Chifney's - the good, bad or the ugly..

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dognbone666

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Do they actually work? I have a horse who is very difficult to lead and have tried various things but to no avail. I'm just not sure about them...
Which are the best ones? I've found a few here. Not sure.
(in the right forum this time!)
 
in the right hands, used sensibly they are very useful. there's really only one design so just find one that fits.

use them under a head collar with 2 lead ropes - one on the head collar and one on the chiffney so you can use it when you need to.
 
We had a very stubbon loader, not scared, just plain stubbon !
needed to load him and take him out a few times for him to realise going places is fun, tried lunge reins behind him and they sent him crazy !
Loaded about 4/5 times in a chifney, now he relises A.he cant argue with a chifney, and B. going out is fun ! he now trots up in a headcollar
so, yes , it can work in some circumstances, but aim to use it as a tool to get over the problem, not a long term solution.
:) Lottie
 
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As jenhunt said - in the right hands they are useful and effective but in the wrong hands they can be nasty. A few months ago, I witnessed a child no older than 9-10 let loose with a chifney. I found the pony tied up in it's stable with the leadrope attatched to the chifney! :eek: Just think of what could have happened had the pony panicked and pulled back! They can be lethal in the wrong hands.
 
Same as funkyfilly, I have a stubborn loader...currently he's behaving but it just takes a small thing for him to decide "nah I'm not getting in that!" Now all I need do is pop the chifney in and he suddenly becomes cooperative
 
I worked in racing and in a vets in Newmarket so we used them all of the time and i personally would rather use one than end up with others people or horses getting harmed. I can see why some dont like them.

I have witnessed them being used when not necessary and others getting a bit handy with them. I have never heard or seen a horse with a broken jaw as a result of one being used. Although have seen a broken wrist and i do believe that if the handler had a chiffney on she would not of broke her wrist
 
It's like everything, if used responsibly it can be a very useful tool, but in the wrong hands, like the pony tied up, it could be a disaster.

I have a stallion and find it really useful, once it's on he doesn't even try to misbehave!

Most saddlers sell them now i think, but there are loads on equishopping.com if you want to try one
 
I've used one on Little Lad. He used to bog off when being led out to the field. Tried two people leading, etc., but he responded well to the chifney - he'd obviously had one in before and didn't put a single foot wrong. Found that he went reasonably well in a pressure halter as well, so used that instead.
 
Last winter my boy became so bored of the indoor school and being a head strong cob he started spinning and bolting if I led him into it, and with his strength I couldn't hold him when he really decides to go. It happened 2 days on the run and on the 3rd day he went up the drive and someone had left the gate open so he ended up running onto a busy road!!! Luckily another livery was driving his van down the road and managed to shepherd my horse back down the lane but it could have been a horrible accident!!! So the next day I borrowed a chifney, used it for 2 days to lead him in and out of the school and since then we have no further issues. Much rather use something for a couple of days than risk his life.
 
I use them on both of mine when I am leading them together, both are big lads and will play up together, more for steering as one will go one way and the other the opposite direction. I also insist that anyone leading my horses uses one as I would rather have a horse that respects his chifney plod along than the risk of one spooking or bolting and being let go of and getting hurt.

If I am taking one at a time I just use the headcollar.
 
Tried one on my horse when he randomly decided he didn't want to load - didn't make one iota's difference. In fact, just gave him something else to throw his toys out about. They can be useful sometimes, though, in the right hands, but they don't suit all horses.
 
nutkin said:
Tried one on my horse when he randomly decided he didn't want to load - didn't make one iota's difference. In fact, just gave him something else to throw his toys out about. They can be useful sometimes, though, in the right hands, but they don't suit all horses.
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Ditto this! Am sure they have been known as an anti rearing bit?? Either way it just made mine worse!
There is one on our yard which gets used on bolshy shire whose owner lets it get away with murder. No one else will handle it otherwise. He respects it and it is always used with a sensible hand.
 
May suit, may not. We had a stallion that was led to the field in one, he didnt seem to respect headcollars. We had another chap who was a bargey, bolshy arse, chifney just made him worse......worth a try tho.
 
I forgot to add: once LL is into a routine, he's fine, so nothing more than a normal headcollar is needed. Once he's in a firm routine, he just takes himself to and from the field/stable :). I would go back to using the chiffney though if he or any of the others were behaving in a dangerous manner.
 
I use one to turn my horse out/catch in.

He's 17hh and learnt he can rear, pull back and charge off and get away from whoever is leading him. He will give you no warning and will walk very quietly and then squeal and go.

I tried various "be nice" halters, stallion chain (which he snapped), rope over nose etc but none of them worked. So I resorted to a chifney as he is on livery and is handled by other people other than myself. 99% of the time he is now good as he has learnt he can't get away from me whilst wearing a chifney, but I still keep him in it to prevent him from hurting whoever is handling him, himself and other horses.
 
I've had mixed responses with them.

One mare who just wouldn't load no matter what, chiffney was suggested and we tried it, she ended up rearing and falling over backwards, no damage done and it cured her loading, she went up like a dream from then onwards, so must have scared herself - so didn't work as intended but did the job!

Second mare is a pain for the vet, can be quite dangerous, put chiffney in and much, much better - always tell him to bring it along now as saves both him and her a lot of messing around.
 
my oh is a transporter and keeps one on the truck. It is used when needed and has saved many a tear and injury. I have one in the tack room and have used it maybe twice in 15 years. I have no problems with them but maybe if todays equines were less molly coddled and treated as equines should be, then there would be less of the hysterical and spoiled brat horses around. I guess we'll leave that discussion for another thread...eh?
 
Fairynuff said:
my oh is a transporter and keeps one on the truck. It is used when needed and has saved many a tear and injury. I have one in the tack room and have used it maybe twice in 15 years. I have no problems with them but maybe if todays equines were less molly coddled and treated as equines should be, then there would be less of the hysterical and spoiled brat horses around. I guess we'll leave that discussion for another thread...eh?
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Hmm, I'm not sure that's an entirely fair criticism. The horse I posted about is thoroughly mollycoddled and spoiled rotten (by me, I'll admit). He's also incredibly well mannered and well behaved even under difficult circumstances. He had a couple of very stressful days, and I'm not going to hold it against him if he has a few hysterical moments. That's not to say that behaviour is acceptable, but it's understandable, and not a result of being spoiled.
 
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I bought one for my horse as he kept p*****g off when i led him out to the field, i could keep hold of him to the field but couldn't get the chiffney off when got there, he can be very tense and nervey and the chiffney just made it worse. Found it very useful for my thuggish little pony when he had been on box rest though. Also used it on a horse that used to pull away when being led (pull away and try to kick his leader!!) and it worked a treat, never actually had to use it just having it in was enough
 
We have one on the yard, we use it once in a blue moon and use it with a headcollar and two ropes so if they behave then they are on the headcollar and if they misbehave then the chiffney comes into action. used lots of racing yards, in the right hands it is fine but it can be abused. we use it once or twice and usually find the horse then behaves. Used it on my 2 yr old last winter in the snow when found it funny to be a leary horse after being in for several days.
 
Chifneys are the only thing I will lead my horses in when they come out of their boxes, not because they are strong, but far safer to lead in a Chifney than a headcollar.

Used correctly they are fine and won't hurt the horses jaw.

Can't believe people would ever think about tying a horse up in one- that is a very scary thought!
 
Very usefull to have around :) I used to lead Lord in one as he went through a very bolshy and disrespectful stage during his time with me, Sorted him out athough he can still sometimes just chuck his head down, poke his nose out, fix his neck and p*ss off ! Now lead with a chain instead just in case (99% of the time he is an angel to lead) as I do not want him to cause damage to others or their property.


Not had success with loading horses with them though...I've found a be nice & lunge line to be more effective :)
 
We used one on my sister's old pony- he was prone to taking matters into his own hooves and just taking off at a spanking trot to the field- he was a solid little Welsh cob, and she was a very skinny little child. With the chifney, it gave her a little bit more oomph in stopping him!

Just use them carefully.
 
As an alternative to a chifney if you are not comfortable using one have you thought about using a stallion chain? Up through the left side ring of headcollar, over nose then, through rhs ring of headcollar under jaw across to the lhs and clips onto to ring under the buckle - works in the same way as a halty for dogs applying pressure when needed.

All the stallions with us are led using this, they seem to have more respect for it than the chifney and if they are not causing any problems there is no pressure on them at all.
 
My horse of 3 weeks was a spoilt brat......lovely lad but molly-coddled like you wouldnt believe.

Took us an hour to load him....too much faffing around IMO. YO brought out a chiffney.....only time I have ever used one. When he realised he couldn't take the piss.....up the ramp he went. Don't think I would have got him home without it.....
 
Letslip said:
As an alternative to a chifney if you are not comfortable using one have you thought about using a stallion chain? Up through the left side ring of headcollar, over nose then, through rhs ring of headcollar under jaw across to the lhs and clips onto to ring under the buckle - works in the same way as a halty for dogs applying pressure when needed.

All the stallions with us are led using this, they seem to have more respect for it than the chifney and if they are not causing any problems there is no pressure on them at all.
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I do a version of this for OH's mare...if she decides shes off ( mercifully not for a long time now) then I am off too:eek:.......I wrap the leadrope loosely around her nose and feed it back through the metal hoop underneath...if she pulls, she pulls herself.
 
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