Adrenaline/Anxiety

[TheChestnutThing]

So it's reached the point of no return...after 2 years of trying and failing with the one horse's inablity to be stand tied to or stand on a trailer at a show/outing I'm at my wits end.

This weekend we snapped a leather head collar and 4 lead ropes. He dances in place until he is soaking wet then leans further and further back watching you until he snaps he rope off the baling twine. This has resulted in me using more than 2 lead ropes to tie him and this weekend he snapped all 4 clips off and the headcollar.

I've tried other horses (worse because they need to leave) and it's not always possible when I am out on my own. Parking next to people whose horses are also tied, pretty much every calmer under the sun (not even Relaquin/Sedalin works). I've obviously trailer trained, taken him out more regularly than most to just stand there. Even with a human waiting with him he does it.

I am literally at my wits end. Help. PLEASE.

 

[Ample Prosecco]

How frustrating! Does he tie up well at home? Once he has snapped the rope and is loose, what does he do/where does he try and go? You say he dances, THEN leans? How long does he 'dance' for before starting to lean. Is he calm at all, before beginning to dance arond, If so, how long do you get before the 'dancing' begins and what triggers him to staft dancing about. What is he like at shows away from being tied, ie when ridden or grazed in-hand?

 

[ycbm]

If you really want to keep the horse then quite seriously I would consider buying him a Shetland or other small pony to travel with.
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[Red-1]

I can understand him being able to pull back if tied to the outside of a trailer, but how does he do it when tied inside? I would have thought the breech bar would prevent that?

I rarely tie to the outside anyway and, when I do, it is to work on them, such as tacking up/washing off or giving a drink. Only when I am physically present. I do everything else from inside. Not that mine wouldn't stand as he does, but because someone is bound to overstep their boundaries and lose their horse, which will then make a beeline for mine, or drive too close, or have a dog come too close, or canter past too close. To me, showgrounds are not somewhere safe to leave a horse unattended. There are people there, and people are not to be trusted.

With mine, I make sure he will tie easily day to day, then tie alone at home, so bring into the yard alone and tie where no other horses are present. Initially, that could be with a net, but eventually I would expect him to tie anywhere, alone or with others passing, or in his bed, at different places in the yard and at different times of day. Only then would I work on it at a show.

 

[OrangeAndLemon]

Have you tried giving him something to keep his attention.

I've seen horses learn to stand quietly by giving them a board (think small chopping board) smeared with something tasty (the horse I saw being trained with it had a taste for peanut butter but I think something like a horselyx substance might be better).

They did training at home using the board then gradually building up the time. Admittedly this was for a horse that was anxious stood tied rather than more challenging.

 

[Ample Prosecco]

My friend events at 2*. She has a travelling Shetland. Definitely the quickest solution.

I also agree with Red, if he will stay on the trailer, that is the better option. And don't tie him up outside at all really.

Otherwise it may be a long slow process of building on small gains and not expecting too much too soon. If you have any calm at all, eg 2 minutes, take him for a hand graze at 1 min 45 secs. And slowly extend.

 

[Red-1]

Oh, I also had one who loved his stable mirror. So much sol I put one in the lorry. It worked really well, he loved his pal. At one point, it worked so well I almost ditched it as he started serenading the mirror-pal on his way back to the box, and would rush to get on so he could pull faces at it!

 

[PurBee]

Oh, I also had one who loved his stable mirror. So much sol I put one in the lorry. It worked really well, he loved his pal. At one point, it worked so well I almost ditched it as he started serenading the mirror-pal on his way back to the box, and would rush to get on so he could pull faces at it!

Thats adorably and hilarious!

 

[Cherryblossom]

One of my childhood ponies was the same. We bought a dually halter, taught her pressure release on the ground and then used the dually with a lunge line attached through a metal ring, with one of us holding the lunge line. Then when she pulled back, we kept the pressure the same and until she stopped and stepped forward when we would release the tension. It took months, but we eventually reached a compromise where she wore the dually and the standard headcollar with the headcollar tied normally and the dually tied to a quick release ring. If she started to lean, she got the dually pressure first and would stop. I’d never have left her unattended like that though, it was only to stop her breaking things.

 

[TheChestnutThing]

How frustrating! Does he tie up well at home? Once he has snapped the rope and is loose, what does he do/where does he try and go? You say he dances, THEN leans? How long does he 'dance' for before starting to lean. Is he calm at all, before beginning to dance arond, If so, how long do you get before the 'dancing' begins and what triggers him to staft dancing about. What is he like at shows away from being tied, ie when ridden or grazed in-hand?

From the moment he gets on the trailer (if on his own) he is on a mission. And if with someone else, as soon as he gets off. Once he has snapped the rope he takes himself for a canter. At home I can tie him up and walk off and he’s absolutely fine.

 

[TheChestnutThing]

If you really want to keep the horse then quite seriously I would consider buying him a Shetland or other small pony to travel with.
.

Sadly this requires another livery bill.

 

[TheChestnutThing]

Have you tried giving him something to keep his attention.

I've seen horses learn to stand quietly by giving them a board (think small chopping board) smeared with something tasty (the horse I saw being trained with it had a taste for peanut butter but I think something like a horselyx substance might be better).

They did training at home using the board then gradually building up the time. Admittedly this was for a horse that was anxious stood tied rather than more challenging.

Tried that. He ignores it all.

 

[TheChestnutThing]

My friend events at 2*. She has a travelling Shetland. Definitely the quickest solution.

I also agree with Red, if he will stay on the trailer, that is the better option. And don't tie him up outside at all really.

Otherwise it may be a long slow process of building on small gains and not expecting too much too soon. If you have any calm at all, eg 2 minutes, take him for a hand graze at 1 min 45 secs. And slowly extend.

He won’t stand on the trailer (I think I worded my OP wrong…), as soon as we stop he wants off. And will stamp and rear.

 

[TheChestnutThing]

Oh, I also had one who loved his stable mirror. So much sol I put one in the lorry. It worked really well, he loved his pal. At one point, it worked so well I almost ditched it as he started serenading the mirror-pal on his way back to the box, and would rush to get on so he could pull faces at it!

I have mirrors in the trailer. Literally the whole front of it are those plastic glass mirrors.

 

[OrangeAndLemon]

The only option left is a travelling shetland...

 

[stangs]

What's he like at a show outside of the tying issue? If he's also not too happy, then I think you have to consider that you want to do is incompatible with what he's comfortable doing, and adjust your expectations or sell.

 

[OrangeAndLemon]

Did you say if he ties up well at home?

As for an additional livery bill, it might not be a full livery bill if he can share a stable and paddock with your competition horse. Some livery yards are more accommodating.

 

[Bobthecob15]

Have you had someone come out and observe? Like a horsemanship person? If so why did they think he was doing it?

 

[Red-1]

Thats adorably and hilarious!

It was my heart horse Jay Man. He had a mirror in his stable and one on his turnout too. In the stable, he would grab a mouthful of hay, take it to the mirror and scowl at his pal whilst wafting the hay at him as he ate it. He also tried to bit his pal on occasion, made a mess of the (stainless) mirror.

 

[ycbm]

Sadly this requires another livery bill.

If that's not possible I'm afraid with everything else you've tried , then I'd give up travelling or sell the horse.

I might make one try of tying him into the trailer with a wither rope but since he kicks a well as rears I would expect him to kick seven bells out of it.
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[Red-1]

Ah, but does he tie up well in the trailer at home? I had an issue initially with Rigs with this. He loaded morning and night until it was dealt with. I would leave him without food long enough to be hungry, then load and stand with him as he ate a bite. Then would take him off and put him in the bare stable. 10 minutes later, I would load and stand as he ate, then pull him off. Back to the stable with no hay.

For a while, that wasn't enough, so when he came off, not only did he not get food, he also did some vigorous ground work. I parked the box in the arena and he would have to back, turn, trot etc, then be offered to stand and eat on the box.

After a while of this, he no longer wanted to get off. He would prefer to stay. But, if he did make a fuss and want to get off, that was fine, I would take him off and work him hard, then offer to put him back on. He was soon gagging to load up and stand and eat. I think they key was that I would happily take him off at his insistence, and work him hard enough that going back on was a good idea.

I then took this on the road. Stand and eat or be busy on ground work.

 

[Maxidoodle]

OP, I’ve not read all the replies but has he actually been taught to tie up or is it assumed that he should just do it?

 

[SpeedyPony]

Could you take someone with you to stay with him? If he's happy enough held rather than tied, you could unload and have them hold him by the trailer? Bit tedious/requires someone available to come along, but might help him settle in the short term?

 

[ImmyS]

As a last ditch attempt I would try a blocker tie ring and a long rope to see if it can break the habit of him pulling away and breaking the rope/tie.

Pardon our interruption...

www.ebay.co.uk

 

[TheChestnutThing]

What's he like at a show outside of the tying issue? If he's also not too happy, then I think you have to consider that you want to do is incompatible with what he's comfortable doing, and adjust your expectations or sell.

Once you are on he’s mega

 

[TheChestnutThing]

As a last ditch attempt I would try a blocker tie ring and a long rope to see if it can break the habit of him pulling away and breaking the rope/tie.

Pardon our interruption...

www.ebay.co.uk

I have/had one. He snapped the clip on Sunday on it.

 

[TheChestnutThing]

Could you take someone with you to stay with him? If he's happy enough held rather than tied, you could unload and have them hold him by the trailer? Bit tedious/requires someone available to come along, but might help him settle in the short term?

He basically lunges himself if someone is holding him unfortunately. I was the “groom” on Sunday as broken my wrist and my friend was the rider

 

[TheChestnutThing]

OP, I’ve not read all the replies but has he actually been taught to tie up or is it assumed that he should just do it?

Yes, he has. He ties up at home and stands like an absolute lamb. Even when I am riding my other one.

 

[TheChestnutThing]

Ah, but does he tie up well in the trailer at home? I had an issue initially with Rigs with this. He loaded morning and night until it was dealt with. I would leave him without food long enough to be hungry, then load and stand with him as he ate a bite. Then would take him off and put him in the bare stable. 10 minutes later, I would load and stand as he ate, then pull him off. Back to the stable with no hay.

For a while, that wasn't enough, so when he came off, not only did he not get food, he also did some vigorous ground work. I parked the box in the arena and he would have to back, turn, trot etc, then be offered to stand and eat on the box.

After a while of this, he no longer wanted to get off. He would prefer to stay. But, if he did make a fuss and want to get off, that was fine, I would take him off and work him hard, then offer to put him back on. He was soon gagging to load up and stand and eat. I think they key was that I would happily take him off at his insistence, and work him hard enough that going back on was a good idea.

I then took this on the road. Stand and eat or be busy on ground work.

This I haven’t tried!!! Thank you!!

 

[GreyDot]

Out of interest, what is he like after you have competed? Is he calmer? Can you tie him up then, i.e. when you are packing all your stuff away.
What discipline is it? Dressage or ODE? Your thread title sounds totally correct - a tonne of anxiety and andrenaline!