Any tips for a calm release into the field?

[_MizElz_]

The one little hang up Ellie has in terms of manners is her tendency to tank off when you go to release her in the field. She is happy to stand for the gate to be opened, happy to walk calmly into the field and be turned to face the gate, and happy even if I choose to lead her around the perimeter of the field before letting her go. However, the minute she realises I am about to take off her headcollar/unclip her lead rope, she jerks away violently, often taking me with her if I havent been quick enough.

Now, I have tried several methods. Firstly, I have tried the treat method, but the little moo has now got canny to it. For a while it worked to have a carrot with me whilst removing the headcollar, for she was so intent on getting it that she waited patiently. Now, she simply sticks two fingers up at me - it's a case of 'Sod the carrot - I'm off!' I now always take a treat with me in the hope that it will have some effect, but more often than not she goes off without it....
So. I have tried penning her into a small enclosure by the gateway - this doesnt work, as she does exactly the same thing but then spins round in a circle around me when she finds she cant get into the field - not the best of scenarios! I have tried wrapping the rope around her nose, which works to get her listening to me but obviously I then have exactly the same problem - I still need to have her stand still for me to then remove the rope. In an ideal world I would take her out in a bridle (or a Chiffney), for that would definitely give me more control over her when she goes to pull away - but obviously I cant turn her out in a bridle! My most recent method has been to buy a flat 2m lead rope (like a mini lunge rein) and cut the metal clip off it, so that I can loop it through the headcollar before entering the field. This way, when I give her the treat, even if she does pull away she doesnt take me with her - the rope just slides free. However, I am obviously aware that this is working around the problem rather than trying to solve it....but then again, she has done this for all the ten years I have had her, so am I best off just carrying on with my self-preservational flat rope method, and accepting that her manners in this area leave a little to be desired...?!

Other than my mum, I dont ever let anyone else turn her out, after an incident at our last yard where she allegedly 'attacked' someone who went to turn her out....

Does anyone have any other tips?

 

[SusieT]

Mimic the motions, i.e as if your about to undo the buckle, then dont. Mine only take 1/2 goes of this when they're being bolshy to remember manners. They will attempt that leap off the first time so be prepared!
Undo the headcollar at the throat, then slip off over the head-means no fingers getting caught!

 

[_MizElz_]

Mimic the motions, i.e as if your about to undo the buckle, then dont. Mine only take 1/2 goes of this when they're being bolshy to remember manners. They will attempt that leap off the first time so be prepared!
Undo the headcollar at the throat, then slip off over the head-means no fingers getting caught!

I do this, but she doesnt seem to learn! It's when I mimic it that she goes to pull away, and the force she does it with is quite alarming - sometimes I'm lucky to stay on my feet! If I can help it I never let her get away with it - once I've regained control I walk her around in a circle, then pretend to undo the headcollar....then change my mind and walk her round again, but the end result always seems to be the same

 

[spike123]

how about putting on 2 headcollars and a lungeline. release her as you normally would but keep the headcollar with lungeline attached so when she goes to run off she has to stop dead at the end of the rope. She will soon learn galloping off isn't an option that way. Once she has galloped off a couple of times only to come to a halt, literally reel her in and then offer the reward to her for being with you. You should then only release her properly when she doesn't go to run off away from you.

 

[VioletStripe]

how about putting on 2 headcollars and a lungeline. release her as you normally would but keep the headcollar with lungeline attached so when she goes to run off she has to stop dead at the end of the rope. She will soon learn galloping off isn't an option that way. Once she has galloped off a couple of times only to come to a halt, literally reel her in and then offer the reward to her for being with you. You should then only release her properly when she doesn't go to run off away from you.

Ditto this xx

 

[_MizElz_]

how about putting on 2 headcollars and a lungeline. release her as you normally would but keep the headcollar with lungeline attached so when she goes to run off she has to stop dead at the end of the rope. She will soon learn galloping off isn't an option that way. Once she has galloped off a couple of times only to come to a halt, literally reel her in and then offer the reward to her for being with you. You should then only release her properly when she doesn't go to run off away from you.

Aha - now that's an interesting idea! Would need to make sure I have my wits about me in terms of keeping the right ropes in the right hands, but it could work! Thank you, I may well give that a go

 

[Irishcobs]

Our Ellie does the same thing.
I have tried everything but she was the best to turn out when I led her out, reversed her a few strides so she was away from the gate but still facing it. Then had one hand on the front of her nose, where a drop noseband would sit and undoing the headcoller one handed, not ideal but she couldn't leap away straight away.

 

[Boxers]

What about clipping a very short rope on the headcollar and leaving it all on? So you just go to the field, make her stand and then just let go of the very short rope. As you are not actually removing the rope or the headcollar she might not even realise that you have let go?

 

[_MizElz_]

What about clipping a very short rope on the headcollar and leaving it all on? So you just go to the field, make her stand and then just let go of the very short rope. As you are not actually removing the rope or the headcollar she might not even realise that you have let go?

I've tried something similar...not with a rope but with a length of plaited baler twine (which also double up as a cunning ploy to help catch her when she was being naughty to catch last year!) I dont particularly like leaving things dangling though, which is why I ended up scrapping that idea (she kept losing it anyway through treading on it and breaking it) so that's why I'm now using my flat rope idea, which I guess functions in a similar way! If all else fails though, I may well end up trying the dangling rope again...

Irishcobs - naughty Ellies! I have tried the hand on nose routine, but she still leaps away no matter what direction she is facing (and as much as I love her to bits, in a field scenario I definitely do NOT trust her hind legs!). I swear she must have re-broken my hand this morning, and that was with a HUGE carrot, my flat rope method and me trying to give her a special birthday pat! Needless to say, once she had b*ggered my hand up she got no birthday pat at all....