Bargy Horse

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JJtheJetPlane

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I have a big irish x who thinks its great fun to barge out of the stable as soon as she sees the door open, its becoming a bit of a game and literally just knocks me out the way and leaves me for dead. i have tried putting a head collar on before i open the door so as i can make her satnd but if she is going she is going!! i dont really want to give her a good hiding does any one have any suggestions as to how i can cure this terrible problem!!
 
I think you should do some ground work with her.Teach her to back up so as soon as you open the stable door if she starts to barge you back her up and make her wait?
 
what about putting a stall guard/chain on behind the door to stop her getting out when the door is open.

Also as above has said.
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i have tried about four diff stall chains she just snaps them like theyre not there, snapping the chain or breaking the breeze blocks the attachments are screwed into! i went to the extent of putting a metal bar up and she bent that !! Im desperate!! LOL...
 
Plasitc shovel across the chest not hard just enough to make her back up. It worked wit a very bargy pony, I'm not talking about being cruel just enough to make them realise they can't walk over you.
 
At the yard I used to work at, any bargy horses got the shovel treatment as gypsycob suggested! It worked a treat, and you dont do it hard. eventually as soon as the horse sees the shovel he moves away from it. It is not cruel, you do not beat your horse over the head with it etc! you just use it on the horses chest to make him move away from it.
 
Work on her backing up out of your space when you say back so that it becomes 2nd nature to her. Then make her back away 3 or 4 steps before you go in, and when she steps toward you say NO BACK and reward when she does
 
The horse I had before Sunny was a notorious barger. After he nearly broke my neck in a lesson, I did a swap with the riding school. Their staff were much less tolerant than I was and this was the way they dealt with it: every single time, repeat EVERY SINGLE TIME, he barged either out of the stable or out of the field gate he was tacked up and worked in a lesson for an hour. He did it 3 times, worked out the new rules and stopped barging forever.
 
ha I had the original ,and those that knew him back then will agree, bargy horse coming out the stable.
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A few tricks.

get 2 chains put up , unlikely they can break through two of them, mine went through one like a hot knife through butter. Ensure clips are good strong ones though
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Try a good sharp smap on the muzzle , be consistent though, one smack only and NEVER smack if they are not naughty.

Be patient and have time to work on the issue.

NEVER give in and always finish on a good note.
 
my boy used to do this and it cost me a livery yard move but we started off by taking in a length of green hose and waving it at him stating "back" (with stall guard chain up and yes it got broke a few times) then we reduced the item to a whip then to a hand. now he moves back with just the hand every time BUT my new problem is him tanking off when i bring him in from the field - comes when i call his name, stands perfectly still while i put headcollar on, then when i do the gate and after that, whoosh - tonight he went over a bloody harrow/chain thing on back of tractor. any ideas??
 
JJtheJetPlane said:
I have a big irish x who thinks its great fun to barge out of the stable as soon as she sees the door open, its becoming a bit of a game and literally just knocks me out the way and leaves me for dead. i have tried putting a head collar on before i open the door so as i can make her satnd but if she is going she is going!! i dont really want to give her a good hiding does any one have any suggestions as to how i can cure this terrible problem!!
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I know how you feel i once had a highly strung pony who dragged and barged me everywhere.I had her on trial and i really focused her onto me by doing lots of ground work.Maby it will work for you?
 
It really is bad form to be smacking horses in the face and hitting them with shovels or whatever.

If you take the time to gain the horses respect so that it doesn't attempt to barge you you won't need to resort to these methods.

Ground work, keep moving it out of your space and asking for a back up. Repetition is the key and reward for getting it right, and I don't mean tit bits.

Once your horse respects you it will stop these habits and you won't need 2 or 3 chains.

If you don't cure this properly, things will get worse and it will be barging you wherever you happen to be.

Put the chains and shovels away get some 'horse sense' and earn some respect from your horse. It doesn't matter what sort of training you do, traditional or natural, but consider that poor training gets you a poorly trained horse.
 
TChamp said:
my boy used to do this and it cost me a livery yard move but we started off by taking in a length of green hose and waving it at him stating "back" (with stall guard chain up and yes it got broke a few times) then we reduced the item to a whip then to a hand. now he moves back with just the hand every time BUT my new problem is him tanking off when i bring him in from the field - comes when i call his name, stands perfectly still while i put headcollar on, then when i do the gate and after that, whoosh - tonight he went over a bloody harrow/chain thing on back of tractor. any ideas??
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I would suggest you have not got a new problem just a variation on the old one. My previous post is as relavent here. Good luck.
 
As above, and it may take some working at. It takes a great deal of vigilance on the part of the handler too. Also ensure that there is no immediate "reward" for being out of the stable eg being turned out straight away. Make time to tie your horse up, or as someone else posted, do some work, so the motivation to whizz out is less. Can you tie up in the stable? You could break the sequence by having a few minutes doing some grooming or whatever before going out.
This all needs underpinning by sound halter training though, and maybe a dually or similar would help initially if used properly.
 
chrissyc said:
Try a good sharp smap on the muzzle , be consistent though, one smack only and NEVER smack if they are not naughty.
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Totally disagree with this. IMO never smack a horse on its nose. Totally unecessary. I had a Welsh Cob (ie.VERY solid, strong horse especially at 15.2hh!) who did exactly this. I spent time doing clicker training with him. They learn it really quickly. I would make it a 'session' every day, just 10 minutes say. You simply buy a little clicker and put some treats in your pocket (I used pony nuts and gave a tiny amount each click). With the door closed, I'd ask the horse to move back away from it (say back and push the horse back if need be). Every time he did he'd get a click and treat. Then I'd start opening the door and doing the same. It worked for mine, although because this horse has some serious manner issues I did have to be very consistent - I could never just open the door and walk out, I'd always have to ask him to move back before doing so.
 
This is a respect issue, and respect is not going to be earned by smacking on the muzzle or slapping with a shovel.
These methods may solve the immediate problem, but what this really boils down to is the fact that this horse doesn't respect your personal space, and you are not in control.
Groundwork, groudwork, groundwork!!!!
Get a rope halter and learn how to use it properly. Teach your horse that it is uncomfortable to be in your personal space and earn some respect.

If it was my own horse barging past me, then I would do the groundwork immediately, he would be backed up, then led on, backed up the second he got strong, and led on again if calm. Once I felt he was listening, he would then be put straight back in his stable, and given the chance to walk out calmly. If he didn't, then I would start all over again, until he walked in and out of the stable with no fuss.
Repetition is key! The horse only gets what it wants, ie being turned out, when you get what you want, ie not to be bowled over!
Once you have got your respect, get into the habit of backing your horse up as soon as you get to the stable door.
Good luck :)
 
Ok I am going to offend people here but I have a bargy horse. I do ground work with him. Sometimes he responds well to it, he's intelligent and he knows all the moves. He can back up a treat, does join up and all those games. However no amount of telling him to back up and waving a leadrope at him works if he is in pig-headed mode! God knows I have tried to do everything the 'natural' way, spent hours and hours doing groundwork, bought books, watched stuff on tv, had assistance from 'experts' - previous owners of my horse spent a fortune on training as well! When he is being a swine, NO amount of groundwork helps! There are some times with some horses when a good wallop is necessary, and for those who say it NEVER is, well all I can say is they haven't met my horse!

A good poke with my thumb in his chest works, when he barges me I let him walk straight into it. Haven't tried the shovel technique but will remember it in case I need it one day!
 
Plastic bag on the end of a stick worked for my bargy youngster. Shake bag at him, he backs away. Open door, shake bag, he backs away. No drama, no trauma. It worked for me.
 
noblesteed said:
Ok I am going to offend people here but I have a bargy horse. I do ground work with him. Sometimes he responds well to it, he's intelligent and he knows all the moves. He can back up a treat, does join up and all those games. However no amount of telling him to back up and waving a leadrope at him works if he is in pig-headed mode! God knows I have tried to do everything the 'natural' way, spent hours and hours doing groundwork, bought books, watched stuff on tv, had assistance from 'experts' - previous owners of my horse spent a fortune on training as well! When he is being a swine, NO amount of groundwork helps! There are some times with some horses when a good wallop is necessary, and for those who say it NEVER is, well all I can say is they haven't met my horse!

A good poke with my thumb in his chest works, when he barges me I let him walk straight into it. Haven't tried the shovel technique but will remember it in case I need it one day!
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Obviously a lot of what your doing with your horse works. If the techniques you are using don't appear to be effective, alter them and try something else. You mention a poke in the chest works, well if you put pressure on his chest with a stick and maintain that pressure untill he steps back, it's worked.

The thing to do now is to get him to respond to less and less pressure until he moves back when you mearly point at his chest.

The key for the horse is in the release. If the pressure stops the moment he steps back then he will soon get the idea, they all do. If however the pressure continues when he steps back, he will not connect the two and will be confused. Its up to you to reward him instantly he tries to do what you ask, and the reward here is the release of the pressure.

You say that he has days when he is a swine, well, here he is feeling really confident and wanting to make his own decisions, you need to be able to up your game to meet his confidence and exploit it to your advantage. This is the time for more demanding groundwork exercises to get him thinking.

Leave the shovel for what it's for, you are better than that.
 
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