[Dudoight]

I would be interested in knowing about how you worked with your rescued arab horse. Our 3 year old filly is an arab or half arab. She was in horrible shape when we got her from the horse traders. She seems to have developed an attachment to us, coming when we call, following us around, but we still can't touch her. The vet says she was beaten, etc. I have found no advise on how to work with a horse with such a history.

[Judith Anne]

I know you didn't ask me, so pardon me for butting in...I owned two rescued arab stallions, kept them for two years, worked with them daily.

At the end of that time, one was broken to ride and became an excellent, prize winning barrel racer. The other never settled down, bit, kicked, and was untameable (and I'm good at taming). If I'd put the same amount of time, money and effort into a decent horse instead of wasting it on that no-good bad-tempered skitterish arab, I'd have something. As it was, he did get sold at auction, and I don't care who bought him.

I even had him gelded. No improvement, no change. He never even took a halter. People said I was an idiot to waste my time on a no-good horse, even if he was beautiful, and they were right.

[HairOfTheDog]

I have a pony who is very fearful, and I have after a couple years convinced her that I am not trying to kill her. I would seek the advice of a trainer who ~is~ experienced with working with horses with such a background.

Or it is possible also that she has just never been caught or trained much.... At three, she may be a baby that no one ever had time to deal with.

With an Arab it would be good to wait another year on her anyhow for riding, but try to get some help in getting her halter broke and catchable. No matter what she knew before you are starting over. Pretend she knows nothing. There is much she needs to know that you can teach her before she is trained to ride.

Not knowing your experience level, I don't know if you can do this alone or should hire a trainer to help, both at this stage, and later for the next steps. Know that she can hurt you if you make a mistake.

[11th Earl of Mar]

We bought the horse from a woman who rescues them.

He must not have ever been beaten. Although he was very skiddish when we got him, we can now do a lot of things with him- we can saddle him, pony my kids on him, take a plastic salt bag and rub it all over his body, etc.

Although his name is BeyWatch, we are thinking of renaming him "Curious George" since he is the one who has to examine every new thing in the pasture or pen.

We are following Pat Parelli's Natural Horsemanship techniques and it seems to be paying off.

www.parelli.com