Advice needed on giving haynets

[Kelly1982]

As some of you know i have been having problem with tying my new horse up when mucking out etc. She scraps and pulls back to break the leadrope etc but i am certain its just because she is still settling in as she is getting better each day.

If i tie her up whilst mucking out i have started to give her a haynet which she will stand with as good as gold and then i am gradually going to lessen the time that she has it until she stands happily without it.

But my friend saw me give it to her last night and said that i am making a big mistake as i am just going to make her worse as she will think that everytime she is tied up she will be given hay and then really play up when i dont give her none. She said she has seen it loads of times before and the horses like her just become untieable (sp) without hay.

I thought i could just give it to her to keep her occupied until she settles and then she will be fine but my friend says i am making a rid for my own back.

What do you guys think??

 

[Claireg9]

Think it depends on the horse there all different. Im afraid this is just a judgement call for you. Maybe give it to her sometimes and other times dont, keep her guessing so at least she might stand thinking if im good i'll get a haynet!
I dont know its a difficult one, you know (Or are getting to know) your horse, so only you can decide whether her temprement will make this worse or better.
Good lcuk though x

 

[_jetset_]

Quite a few people on our yard give haynets to their horses every time they are tied up outside the stable to make sure they have something to do and don't start messing about. They have very happy horses.

I, on the other hand, do not use a net, and mine is fine also. I think you just have to see which one works the best for your horse. I don't think there is any hard and fast rule for this so I wouldn't worry too much about your friend's comment.

 

[Vey]

By and large is a horse gets used to being tied up and not pulling back, it gets used to being tied up .... The idea of training is to build in a behaviour, like standing when tied. so if a haynet works, fine. The only time this will nto work, is when the horse has already learned not to stand when tied, and yours may have. In this case, the horse will continue to stand with a haynet, and continue not to saand without a haynet. You are not making her any worse, you may make her a little better, but you are not, of necessity, training her not to pull back.

On the other hand, if you let her pull back, you are most certainly teaching her that she can pull back, and that is always a bad thing.

I'd give her a haynet for mucking out, and on some other occasion give her tying up lessons.

 

[Kelly1982]

Thats what i was going to do, give her a haynet when mucking out and the when i am fussing about with her and tacking up etc not give her one. Then as she learns to stand still without it i was going to phase out giving it to her whilst mucking out as well.

 

[bandit]

Hello

i know what she means, but you have a plan, and htat is to reduce the haynets over time.

after all, most dogs are initially trained with 'treats' and then they are taken away and given just praise for doing things right.

in reality - that is all you are doing to her right now.

gradually extend the time she is tied up without a haynet as reward and eventually, she will stand full stop. so start with a few minutes of good behaviour rewarded with hay, then 5 / 7 /10 etc.. and then soon you'll have mucked out and she won't even notice she didn't have hay!!!

good luck mate!! and how was she last night by the way??

Bx

 

[Kelly1982]

She was much better last night, i even took the hay away for a couple of minutes and instead of scraping and pulling back she just annoyed Mieko instead. I know i am doing the right thing but Vicky's comment really bothered me and she gave me a look as if to say 'your going to ruin that horse' and walked off again.

She is slowly starting to calm down and settle now and is improving everyday so i am not overly fussed but i just worry as she is so young and COMPLETLY different to Trike and i am getting conflicting views on how i should be handling her. I should just tell everyone to get lost as she is my horse but you know what i am like and just wanna do whats best for her.

 

[Gingernags]

Have you tried the bandage trick? My horse stands tied,(well she stands not tied but a bit beside the point...

However, sisters TB is a bit neurotic and panicky and sometimes pulls back and snaps string and has even pulled the ring off the wall!!!

I was told to tie her to a big loop of bandage which will "give" as they pull back and stretch instead of being something rigid they then panick about and then break things.

ETS Failing that try to get hold of a Richard Maxwell pressure halter and video. BUT NEVER TIE UP IN ONE.

It gives you excercises to do working from the floor with the pressure halter teaching the horse to give and come forward to release pressure instead of pulling back. Some ground work like that could be really useful.

 

[Triskar]

I taught my horse to stand when tied for grooming, mucking out and the like and not pull back by threading a lunge line through the ring and holding that. Pulling back just resulted in being played like a fish, until she got bored with the idea and gave in.....

 

[ru-fi-do]

You've got to start somewhere and I don't think that giving her a haynet is a problem for the beginning, at least she will associate being tied up with something nice. I give mine their haynet if they are going to be tied up for aout 15mins especially if it;s first thing in the morning.
Using a lunge line like Triskar suggested is a good idea too.

 

[JM7]

buy a bungee.....she can fidget/pull back as much as she likes..it'll always give for her to do so...