How to 'train' a pony to accept harness or lead around him?

[secuono]

I have a 4yr wild caught Corolla Pony gelding who just hates the harness and lead. I have no idea how the last owners ever caught him.
We had quite the field day today when he got his foot caught in the harness that was attached to the lead. Last owner said if you get it around his neck he will be fine, obviously that failed.
Took us almost an hour to get it off him, he was so not pleased with us after that.
He runs from the harness/lead if he smells, sees or hears it. I was trying feed him treats through the harness and slowly slip it over, but that didn't work.
Advice, other than get a trainer?

 

[patandchickens]

By harness, I am thinking (hoping) you mean halter? (The following assumes I'm guessing right...)

Get a trainer.

Sorry, I know that's not what you want to hear, but I dunno how you got the halter snagged on his legs yesterday but it definitely indicates needing of someone to show how to do things (and, perhaps more importantly, how NOT to do things, e.g. do not be trying to flip a leadrope around a horse's neck with the halter already attached to the other end of it unless both you and the horse really know what you're doing)

Your "slowly feeding him treats thru the harness and then try to slip it on" is not unreasonable-sounding but is not going to work as well as simply getting him used to the halter and other strapwork (and your hands) being around his neck and head, period. This is not difficult (tho it can be a bit time- and patience-consuming) but the essential ingredient is a good working knowledge of horse brains and horse body language so's to know when to push and when to back off and what type things are apt to be a bad idea.

That's not something that can be acquired by reading, it takes mileage. Find someone who already HAS the mileage to sort this problem out with the horse for you and to show you how to proceed from there on your own. You will learn a lot from watching them work, too.

Also, this is why people tend to recommend that relative novices do not buy horses with behavioral problems, and test-drive them (so to speak) enough before purchase to establish *whether* they have behavioral problems. A hard-to-catch horse can be a lifelong project for many recreational rider (it requires judgement, persistance, consistency, and not accidentally doing the wrong thing).

Seriously, by far the simplest and most effective thing is to get someone to sort it out and show you how the horse's mental buttons work, so to speak.

In fact, any chance of getting the previous owners out? Buy 'em a case of beer or whatever, and make it clear you're not complaining or trying to return the horse, you're just trying to access their superior knowledge of this animal

Good luck, have fun,

Pat

 

[secuono]

Yea, I meant halter, not sure why I said harness. The only times I need to catch him would be for the farrier or vet/dentist. He's fine being brushed all over and touched and such, just not with anything that might be used to catch him.
I've got time to try treats and such, until his feet need work, lol.
The previous owner is 3hrs away, not sure if she will come by. I'll email her though and see how she caught him in the first place, hah!
I'll also ask the neighbors if they know anyone.

 

[patandchickens]

Frankly, from your other post about him busting thru fences, it sounds to me like you are likely to have trouble getting in touch with his previous owner as she is probably breathing an enormous sigh of relief that she found a suitable pigeon to take him off her hands Whatever his other merits may be.

No offense meant, but it is clear that this pony is, quite frankly, a lot smarter and more skilled than you are at this point in time. So you are going to need the services of a trainer ANYhow. Therefore, no time like the present

Pat

 

[secuono]

She emails me back with any questions I have. He's a wild caught pony, not sure how old he was and how extensive his training was. He should be green broke, but he's here for a companion, not to ride.

 

[patandchickens]

Yuh huh, if you can't get a halter on it plus it keeps getting loose, it's not so much a companion as a *problem*

Mind, the getting loose is not necessarily the pony's fault under the circumstances -- although wild-caught ponies/mustangs generally ARE a whole lot harder to confine when they don't wanna be -- and the catching/haltering thing may be easily fixable with the services of a trainer.

You can find trainers in the phone book or on the bulletin board at the feed store, if you are really stuck and don't know people who can give good recommendations. Although the problem is there are a fair number of real losers out there who may be worse than useless. So multiple personal recommendations would be a good idea. In fact, maybe the best thing to do would be to phone up big fancy show barns who you KNOW will not be interested in a one-off visit to a backyard beginner, and when they politely say they're not the right people to help you, ask them who they WOULD recommend. (LOL - but also it might *work*)

Pat

 

[SDGsoap&dairy]

From your recent posts about shopping for a horse then finding your two horses it sounds like you've really jumped into the deep end!

I've just started lessons and don't own a horse myself yet, but with so much to learn I'm perfectly fine splashing in the kiddie pool with my floaties for a year or two.

 

[secuono]

Jumping in is what I do. It's really hard to be motivated or stay interested in something if I'm not fully submerged and just going for it.

 

[SDGsoap&dairy]

Best of luck!

 

[currycomb]

i will tell you what works for me(but i have been around horses for over 40 yrs). have a bucket of feed, not much, but enough to get him interested(tie up the other horse, you want one on one). just stand there, playing in the feed bucket. day one, just feed him, do not touch or make any movement toward him. day 2 repeat, but ad a touch to the mix, anywhere he will permit. when he is comfortable with touching, carry a rope over your shoulder, no halter or anything eles, just a rope. no food till he comes and you can touch him with the rope on your shoulder. when he is comfortable with this, take end of rope in hand and rub him with it, gradually bringing it up his neck near his ears. this may take sometime, but again, no food till you have touched him. eventually, you will be able to slip the rope around his neck. when you can do this, and if he has been taught that he is caught now, you should be able to add a halter to the exercise. if i am in a hurry to catch one, i run it into a smaller pen and just rope it with a lariat, but like i said, i've been doing this foe awhile, do not reccommend you try the roping. it sounds like it will be time consuming, and it will be. but no grain, NO GRAIN, until you accomplish what you want for the day. yes he might get a little hungry, but use that to your advantage.