what do you expect a horse to know by the time it’s a year old. Mine was 1 last week and trying to figure out if she’s on the right track. Right now we’re really struggling with the farrier. She will lift her feet and hold them for me. But she doesn’t even want him coming close to her. I just start yesterday working on teaching her to ping behind my gelding because I want to build some muscle on her. I think she’s tall for a yearling but she’s so puny looking. 

I know when Duke was a yearling, I wanted his first farrier visit to be a positive one so I told my farrier he had to be patient because he was setting up the rest of this horses life with getting his feet done. Thankfully he was extremely patient (he was a good friend so I didnt mind busting his chops a little) after that visit we continued to pick up his feet daily, but not just by me, I had my daughter do it and my hubby so he could get use to other people. I think the farriers may smell completely different than us lol! Hes now a total saint for the farrier and I have a different guy now. He also knew how to load and unload as a yearling and stay tied for a while. He knew to move his hip over when asked, back up and give to pressure and learned relief. I just dont think you can ever teach them too many ground manners at a young age.. 

My poor farrier tried for about 45min. Honey just wasn’t having no part of it. She did let him clean both fronts out. So I guess that’s a start. 

It may take a few visits but just keep picking up and holding feet in between visits, it's really all you can do. They just need to learn it's going to be a part of life! Try not to turn it into a fight, physically we wont win so we gotta play and win the mental game. 

Every yearling is different. SOOOO different in some cases!  LOL!

Demon met her first farrier last December as a long yearling. She surprised us and actually did ok. Second visit in late January also went well.

I've had more than one who was not ready for farrier at the year mark, and also many that had met the farrier and nbd at 6 months. My current coming yearling is probably going to be a nbd foal.  Halter and leading was one lesson.

If their feet are good I like to let their feet learn to self trim in their first couple years as much as possible. They make great bare feet that way.

Mine knows pretty much all of the basics. He was such a good youngster and (knock on wood) has been so great with my farrier since day one. It also helps he has a lot of experience with the young ones, so for that, I am thankful. He ponies great, takes a saddle pad and a bareback pad with a cinch, tie's, loads and unloads backing off of the trailer. I haul him a lot, wherever I can and he's done great so far standing tied alone at barrel races with kiddos playing and running all around him. He'd love to go play with them if I'd let him! lol.

How did you know he was ready to start taking to races? 

I have 1 now. I bred her so she really has been handled in some way since birth. But she leads, knows the words, whoa & back & does both, she started with her first file at 4 months & when she was long enough to trim she got trimmed on a reg schedule. She has started standing on a patience pole & doing well. When good & solid with that, we will move to the hot walker to stand & eventually walk. Faith is a good girl. She has been good to teach & work with.

He’s wanting me to get some kind of gel. I forget what he called it but it started with a D. Said it would calm her just enough to take the edge off to make her realize he’s not going to hurt her.  But would this really work or is that just like putting a band aide on a problem? 

He had no choice haha. Lot's of standing tied at home and being ponied I think taught him a lot. I figure the more he see's now...the better. So far hes taken everything into stride very well.

Dormosedan gel...a sedative. It is hit or miss orally. 

I'm not quite sure I'd go that route but that's just me. I'd prefer not to have to give anything but again it's a personal choice. 

Yes. That’s what he called it. I want to fix the problem. Not bandaids it. 

I'm lucky to get the halter on mine..... Unless one gets hurt they just get turned out with a grumpy gelding and I call it good until their 2. I think i've exceeded expectation if i make it 2 years without one of them attempting suicide.

Bless you! I couldn’t do it. Someone gave me one that had never been touched. Hardest most frustrating horse I’ve delt with. I put a halter on my baby when she was 2 days old. 

Mines 8 months and she’s leading, had her first farrier appt which she was great for except for one foot (he’ll be here in 2 weeks and we’ll see how she is), will walk pony off my other horses and is learning to stand tied. I may send her to my trainer for 2 weeks just to make sure we have all holes filled in  . Once she ties and leads we’ll ill start hauling her as she’s currently left alone when we go to races  

Edited to add she’d been home a week when farrier came out and had never been handled before she came home. 

Would not suggest unless she is being extremely dangerous to you or herself. She will figure it all out with time. Its a scary thing for them. Just make the experience as best as possible and it will all come together. 

No, they've all had halters on and drug a lead for a couple weeks but then i take it off and turn them all out. Once we gather them it's been pretty easy to get halters back on and to the round pen we go.

Mine is standing tied saddled. Don't worry, we aren't going to step to her. If she wants to act like a big girl we will let her.

Her first birthday was Feb 6th.

we foaled ours only had 3 but they were handled from birth feet at a week we started leading i used mom to teach pony and being tied they were in and out of trailer when weaned i would hang them on patience tree for a few minutes

but again we only had a couple