Any tips on taming a horse?

Question

I just got a 1 and 3 month old quarter horse yesterday, she lets me pet her and feed her but, my mom tried walking her and she almost trampled my mom. Is there anything I can do to make her more tame? I think the people who had her before me abused her, she has a few scars:(

Answer 1

mabye your mum had the wrong sort of energy towards the horse. if you get a horse whispera they normaly help with things like that. was your mum holding anything unusual like a rope or plastic bag? because the horse could of gotten beaten up with a whip or mabye a plastic bag blo on her head and frightend her?
there are loads of websites about horse whispering and everything like that.
Im sorry to hear about the scars
I hope i help.

Answer 2

Mikki gave you some good advice. When we got my sons horse he was a lot like this. I could feed him but that was about it if tried to rub him or anything else he freaked. We just used a lot of patience with him and when we would go out to mess with the horses we always let him see what we were doing and how they weren't being hurt. He saw them getting treats and decided he liked that and slowly started coming around. Many horses the age of yours aren't realy sure what to be lead is. You have to break a horse to a lead rope as well as a halter. When you put the lead rope on him just go at his pace if he walks walk beside him if he stands maybe a little tug but if he doesn't move just be patient. Chances are your mom could have stepped on a leaf or wrapper and made a noise that spooked him before, horeses hear a lot more than we do. As far as being abused maybe not I know our 14 month ols colt has scars on her and it is from the fence and things like that. If she has been abused though it will take her longer to gain your trust. We have had my son's horse for 7 months and now can't walk near the pasture without him coming running to get his daily rub and treat.

Answer 3

First off she is young, you are both new to each other. Trust has to be earned in both cases. Just because she walked in your moms space doesnt mean she was abused actually sounds more as if she was let do what she wanted or actually doesnt know how to lead at all. If she had been abused in most cases she would of been more fearful to come to either of you, and it would of taken quit a long time to even get the halter on her.
I would highly suggest a parelli style halter, you can email me and i will give the the name of someone that makes them for about 1/2 the price of the Parelli halter. I suggest the parelli halter as it has pressure point that are not cruel but they help gain your horses attention and respect with much more ease than the standard halter that only puts pressure across the top of the head and no where else. The lead is much more safer to use also and is 12 ft long. and will not rap around your leg and arm as quickly as the standard lead rope.
Just spend more time with her, leading her in an smaller area incase she does get away you can easily catch her. Brush her, talk softly,.take your time and be at ease. If you are hyper. or nervous the filly will respond to this feeling the need to feel the same because you are.
There is so much to do and so many more details really needed to accurately help you and your mom.
Feel free to come join my yahoo group Horse_Advice_and_Tips and we will more than gladly help every step of the way with problems.

Answer 4

The best way is to start in a small confined area that your horse feels comfortable in; use her stall if she has one (a 12x12ft are is best). Start by going in to the stall and halter her (try using a rope halter for pressure point usage and use a smaller 6-8ft lead for small areas and a 10-12ft for larger) then proceed to start grooming/rubbing her (start at the neck and shoulder area); at any time she shows any sort of nervousness regress back to a more comfortable spot for her. When she has become relaxed and attentive to you then you can begin with teaching her to lead. Start by pulling and pushing her head towards and away from you (with the lead) without asking her to move (do this a couple of times); if she is relaxed then pull her towards you gently (do not stand in front of her- stand even with her poll) asking for 1 side step towards you then push her away from you asking for another side step away from you. Continue this proccess over and over (this may take minutes or hours) until she gives to the halter and you can take a couple of relaxed steps. Do this every day until you can lead her around her stall calmly; when this happens start leading her in increasingly larger areas every time she makes progress. Make sure that she has had plenty of turnout before you work with her; the hardest horse to work with is an energetic baby.
Most likely the scars are from her being kept in an unsafe area. She does not sound like a physical abuse case. She just needs to learn about the world she lives in.
P.S. Try to avoid direct eye contact (staring) when working with her; as this is a sign of aggression.
Good Luck.

Answer 5

Break her in water like a pond or river hole where there is little current if any. You would need to lead her to the water but I broke my colts and filleys that way and it keeps you pretty safe and tires the horse out. When they are tired they are more receptive to reins, bits, etc. Do not use your saddle on this , just a bridle, halter or some rope lead and bareback it. This has worked for me and I didnt get thrown. Best of luck to you on the horses.If she or they are real small be sure to have a person of little weight do it or it can hurt their backs and legs. If you just want to lead or use a lunge line , start with small circles to gain the horses trust, then gradually move it out.

Answer 6

If she's been abused I doubt she'll ever forget it. That said having her alone will make her more interested in befriending you. Try leading her in a bridle instead of headcollar, praising her when she does good. If she has been hurt before though praise might just mean a piece of sugar or kind word rather than touch. I'd look into learning how to do a join up or some such thing though.

Answer 7

You do mean 1 year and three months don't you? Round pen training is the best way but not too much of it, she is still a little young for a lot of running. You will need a book to give you some tips.

I got started on mine early, he was halter trained at one month.

Answer 8

i had an abuse horse ( still have her.) ( now i can do anything to this horse, as long as i`m around shes ok but if anyone included the vet or farrier try to do anything to her she freaks out, as long as i`m near her she is fine.)

it takes alot of patinece to work with a abused horse.

i would seek help of a horse trainer.

this could be dangerous if left unattended.

Answer 9

Go outside with her. Leave her loose in her pasture, and go into it. Just hang out by the gate, don't try to approach her. Keep doing this every day, and bring treats with you. if she approaches you, give her a treat, but don't chase her and try to feed her anything. You'll only scare her off. She has to trust you, and if you don't respect her space, she won't be able to trust you.

Answer 10

quarter horses and thoroughbreds have the same temperament
they can be flighty-sometimes a particular colour upsets them-
they feel stress from humans more easily than other breeds-
scars don't always mean abuse-because of their flighty nature they can sometimes hurt themselves- be assertive when handling one -don't let inexperienced people handle one