We have an almost yearling filly.She is in a large round pen where she's been since we brought her home at weaning age,in Nov.We have 3 other horses running in a small pasture where the round pen is,and another horse in a connected front pasture.

We feed her every day,and try to spend some time with her.I've never had a baby as shy and nervous as she is.Yesterday,it was almost an hour's task to get a blanket on her ahead of freezing rain forecast for tonight.Today,she would'nt even allow me to TOUCH the blanket.She whirls and takes off.If we spend time grooming and petting her,the next day is like back to square one again.Granted we haven't had the weather or time to devote to her on a daily basis,but she does allow us to pet and groom her,but it's almost like she has amnesia the next day.I think when she was weaned,she was roped to get her away from her mother.I don't think much handling time went in at all.You really have to handle her with kid gloves,and she's ready to take flight at the slightest inclination.

I'm worried that she's going to be a handful.Any insights?

Yeah,I think you're right.She's murder to try to get out of that round pen.She doesn't want to come out of the gate into the pasture.And of course,having 3 adults standing there with ears back on those females doesn't help.We'll try taking her out of the round pen and into the yard when it gets a little nicer.It's just been too raw and nasty to spend much time with her lately.

The more you tiptoe the worse she'll get.  She'll think something's up. Look at doing some roundpen lunging work to get her steam off, then learn to do some desensitizing activities.  If you tiptoe around a horse, the first time you sneeze she'll blow up on you.  But if you act like everything's no big deal and do it with confidence and repitition she'll become less spooky rather than MORE spooky.  There are lots of great instructional videos on the subject.  A good way to start is with basic lunging.....if she's not halter broke you have a roundpen...do free lunging.  Nothing to get hung up on or tangled in.  You don't need to run her to the ground she's just a baby, but it sounds like she could just use some groundwork. 

When training her you need to respectfully TELL her that you will be touching her, not ask for her permission.   Most likely she'll say NO WAY JOSE!  Use an approach and retreat technique.  If she'll let you touch her wither, but not her neck, rub her in little incriments working towards the neck.  Take extra time on the "sticky" spots, but always back your touch away before she gets upset or backs away.  You have a lot of work ahead of you, but your horse is only a yearling....she has a lot of time too.  

Can you put another horse in with her to play? She's gotta be going stir crazy in the roundpen.  And yes, she's going to be timid about going out of it.   I have a 17 year old gelding who is also very timid.  It took him a week before he'd leave the pasture I originally put him in when I brought him home.  It's just a security issue. 

Amanda

I've been doing some lungeing with her in the pen,not on a lunge line,the middle of our pen has turned into a hog wallow.Don't want to run her around too much because it's slippery in spots,but I've done some of this.Also,doing the approach/retreat,when I sense she's interested,and about to approach,I stand still and don't make eye contact,and she usually comes around then.Or if I see that she's going to run,I'll back off before she can do that.We had to wear her down the other day to get the blanket on her.Funny thing is: she's had one one her twice before.

There's no one we can really put in with her.We've got  2 older mares,and you know how that would go.Our gelding that is with the mares is coming 2,and he's a downright pest.I'm afraid he might hurt her playing rough.

She hasn't really had the head start that our other youngsters had by being weaned a little rough,I think.No other ones,the ones we've had,or the gelding that we bought as a weanling,have been so hard to handle or had a trust issue.

Gezz,this isn't the first one we've ever had.Make it # 7.

I just said that for some reason,she's the ONLY one we've had like this.The others spent their first year in a round pen,also.That's so we can be sure that they get their share of the youth feed (plus her hay)we feed for 2 years,instead of competing against 3 adult horses.She wouldn't get anything that way,I assure you. 

Thank You,Nancy.I guess only someone that knows that we're not ignorant hillbillies understands that we didn't just wake up one Am and say "let's go get a baby horse to play with!"

She'll come around.She's got a bigger engine and breeding than some of our others.She's more "show" breeding.She's going to be a nice one,I know that! She's not crazy or wild running around there like she's scared to death or anything.And in a 80ft round pen,I think she's got plenty of room for growth and development.I guarantee you if she doesn't want you to catch her in there,YOU WON'T.

Well,thanks to you too,Rose.

the breeder's wife told us that when he separated her from her mother,he roped her.I know she hasn't forgotten it.None of the ones we've ever raised has ever been this way,and we've raised good ones,too. we weaned each one of ours,and this one is the third one we've kept in the round pen until we were sure she could fend for herself,was big enough not to get hurt running with 2 mares and a 2 yr old gelding,and that she is getting her fair share of quality feed while it counts the most. Not to mention we're positive we can catch her willingly instead of her running full tilt across 6 acres going  "NA NA".If we ever get together down at Village Creek to ride you'll see ,we don't have "cobs" that we ride,we ride real horses. HA!

Yep,I agree there! Guess we aren't doing so bad,after all! We have a big beautiful 11 year old gelding that used to jump out of his hide if another horse let one,you know? He's not nearly as bad after we sent him for some additional trail riding at the trainers that we use to break our horses for trails.But he's still a nervous individual,and I think he always will be.(His mother is also his half sister.One of those Arkansas horses you know!!  HA HA!)

He has well-bred well known horses on his papers.Has a big motor.We have this 2 year old gelding that could already be a plowhorse.I swear,I think you could throw grenades off his back.First time I threw that canvas horse blanket on him,he looked around,grabbed it in his teeth,and jerked on it,and when he saw that it wasn't coming off,went back to eating!!! I nearly fell out.He's a dead head,for sure.But the filly? NOT.She's going to have a big motor,too I believe.

Don't know about your place tonight,but,it's raining ice here.I'm glad for those blankets (all 5 of them!) but I sure do wish WE had a barn for then on nights like this.

Rose !!  How have you been girl !!?  Hope you guys held up in the rain and storms.  My poor horses are standing in mud, our pastures are so flooded.  Gotta get started on these run-in sheds SOON !!

Nancy