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Originally Posted by horse rookies
This is the first time for me to post a question and really hope to get some help.
We have had our 4 yr old mare since June 6. The halter stayed on her all the time. The previous owner had done this also so we continued for easy of getting hold of it and leading her. We took it off to buy her a new one and when we went to get her she took off running from us and absolutely would not let us put the halter back on. We finally opened the gate and let her run into her corral at which time we did eventually get it back on after she ran around the corral a while. She immediately became calm and we could lead her.
The next day in the field with halter still on she would run from us again. Tried treats and she would come up for it but was watching all the time. As soon as my husband got close, off she went again. Finally had to open the gate and let her find her way to the corral again.
Now this morning my husband went to lead her to the field and she ran from him in the corral. She is just getting worse. We tried feed, treats, petting. Never has anything aggresively been done to this horse from us. She rides just fine except when she is tired of riding she fights to go back to corral. But she has never given any indication of wanting to buck, bite or kick. She is just had strong.
We are wondering if there is something we should be doing different. We are both novices at horses. Me more than my husband. Any help would be great!!
the only thing i can think of is really try if you have another horse, get the other horse and start to walk away from yoru other horse, and then try and get her. if you have to when your horse is in the stall leave a long lounge line on her and when you get close enough you can grab it and teach her to walk towards you, just as if she were in halter trying again. another think you can try, some people don't believe in but i had the same problem with my 3 yr old when i bought her nd this is what i did. try joining up with her. where you put her in a roundpen and lounge her. after she gets tired ask her to turn into you and walk in. when you stick your hand out and she doesnt come in after about 30 seconds, then you send her out working again. after about 5 rounds you ask her to come in again, this time turn around and give her your back. after about 30 secounds if she doesnt make any moves you send her out working again. you have to stick to it though you cant qui until she comes in, sometimes it will take an hour, sometimes much much less. you need to do it every time she gets out until she learns to come in the second you ask her to stop and turn in. it takes time but it teaches her to trust you and look to you when she is out of her own comfort zone. i did this with my mare, and now she is in a 3 acre pasture i whistle and she trots right to me,and she looks to me and trusts me completely.
i hope this can help you, you just have to be patient.