
Location: Where I am happiest | Sorry, but the whole "Once you start a battle you cant quit" is another round of loony falacy. Golden rule to always remimber....1 % a day progress is 100% in 100 days. THAT rule is your best friend. |
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 Sock eating dog owner
Posts: 4553
Location: Where the pavement ends and the West begins Utah | Short baby steps and always ,always end on a good note.teach everything at a walk first when that is mastered you can step it up.I give carrots when I need to catch or just to love on. They get it in their grain to. I even cut up an Apple to give them for the fun of it. If diced up you have more offerings if you have more than one horse. Makes for a peace offering. |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 725
| ThreeCorners - 2017-05-25 6:11 PM
Sorry for the bluntness but.....weanlings and yealings are way to young physically and mentally for that whole round penning hook up crap. Did you over work him in the round pen to the point of physical and mental exaustion so he just completely shut down? Forget the hooking up and round penning. Just work with him on leading and picking up feet and brushing and let him be a baby. IF you still have a willing mind left.
This was my opinion too. I had a "trainer" help me and he was the one doing the lunging, and the weaning did mentally shut down. For the past few days I've spent time just messing with him, brushing, holding his grain bucket while he eats, catching, etc. Much more progress this way! |
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Weanling Help!