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Nicknames: Faran
Sire: Unknown (Percheron)
Dam: Unknown (Percheron)
Breed: Percheron
DOB: May 19, 2000 (Honorary Birthday)
Height: 16hh ¾in (60.75inches)
Weight: 1589lbs
Color: Black
Likes: Eating, clicker training, his pasture mates and playing in the pond.
Dislikes: Whips (came to us this way, working on it), sudden movements, his friends leaving and the treat running out.
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Faran's Background
My husband's favorite breed of horse is the Friesian (as is mine), but he also loves draft horses, so although we weren't looking for another horse when we heard about Faran we had to go see him. Everyone described him to us as a Percheron that looks like Goliath from Ladyhawke. How could we not go see him?
Not much is known about his history. The very nice woman we got him from got him as part of a trade. She runs a business of horse drawn carriage rentals so a pretty black Percheron would fit in perfectly. Unfortunately Faran had been used as a logging horse, so although he was taught to drive he'd always been in a team and pulling heavy objects, which meant he was not the right horse to go on solo carriage rides. She said he was too skittish and didn't have the confidence to go out alone.
When we went to see him all of that information was confirmed. He was definitely skittish and didn't even want to be caught. We took our time with him and eventually got him loaded on the trailer and brought him home. Given time, consistent work and the power of clicker training he's come around a lot in the short time we've had him. We can work him at liberty, catch him on thirty acres, groom and fly spray him, etc. Unfortunately Faran must be worked with consistently or he reverts back to his explosive, dangerous self, so we have decided to rehome him since we don't have the time to work with him consistently and we can't risk getting hurt since my husband already has a bad back.
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What we've taught Faran so far . . .
(using clicker training)
Come | Cues: Voice cue "Faran Come" and "come here" sign with hand.
Back | Cues: Hand on chest; Backwards pressure in halter.
Lower Head | Cues: Gentle squeeze of his crest in front of the withers. | Working on: Downwards pressure in halter.
Target | Cues: Present target in any position and he touches it; Will also follow target.
Grownups Are Talking | No Mugging | Cue: Cross arms or put hands behind back, no eye contact.
Follow | Liberty or Halter; Prefers right side, but working on left. | Cue: Vocal cue "Walk on".
Halts | Cue: Vocal cue "Whoa"
Stand Tied
Pick Up Hooves | Cue: A very gentle pull on his feathers.
Working On: Duration with hooves for trimming, fly spray (tolerates, but does NOT like), desensitizing him to a whip (he came to us terrified of them, even when ten feet away).
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We rehomed Faran 4-19-14 due to lack of time to work with him and because my husband's back injury made it risky to work with such a spooky horse. To read the post about his new home click HERE and to read all posts about Faran click HERE.
