[Bounceback]

I bought a yearling a few months ago (nothing new for me - i've raised babies before) However this is a first for me... Since i've gotten him I've been trying to get him used to wearing clothes because we'll, it gets cold... Now that it's finally here... I've started blanketing him... He is OK once they are on, just getting them up on him and off is a fiasco - I've tried rubbing them all over him, letting him look - he's ok with seeing them... but doesn't like the on or off snerio very much... I think it's the sound?

Does anyone have any suggestions to make him relax about this? Everything with him has been a positive experience... and I'm trying to keep it that way... Just that big mean blanket monster wants to keep him warm.. but eat him!

Love babies...

[goeslikestink]

patience mate all things are new to him his home his rountine he mates his stable dont expect to much to soon,

fold the rug outside in always try to tie the pony up so you have control at the start or have a head collar and lead rope and hold him with one hand with the folded rug in the other and place on top of the withers hes will piss about for abit once settle unfold the rug so it sits on his back full lenght, then do the front up adjust all straps so that it fits him well, and loop the leg straps into each other if for any reason the belly straps are to long then cross them over and again if need be so the pony doesnt get his legs caught up

buy a poly warm of the same size as out door rug so he gets used to you chnaging them over on a daily basis then if need be and it gets really cold al you have to do is leave the out door rug on top, and when he comes leave it on him to dry and just make sure on a dialy basis when bringing in and turning out that you check his rugs are both in the place they should be on his back

the more you do the more they except it - your aplha so lead him be confident in what your doing to him other wise you will set him up as whimp and a lunatic
all because you cant handle him as a foal

foals grow get it sorted now - as before to long he will to big and once he has that distrust in you - he will never let you near him

[paulaedwina]

Fella came to me not knowing the blanket either. That was an easy fix -I clicker trained him.

Paula

[goeslikestink]

ps-- a horse will re-act to how you act if your not positive in what your doing the horse wont be

hesitation and lack of confindence in a horses mind creates a fear factor they only have 2 fear factors 1st is to flee 2nd is to advade you be that ridden driven or handled

be assertive and confident and dont talk to him like a baby he wont understand nampy pamby baby talk talk as you would to another human

ehs a yearling as in a baby - so doesnt know anything down to your actions on how hes behaveing

[poltroon]

The other thing to keep in mind is that the blanket needs to be comfortable and only put on him when he really does need it. I had a pony that was a little difficult to blanket, and as soon as I found one that fit him and kept him dry through a serious storm, he realized I control the weather and know what I'm doing.

[Highflyer]

Start with something smaller-- a saddle pad is lot less unwieldy and gets them used to the idea. When you do put the blanket on/ off, scrunch it/ accordion it so that it is as small as possible. I usually do them in a stall while they're eating at first, so that it's a very calm low-key situation. (That said my new young horse got a sheet on for the first time last week, in his run-in shed, during the hurricane! But he is used to a saddle and I waited until he was eating hay and it was a total nonevent.)

[onelanerode]

I've also had luck starting with an Irish knit or other non-nylon sheet. I will put that on, take it off, go for a walk in it, fool with it, adjust it, whatever, until the horse is completely chill the entire time, no matter what I do.

Spending that time with a non-nylon sheet has made introducing a noisy nylon sheet much easier.

If you do think it's the noise, do you have an old windbreaker you can use to help desensitize him to the noise? Sometimes it can be tough to manage a sheet with straps; the windbreaker will allow you to work with him more easily and get him to the point where the noise doesn't elicit a reaction from him.

[MunchingonHay]

his he or had he gotten shocked by the blanket?


but I agree, just do it, he will get over it....eventually.

[joiedevie99]

Start with the saddle pad. Then progress to an irish knit or a wool cooler that doesn't make noise. If it has leg straps, take them off. Only go to a waterproof blanket when he's happily wearing non-noisy, non-restrictive things.