May 25th, 2024
Had plans for Antago being my 2024 Summer project and getting him finished by Fall BUT it turned out he was not where I thought he was as far as handling & training went. After roughly the 3rd day of him being home here, he flipped his stall over (range panels) after I put some hay in his stall. He got scared of the hay being put in for whatever reason, rammed himself into the corner of the gates, and kept ramming until the whole stall flipped over. Now, I was told he was fine in stalls otherwise I would have put him in a more secure place than I had, had him in to prevent this. He was not injured after this had happened. I put him in a secure stall right after that, that couldn't flip but still worried about him trying to jump over the gates. He continued to try to do this several of times from June - July. I was told before purchase he is the type that's "stranger danger" and is head shy. Also, that he doesn't like having his halter put on. Which is fine, I expected these things. It took a bit of time to get him to allow me to pet him and what not and if I went too close to him, he'd spin and try ramming himself into the gates all over again. So, I became cautious and for his wellbeing, decided to give him time/space for a month or so before trying again.
Being, we do not leave halters on, ever nor have ever had a horse that needed to have their halter left on 24/7. I decided to take his halter off and with intentions of letting him just be a horse except for getting cares done, etc. I then tried to get the halter back on the next day to move him into a different pen and found out he absolutely refused to allow a halter to be put on. He'd spin, he'd freak out, he started tucking his head to the side on the side to avoid getting a halter on and it was getting dangerous for the both of us with all the spinning and ramming of the gates darting back and forth. He didn't want any attention, he would quiver when being touched, etc. I was then told that I shouldn't have taken the halter off, and I was apparently told that prior to purchase (Must not have heard that part I guess). Any who, it was a long 6 months of trying to get a halter on him. I tried through grain, positive reinforcement, liberty work with the little I could get accomplished, and he started to trust enough that he would allow his body to be touched as sometimes his face/nose, he'd rest his hind leg when eating grain out of a bucket, etc. I had help with getting closer to him with the same techniques, but he still freaked out over seeing a halter. Well, after 6 months I said screw it and roped him. Needless to say, he didn't freak out over that to my surprise, although he did drag me around a bit before I could get close enough to get a halter on him but it's like once he knew he was caught, it was over, and he just gave in to getting that halter back on. Still was nervous about people and being messed with but I could catch him and get him slowly handled again.
In September, I decided to turn him out to pasture with our stallion SC Bo Rhapture as he is a good pasture mate and is as calm and good dispositioned as you can get. I didn't know how Antago would do in a wire fence but figured I'd give it a go. I walked him the whole fence line to show him his boundaries and let him go. Rhapture and him got along great and he respected the fence. I didn't know if he'd ever let me catch him again being in that open space, but he needed to be a horse. He actually let me catch him the next day and I then decided to make a routine of catching Antago for his grain every day. As long as he let me catch him, he got his reward of grain and boy did that work. He hasn't been hard to catch since. It was almost the best thing for him allowing him to be "free" despite these catching issues going on. He waits for me at the gate and nickers to me whenever he sees me which was progress in my eyes.
Despite progress I've made since he's gotten here, I've ultimately decided to wait on his training until next year so that he can be re-handled and in a better mindset by that time. He is handled every single day, he is getting a ton of tying time, he is easy to catch now, and once warmer weather arrives in 2025 he is getting put in my training program immediately where updates will be posted! I don't think he is going to be a problem child for much longer. He really is a sweetie and has a super kind eye. I just don't think he's gotten enough handling or attention and probably just sat for most of it.
Had plans for Antago being my 2024 Summer project and getting him finished by Fall BUT it turned out he was not where I thought he was as far as handling & training went. After roughly the 3rd day of him being home here, he flipped his stall over (range panels) after I put some hay in his stall. He got scared of the hay being put in for whatever reason, rammed himself into the corner of the gates, and kept ramming until the whole stall flipped over. Now, I was told he was fine in stalls otherwise I would have put him in a more secure place than I had, had him in to prevent this. He was not injured after this had happened. I put him in a secure stall right after that, that couldn't flip but still worried about him trying to jump over the gates. He continued to try to do this several of times from June - July. I was told before purchase he is the type that's "stranger danger" and is head shy. Also, that he doesn't like having his halter put on. Which is fine, I expected these things. It took a bit of time to get him to allow me to pet him and what not and if I went too close to him, he'd spin and try ramming himself into the gates all over again. So, I became cautious and for his wellbeing, decided to give him time/space for a month or so before trying again.
Being, we do not leave halters on, ever nor have ever had a horse that needed to have their halter left on 24/7. I decided to take his halter off and with intentions of letting him just be a horse except for getting cares done, etc. I then tried to get the halter back on the next day to move him into a different pen and found out he absolutely refused to allow a halter to be put on. He'd spin, he'd freak out, he started tucking his head to the side on the side to avoid getting a halter on and it was getting dangerous for the both of us with all the spinning and ramming of the gates darting back and forth. He didn't want any attention, he would quiver when being touched, etc. I was then told that I shouldn't have taken the halter off, and I was apparently told that prior to purchase (Must not have heard that part I guess). Any who, it was a long 6 months of trying to get a halter on him. I tried through grain, positive reinforcement, liberty work with the little I could get accomplished, and he started to trust enough that he would allow his body to be touched as sometimes his face/nose, he'd rest his hind leg when eating grain out of a bucket, etc. I had help with getting closer to him with the same techniques, but he still freaked out over seeing a halter. Well, after 6 months I said screw it and roped him. Needless to say, he didn't freak out over that to my surprise, although he did drag me around a bit before I could get close enough to get a halter on him but it's like once he knew he was caught, it was over, and he just gave in to getting that halter back on. Still was nervous about people and being messed with but I could catch him and get him slowly handled again.
In September, I decided to turn him out to pasture with our stallion SC Bo Rhapture as he is a good pasture mate and is as calm and good dispositioned as you can get. I didn't know how Antago would do in a wire fence but figured I'd give it a go. I walked him the whole fence line to show him his boundaries and let him go. Rhapture and him got along great and he respected the fence. I didn't know if he'd ever let me catch him again being in that open space, but he needed to be a horse. He actually let me catch him the next day and I then decided to make a routine of catching Antago for his grain every day. As long as he let me catch him, he got his reward of grain and boy did that work. He hasn't been hard to catch since. It was almost the best thing for him allowing him to be "free" despite these catching issues going on. He waits for me at the gate and nickers to me whenever he sees me which was progress in my eyes.
Despite progress I've made since he's gotten here, I've ultimately decided to wait on his training until next year so that he can be re-handled and in a better mindset by that time. He is handled every single day, he is getting a ton of tying time, he is easy to catch now, and once warmer weather arrives in 2025 he is getting put in my training program immediately where updates will be posted! I don't think he is going to be a problem child for much longer. He really is a sweetie and has a super kind eye. I just don't think he's gotten enough handling or attention and probably just sat for most of it.