>>> I find that horses that are fearful of having their heads touched can >>> also have dental problems and poll problems. As we know there is always >>> a reason - and in some cases the genetic tendency can certainly be >>> there.
Melnir was headshy when we got him, but his reason was just "one of those things". He and the older stallion had gotten out of their fence not long before we bought him, and into the pasture with some mares and geldings. Melnir ended up needing stitches in his nostrils - no physical scars, but that had to be unpleasant for him. We just bribed him into his halter for a while with treats, until he learned to put his halter on himself. Gradually it got better and better until the problem went away. Once Anneliese visited and asked about his old problem, and frankly, I'd forgotten about it. His may have been an unusually easy case to overcome, but sometimes just finding ways to work around an "issue" can make the issue go away. One thing I question about the original post...Are there still "meat buyers" paying $600-800 for Icelandic-sized ponies in the northwest? The minimum price for auctions in the southeast seems to have dropped to next to nothing. That's about what the meat price was for full sized horses 20 years ago. I hear of horses going to the auction for $200 or even less here now sometimes. I assume that drop in the minimum is due to the closing of meat plants in the USA...? On a much more pleasant note, I'm pretty pumped about the success we've seen with previously "very nervous" Cali. Granted, a horse isn't going to overcome 11 years of distrust in humans overnight, but if anyone has the patience to take on a project horse, AND the willingness to give the horse some downtime and "space" as needed, nothing is more rewarding. You just have to remember that there are no guarantees, but if you take things one day at a time, and don't create arbitrary schedules for progress, you might just find it's fun. This kind of project isn't for everyone, but if you enjoy getting inside the mind of a horse, and tiny successes can keep you fueled and excited, this is a great thing to do. Please be honest with yourself though - if you are nervous or excitable, or inexperienced, there's no shame in NOT taking on a project. You have to be more about the "journey" than the "destination" I think to enjoy this kind of thing, so it's not for everyone. I can't imagine there ever being any profit in this sort of thing if you approach it with a conscience. Since I've learned to enjoy the journey, I've enjoyed working with horses more than ever before. I'd take this horse in a heartbeat if I didn't have to pay cross-country hauling...and I'm tired of PAYING for projects that are bound to cost me much time and money. I enjoy the challenge, but my previously teeny-tiny "fortune" is not getting any larger... Karen Thomas, NC "How do you make a small fortune with horses? Start with a large one." Too bad I didn't...
