Abused stallion with fear of humans. I can't catch him, can't touch him, can't even talk to him. What do I do?

Question

I have recently bought a 9 year old Miniature Horse stallion who had been badly handled and abused until he was 4, and then left unhandled ever since. I do not know what they have done to him but he has absolutely no trust in humans at all.
He will come to me to snatch some food, but even the slightest movement will make him panic and retreat. Even talking to him softly or clearing my throat is enough to make him panic and run away, taking quite some time to coax him back to me again.
Not being able to move without him panicking and running away means I can't even catch him, but when I have been able to catch him (he has a lead attached all the time), as soon as he feels the pressure on the lead, he panics so bad that he will rear up, try to kick me and failing that, he will then bolt, whether I'm still holding on or not.
Since I can't touch him without him being frightened, and I can't even talk to him reassuringly without him taking off, I am at wits end as to how to gain his trust!

Answer 1

The quiet, sitting still method always works. Don't do this by yourself if you can. He is a mini, and he can still hurt you. although, not like a 16hh horse.
Just be still and quiet, and let him come to you. Keep some treats in your pocket, and as he comes closer, offer one, or gently roll it on his direction. The first few times he comes to you DO NOTHING. Be still. After he comes to you a couple times, then try and pat him, gently. Always move slowly, but not stalking slow. Remeber, predatory animals move slow stalking. You do not want to do that.
It will take a long time, but he will come around. Just always be gentle, be quiet, don't make any sudden moves. Email me if you would like more help. I'm no expert, but I did work with a pro trainer a while, and I have trained my own, and saddle trained 6 babies.
Good luck!

Answer 2

OK, go into his field and follow him around from a good distance, just at a walk. After a few minutes of doing that turn and walk in the other direction. The approach and retreat method on a grander scale. Keep switching back and forth between following and leaving until he realizes that you are no threat to him. This will take a little while. While you're going it talk, sing, hum something so he can hear you, but not to him. You'll notice that after a while when you turn and walk the other way, so will he. You keep doing it. Even when you get to the point where you can touch him, don't just yet, turn and walk away. Let him be the first to make contact, and he will. This will work on his confidence that you are not going to harm him, even though you are a predator and his is prey. Everything in his past tells him that humans are bad, so you have to build his confidence in the knowledge that you will not harm him. When it gets to the point that you can touch him and you don't, in that instant he knows that you're not going to harm him, even though you can. If this is not clear enough, let me know and I can send you further details. I know that this sounds really strange, but it works.

Answer 3

When the weather is pleasant and you have nothing to do all day, go out there and sit in his pen. Allow him to come up and smell you but don't attempt to reach out for him yet. When you feel he has become the slightest more comfortable with you get up and leave. Do this many times though out the day. You aren't going to be able to catch him for quite some time. Sounds like he has been severely traumatized. We have an 8yr old Shetland hackney mare that was beaten. We have owned her for over 5 years and she still gets in a mood once in while but she is 110% better than she was when we first acquired her. Your relationship with this stallion is going to improve but only over time. Do not rush things. After a few days start sitting closer to his hay and start stroking his face. If he shies away don't be discouraged, he'll come around. As time goes on start kneeling and bringing a brush with you and the occasional treat. He'll be your best friend in no time. Good luck : )

Answer 4

Love the question - i won't permit you realize the way many nasty emails i've got had written to me as quickly as I've spoke of "how in the international do you realize it replaced into abused?? this is lots extra in all probability the dogs you rescued in simple terms has a mild, susceptible, frightened, submissive temperament." that's a case of folk not understanding lots approximately dogs, how they act and re-act, and how they positioned across. Couple that with the namby pamby "oh I stored the doggywoggy" and you get fairytales to make themselves sense heroic --- AND extra IMPORTANTLY --- excuses to place in writing off regardless of pisspoor habit or loss of instructing is going on. Then, there is often the priority of folk elevating a pair of dogs and believing they understand each thing - which happens right here all the time. they don't elect to hearken to that they'd probable be incorrect - that the dogs isn't a human in a bushy extra healthful - that there is better than one authentic thank you to coach a dogs and coaching approaches would desire to comply with the dogs - or that they have allowed their dogs to be a spoiled soreness interior the tuckus with the aid of making excuses. human beings do not elect to study new issues simply by fact they think of it would desire to characterize they have been incorrect. I would desire to additionally element out that some dogs, even heavily socialized bypass with the aid of some exceptionally funky worry ranges. As a coach I "knew" this - yet just to maintain me humble I certainly have 2 youthful Bernese ladies who've been dealing with this -- a million is taking off to instruct signs and indications of popping out the different section.

Answer 5

I would move him to a small paddock before I tried to do much else. Fear is lost by desensitization and associating positive experiences with a person. If your horse can run far away from you whenever he is frightened he never learns that even when you are in his area that that you are not trying to hurt him because he feels that he avoided harm by flight and doesn't realize that you didn't try to harm him.

Food is a good idea. Many animals will begin to trust based on positive association of food with human beings.

I suggest that you don't let him run all the time with a lead attached. He could possible tangle the lead in his front legs and harm himself seriously.

My best horse came from an abusive situation. He had been severely beaten and was covered with barbed wire cuts when I got him. He was also about 300 lbs underweight. I took a folding chair to the barn and sat in the paddock with a bucket of sweet feed between my feet and read. Leonard, being greedy, started eating out of the bucket while I read. I ignored him. This desensitized him to the threat of my presence. It worked pretty quickly too, but each horse responds differently. Of all things, Leonard loved peanuts. I bought bags of peanut pickouts at the feed store and bribed him with those by keeping a handful in a piepan in my lap. He started nudging me when the the peanuts ran out, and from there it got easier. He started following me when I got up to get more peanuts and starting coming to the fence and waiting for me each time I came to the paddock.

Many abused horses consider your approach to be pursuit and will bolt. By limiting his flight with a 20 X 20 paddock and by showing no interest in actively pursuing him and by rewarding him with food when he chose to approach me, my poor beat up appaloosa that a friend picked up for me at a slaughterhouse price turned into a once in a lifetime horse. It didn't happen overnight, but most horses will get over a bad past if you can limit their ability to run away and have the patience to let them make the first moves.

Good luck with your horse. What works for one horse doesn't always work for another, so you may have to try many different methods to build trust before you hit on the one that works for him.

Answer 6

I had a shetland pony the same exact way. He was abused by a very large(tall) man and after 13 years (he was 3 when we got him, and he is 16 now) he is still shy of very tall men. It took us about 2 years to get him to where he didn't bolt and the movement of a hand or the clearing of a throat. It takes a lot of time and patience. Plan a whole weekend of just him. If you can, herd/lead him into a round pen, he is small so he can live in one of these for awhile. If you herd him, just follow softly and calmly, no waiving arms, no voices just follow him. When you get him in there try to take the halter off or at least the lead rope, because he could trip and fall. this may sound crazy, but he feels as if it is resticting him, and only instills more fear in him about humans because he knows someone is going to pull on him and hurt him. (my pony was extremely head shy, so you might have to deal with that too, as the man beat him with a 2 by 4 in the face and in between the ears) It will need to be just you, don't let anyone peak through the fence or watch, as this will fighten him more. Keep close to him when you try and take it off, if you stay close he cannot strike at you. press your hip/leg against his shoulder and rub the opposite side, just sing softly ( I found "You Are My Sunshine" is a great one, and I can practically put the pony to sleep when I sing it now. It is low toned and the beat is constant so he knows what to expect from your voice) when he is calm again, he will fight you when you try to get this close, but once he is calm walk away a few steps and give him his space. You may want to reward him with love, treats, and hugs, and rubbing but for this kind, all these ponies what is to be left alone. When he begins moving away follow him at a good distance, and when he stops you stop (like the red light, green light game?) and when he walks you walk. your goal is to have him to look at you when he stops, if he stops and doesn't look at you send him away and make him walk, trot, run or whatever, just get him to move away from you. After a whole day of this game he may finally get the point that he only has to work when he is away from you, but if he stops and looks at you, you stop 'chasing' him. The next day play this game for a little while, but when he stops, looks at you and takes a few steps toward you ( you may even get this on the first day) take a few steps back and hold out your hand, inviting him to join your herd. if he refuses, begin walking around him, without getting closer and if he doesn't turn his head and/or body to keep his eyes on you drive him away again. This worked wonders for my pony, and he comes running when he sees me now. This will take years for some ponies, and during that time, don't introduce him to anything new. No saddles, bridles, buggies and harnesses, no matter how tempting it may be because he is now following you and listening to you, because the slightest fear could ruin everything you worked for. All of this is Pat Parelli training. Look him up, and maybe invest in a few DVD's. they are expensive but it helps your horse learn to have fun with you, and to trust you.

Answer 7

Sounds like he needs re handling as been 5 years since been handled. suggest sending to someone who knows horses as he may need a bit of kind restraints done first so then at least Can catch and get his trust that way. you will get 1000 different answers on this but just make sure above everything else that who you give it to is a competent horse person. perseverance and repetition is your Allie

Answer 8

this is going to take a long time, and by long I mean years. First things first, trust, you need to get him to trust you. best way to do that is to give him a reason to come to you, i suggest treatsfind somthing he likes. then just start working with him, eventuly he will let you come up to him. the big problem is that it will be more that likely only you that he will be ok with. after that there is little hope for much improvement. your horse is getting close to middle age. training hime will more than likly fruitless.

Answer 9

Never Ever sit in a pen with an abused stallion! ! Like isis recomended , you could easily get hurt. If you want to have him use to you, do it with a fence between you first and never alone, no mater what size they are. My palomino stallion was 16h,and as i was training him he lunged at my chest and bit my boob! after 6 months.He was trying to dominate me as he did his mares.
You can trust them, but never 100%. If for any reason they think that one day ,be it in the fall spring, or if hes had too much hot feed,or even not enough exersize, they react diferently.They are so fast to react and you must always be on guard.
It takes 21 days top form a habit . Just being there for him will reasure him that he can trust you with food Only give him hay and no grain for 21days as a meal. This will give you confidence to be around him as well, he reacts better with you not afraid of what he might do .That lead neads to come off. When you can feel that he will trust you after feeding him a carrot through the fence for about a week, see if you can feed him a carrot and unsnap it then You have to be quik.But just remember, this will take time ,and you'll know when the time is right(your own horse sence) When you see his ears come up after you call him by his name, and give him a carrot every day, he should start to come over to you on his own after the 21 days.Maybe less time.
It's then when you have astablished a join up bond and you could start your touching .Do not go in his pen during his feeding time.If he domonates his food he will resent you,and turn on you. Have his full attention with him you and that carrot.When he starts comming to you, go inside the gate,leaving it unlatched your friend ready to open it in a hurry and with his carrot behind your back, let him come to you - talk, praise, hand it o him and than stand still.Keep praising , than turn slowly and slip out of the pen,but stand so he can sniff and look for more carrots, feed him his meal,than leave .Come back later and do it once later on befor his last meal. Always before.
After another week ,try and touch him on the face (middle of eyes) SLOWLY. and do that for another week . Than start bringing a brush,,new lead,clicking the snap with you thumb as he eats his apple. Than leave. He will whinny and be very glad to see you than your time in the pen will be longer.Remember to call him by his name each time you start working with him. and move slowly around him for the duration of this desencitising period. The objective here is to reprogram him for you from now on.Always think happy and positive thoughts while your with him,invision in your mind how you want things to be between you and him.Never give in to him,as he will test you.You are in control of him not him of you.Please think safety first ,always! and if one day isnt as good as another,dont give up,tomorrow is there again for both of you and more love to give. Take care. [e-mail]

Answer 10

being a stallion your going to have problems. my grand father own 266 acers in fl. when i went down to see them during summer breaks, he had this herd of horses that roamed his property. their was about 10 of them. no one ever paid any attention to this herd of horses. i took me just going out into the fields and sitting down. horses are curios animals. he walk up to you and check you out, smell ya, then he might walk away. but be patient he will come back. just try this for about a month everyday spend a half hour sitting in the pen. the more he sees you, the more he gets use to you.