Any ideas?

S14Tobin

S14Tobin

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Well as most of you know, 'The Boy' has settled in pretty well to his new home, he went in the school for the first time last night, lunged for a short while (ashamed to say he hasn't been lunged in the last few years apart from one disasterous occassion), he went really well (one of the girls was helping me, so I was just the audience) then she decided to get on him, what a little angel he was! Even she commented what a different horse he is working from being handled! Anyway, the only issue we seem to have now, is fetching him from the field! He catches fine - not as well as he always has as now I have to walk for him ( :-( ) but then when you get to the gate, he turns back in and tries to bugger off - maybe due to the fact he isn't getting battered by all these new friends, apart from a little ponio, but it was a bit of a battle last night! Again, lovely lovely lass from yard had come with me, and she ended up being dragged about, but got the better of him, and in he came. Now, On my own I KNOW I wouldn't be able to do this - any ideas? Im also open to tricks, bribery and pure conning him to behave!
 
Afraid conning wont work, and bribery and tricking will only work once or twice til he gets wise!
Firm bounderies is all that will work, and being consistant.
Ignoring bad behaving on one occasion, then telling him off on another will just confuse him.
Takes time but it sounds like you have got some great support now, so take full advantage of it! If something is slightly beyond you, ask this girls advice!
 
Hi - sorry, the conning etc was mean't slightly tongue in cheek :-) I've owned him a long time, and never ever had any trouble catching him, leading him out of the field etc, so this new behaviour is new. I'm leading him in a semi-pressure halter, which has been a godsend the last 2 weeks, I am guessing he doesn't want to leave his new 'friends', he is a bit of a wuss with other horses, one of his new companions is also at the low end of the pecking order, so seems to have made a strong bond with him. I'm really grateful for the help I've already received with him on the yard, but in no way want to take advantage of anyone... not much I can do in return
 
We have a pony who used to do this. She used to kick you on her way past to escape too!

As someone else said, try leading in a bridle.

Also leading him like a racehorse with your elbow jammed into the base of his neck will give you some extra strength and helps him stop turning his head away from you.

Otherwise the best solution we found was a stalion chain. This is a dog choke chain which is clipped onto the metal ring on the far side of the noseband of the headcollar, passed over the nose and through the other ring. A second lead rope is attached to the free end of it. The headcollar needs to be fairly snug.

Basically the trick is to lead with one lead rope in each hand, using the normal one all the time ponio is well behaved, keeping the one with the chain soft. When the pony starts to turn to bugger off you jerk the one attached to the chain and then go back to using the normal one. It helps to get someone else to do the gate the first few times as you won't have any spare hands!

It was the only way we could lead our pony for years, after once or twice she stopped turning on us, and simply having the chain over her nose was enough to make her behave. She was bright enough to realise that she could do what ever she wanted when it wasn't on...
 
I have had similar barging/buggering off issue with my cob in the past - a dually headcollar and a visit from the local RA of IH sorted her out!!

I would suggest in the meantime you keep the pressure headcollar you have on him but use a lunge line or an extra long lead rein to bring him in and gloves and proper boots. When he turns to run off you need to be at an angle to him, let the rope out and pull him up sharply by turning him. it takes a bit of practise but it works. You then need to remind him of his manners and preactise leading him around his field and out the gate, stopping and starting at different places making sure he never gets in front of you - when you stop make him take a step back.
 
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