TRAINING

[ctxkiger]

HI,
MY NAME IS JASON. I RECENTLY ADOPTED A 6 YOA KIGER STALLION FROM ONE OF THE INTERNET ADOPTIONS. I PICKED HIM UP ON VALENTINES OF THIS YEAR IN CORSICANA.
I GREW UP WITH QUARTER HORSES AND TB'S. I HAVE BEEN TOLD THAT THE MUSTANGS CAN'T BE HANDLED (TRAINED) THE SAME WAY.
SO FAR, I CAN LEAD HIM AROUND SOME WHAT. LATELY, I HAVE BEEN TRYING TO GET HIM USE TO TOUCH BY SPRAYING HIM WITH WATER WHEN IT'S HOT OUT. HE'S NOT STUPID BY ANY MEANS AND IS MUCH CALMER THAN MOST DOMESTIC STUDS I HAVE BEEN AROUND. HE WILL EAT OUT OF THE BUCKET, WITH ME HOLDING IT, EVERY TIME AND WILL EAT TREATS BY HAND. HOWEVER, HE WON'T LET ME TOUCH HIM OTHER THAN BRIEFLY ON THE NOSE (IN BETWEEN TREATS). ANOTHER THING ABOUT HIM IS HE ALWAYS FACES ME HEAD ON AND ABSOLUTELY WILL NOT LET ME ON HIS LEFT SIDE (ODD).
HERES THE DEAL. I WANT TO SPEED UP HIS PROGRESS BUT DON'T WANT TO TRY AND GO TO FAST EITHER. I NEED TO GET A HAIR SAMPLE (TO GET HIM RESGISTERED) AND RIGHT NOW THE ONLY WAY TO DO IT IS PUT HIM IN A CHUTE.
DOES ANYONE HAVE SUGGESTIONS ON SPEEDING UP THE PROCESS OF PUTTING MY HANDS ON HIM?
THANKS IN ADVANCE!

[dara]

Hello Jason welcome! I am not that good at trianing advice but i am sure you will get lots of great info from the other people here.
I do think that he is facing you insted of turning his rear to you is a good thing though. I was told turning a butt to you was a sign of disrespect, but not sure lets see what everyone else thinks.
Have fun with your new boy.
Dara
P.S do we get to see photos???

[desperatehorsewife]

Hi Jason,

Sandy was like that when I got him. He wanted me only directly in front of his face and was very insecure when I stepped to the side.

To help him get over that, I made him work, sending him in circles and keeping his feet moving until I wanted to stop and touch him. It can sometimes feel like this process is taking forever (you know...ten or fifteen minutes feels like an eternity!), but they'll eventually get it and realize that standing still to be touched is easier than trotting in circles.

I also like to use a long cotton rope and toss it over their body as they move in circles around me. I find the rope is less invasive reaching for them, but it also gets us inside their space. I toss mine on and off the back, letting it land on the neck or fall off the tail around the legs. It doesn't take them long to realize it doesn't hurt, and I move onto a long branch (rather like Kitty Lauman's bamboo pole) and let them trot circles while that bounces on their back. When they stop trotting, the bouncing stops, and they associate standing patiently with a release in that pressure.

From there I move on to a 4' garden rake...the kind that's only 6" wide. I can reach out with that while I'm holding the lead rope with their nose turned towards me (keeps those back feet from swinging my way) and start scratching the neck or shoulders or whatever seems most comfy for the horse. The rake is nice because you can start grooming from a distance that the horse feels comfortable.

The key is to not be too greedy once you start making progress. Sounds like you've got some patience, though, and I'll bet the two of you will be doing fine in no time.

[Michelle Clarke]

Jason, nice to have you on Board!!

With our wild ones, each is different, but something that works well and everyone can do it to use a long whip and get the horse used to having it thrown (gently) up over the back, along the neck, legs, etc. This allows you to keep distance and the focus to be on something else. With a very long one in a smaller area, you can let it lay over the back as they move, then when they stop, take it away. Once they are comfortable, you can begin to rub them with the whip and work your way up. I find that most will allow touching on the shoulder easier, as it is less threatening than the face and they have room to leave if they need too.

Always remember to not stand with your shoulders squared at the horse, but rather come in sideways and with your energy down, shoulders low.

Keep us posted on how your horse does...would love some picts when you get time!

[stlkigers]

Jason:

A great site with lots of visuals on how to train wild ones is:
www.kbrhorse.net/pag/train.html

It's got tons of techniques and pics too...Enjoy him and keep us posted.....I just talked to a guy down in Oklahoma who was a QH guy for years...He now has only 2 QH's left, and the rest are all Kigers...He's hooked...Hope you will be too!

Angela

[ctxkiger]

Thanks for all the fast replies. He is a really smart and laid back stallion. I think that his training will really go fast once we get over this hump (putting hands on him). He is covered in scars from fighting but I don't see that on any of the kigers being advertised at stud. How do you post pics here? I was going to put his pic on my profile but I couldn't figure that out.

thanks again
jason

[MustangsInNC]

Any idea what his necktag number was? I was in love with one of the older stallions, but he went way over my bidding amount, lol. That's OK, because the colt I got is amazing, and I think me & him were meant to be a pair.

The easiest way to post pics is to set up a free account at photobucket.com, then upload your pics there. Then copy and paste the IMG code here. Like this:



That was Tesoro's first day out in the pasture!

[ctxkiger]

THANKS FOR ALL THE REPLIES AND THE LINK TO THE WEBSITE ABOVE. IM NOT SURE WHAT HIS NECK TAG NUMBER WAS. I WILL TRY AND GET A PIC POSTED AS SOON AS I GET A PHOTO BUCKET ACCOUNT SET UP. I THINK I KNOW THE ONE YOUR TALKING ABOUT. IT WENT FOR OVER 1500 TO A BUYER IN COLORADO I BELIEVE.

[kimk]

Jason,
His necktag number would be the last 4 digits of his freezebrand number which is in all of your paperwork.
Kim

[ctxkiger]

THANKS KIM, I WILL LOOK ON HIS PAPERWORK WHEN I GET HOME. HE HAS GREAT MARKINGS BUT HAS A WHITE BLAZE DOWN HIS FACE. I KNOW WHITE IS FROWNED UPON BUT THAT'S WHAT DREW ME TO HIM. I RECALL SOMEONE FROM GEORGIA WAS BIDDING AGAINST ME FOR HIM.

HEY, I APPRECIATE ALL THE ADVISE. THE WEBSITE THAT ANGELA PROVIDED HAD A LOT OF GOOD INFO AS WELL. WHEN I GOT HOME YESTERDAY I GOT HOLD OF HIS ROPE AND STARTED RUBBING HIS SHOULDERS AND FRONT END WITH MY WHIP......HE WAS JUMPY AT FIRST BUT THEN SETTLED DOWN. BEFORE I KNEW IT HE STARTED TRYING TO GET IN MY FACE. THIS STARTLED ME AS I DID NOT KNOW WHAT HIS INTENTIONS WERE AND HE WAS HOLDING HIS HEAD HIGH.

SO, I MADE HIM STOP AND BACK OFF. THIS HAPPENED SEVERAL TIMES AND HE STARTED PAWING THE GROUND. I ENDED ON A GOOD NOTE THOUGH. SO AFTER MY WIFE GOT HOME WE WENT OUT TO THE HORSE PEN (SO SHE COULD CALL 911!! IF NEEDED). WELL, I GOT IN AND PICKED THE LEAD ROPE OFF THE GROUND AND STARTED RUBBING HIM WITH THE WHIP. SOON, HE AGAIN WALKED UP INTO MY FACE SO I REACHED OUT AND RUBBED ON HIS MUZZLE AND FACE WITH MY HAND. HE WAS VERY RELAXED AND DIDN'T GET UPSET WITH ME PUTTING MY HANDS ON HIS FACE. I THINK THAT HE REALLY LIKES BEING SCRATCHED WITH THE WHIP AND HE ALLOWED ME TO MOVE AROUND TO HIS SIDES MORE (EVEN HIS LEFT).

IS THERE ANY WAY TO POST A PIC ON HERE WITH OUT HAVING TO SET UP A PHOTOBUCKET ACCOUNT?

THANKS AGAIN
JASON

[angelsdream]

Jason - if you send the pic's to me, I'll post them for you. send to [e-mail]

[ctxkiger]

HI ANGEL,

I SENT YOU THE PIC I HAD ON MY PHONE

[angelsdream]

Here is Jason's stud. He is gorgeous!!!

[ctxkiger]

THANKS A LOT!!!

[kimk]

Looks like 8115 from the November adoption. He looks good.
Kim