dooley head collar

Tezzy

Tezzy

Well-Known Member
Joined
24 November 2009
Messages
118
Visit site
A lady at the yard was asking me if I knew what she could use to help lead her horse. I thought about the Dooley head collar & said I would ask on here if anyone used one & see what you think about it. I haven't had the problem she as with her horse. It is a 19 year old & is great until she needs to take her into the stable. She can walk her to the gate then the horse stops & will not move. I have helped her a few times by going behind the horse & making a nose, then the horse moves a little forward. She always as to have someone behind (Not close to the horse) to make a nose for her to walk a little forward. Then after she as walked a quarter of the walk away from the gate, her horse walks to the stable. The other night there was no one to do this with her & it took her over an hour to get her horse in the stable.
The dooley head collar come to mind, but I have never used one. Any help please so I can pass it on to her. Thank you :)
 
I really like my Dually, it's very handy - my mare P can be a bit of a tank to lead around in a normal headcollar & I have a lot more control in a Dually. I've also ridden in it (P goes OK but my previous youngster was lovely to ride in it) and I always long line with it too. The thing to avoid is to drag the horse around with it, it's supposed to be used for pressure/release so if the horse has planted, as soon as it makes to take a step forward you release the pressure on the leadrope ;) If you drag the horse about it won't address the root cause of the problem, it will just mask the symptom.
 
I wouldn't recommend a dually for a horse that doesn't move forward, this is because when the horse stops it tightens and puts pressure on when you don't want it on there.

However, my horse can be a bit strong to lead and we have to cross a road to get him in and out the field, I wouldn't dream of doing this in a normal headcollar. Better safe then sorry.

It sounds like this horse needs more groundwork not more gadgets.
 
I agree with Kokopelli that the horse needs more groundwork sessions.

However, I used a dually on my mare that planted. When she stopped, I stopped straight away and the second she took a step forward, I ensured the pressure was released. I found a halter to be better than the dually because the dually didn't automatically release the pressure once tightened.

Once my mare stopped planting, I went to a regular headcollar. I also do loads of different ground work exercises with her,
 
Tezzy said:
Dooley
Click to expand...

Thats how I pronounce it - very american sounding :)

I have one and have been really pleased. As everyone else has said, it needs to be used in conjunction with doing groundwork. I only use mine when loading my difficult loader, and sometimes I don't even have to attach the leadrope on the dually ring as she just knows she's wearing it. I had previously used the good ole headcoller and rope around nose trick, but found it slipped around too much or fell off her nose and didn't allow consistency of what I was communicating. The nice thing about the dually is also that you can just use it as a normal headcoller and only use the pressure when needed.
 
If you get a Dually from new you get a dvd that shows you how to use it, if you get one second hand beware of this because you really need to watch it. Ive been and trained with Kelly Marks in Oxfordshire, we did extensive training on the Dually and everyhorse reacts differently, the one you have to watch for is the horse who feels the pressure for the first time and goes straight up in the air. Duallys are great and they do work, but only when used properly. Ask your friend to try the 'rocking' trick, swaying the horse from side to side shifting his feet, you do this from the front it stops them planting, they arnt moving forwards but they are moving theyre feet which is half the battle won. Psychologically the horse is moving for you again, then you sway them forwards, this sounds wierd but it does work. And also as previously mentioned backing up is good. After all this introduce the dually, wear a hat, watch the dvd, check you tube too its bound to be there. And do it when youve got all the time in the world so you can be relaxed about it, take a thermos and have a sit half way through if necessary, horses work better when YOUR relaxed.
 
It sounds like the horse needs ground work lessons.

I have the dually for my boy and to be honest I wouldnt be without it. He used to be a total nightmare to lead but teaching my boy forwards, backwords, left and right with the headcoller which allowed him to understand how the headcollar and the pressure works made all the difference. I prefer the dually to a rope halter but its personal preference. It would be worth a go but you have to take the time to teach the horse how the dually works as its not a miracle cure as soon as it goes on the horse.
 
My horse tanks off in a rope halter worse than she does in a normal headcollar :o I'd been to a Keyy Marks demo and a Monty demo before I got a Dually & I bought a copy of Kelly's 'perfect manners', so I knew what I was doing (ish). The groundwork exercises in there are very useful :)
 
Thank you all for replys :)
Sorry for the spelling Dually lol :D At least you all knew what I meant :)
I have printed the answers off for her. I feel so sorry for her. Last night when I got to the yard, she had been trying for over half an hour to move her. She works all day & then goes straight to her horse & then gets very upset before she starts doing anything at all with her. Hopefully this will help her sort it out.
Thank you all again.
 
firstly, i'd look at the reasons why the horse wasn't keen to go into the stable... perhaps there's a reason? (bullyish next door neighbour? bad experience of getting caught in door? etc etc)

then, i'd get your friend to concentrate on getting control of the horse. in a situation where the horse isn't planting (in the stable?). making sure she has control of the horse's feet... eg, move the hindquarters away, make horse step backwards, forwards etc etc. Try it in the Dually, but make sure that as soon as the horse takes a step in the right direction, all pressure has to be released. so the horse is rewarded for that one step. oh, and lots of praise, pats, and scratches.

once she has the hang of it somewhere safe, eg in the stable, get her to try it out in other places. when she's leading the horse, she should expect the horse to follow at her shoulder. she should walk 'with purpose' and stop abruptly. when she stops, she expects the horse to stop, so sometimes abruptness is needed to alert the horse. if the horse doesn't stop immediately, the dually should be on in such a way as pressure is applied as soon as they step past the handler. again, release the pressure the very second they stop, and praise/pat etc.

if the horse plants instead of dragging the horse around, she could try moving the horse backwards, like she's practised in the stable. as long as she is moving the horse's legs and controlling the direction, that's the important thing. far more important than moving forward.

so, as soon as the horse plants, she marches it backwards, immediately, with purpose. the horse has to know that planting doesn't mean it gets to stand still, look about, scratch its bum etc. planting means walking backwards, turn on the forehand etc etc. once she's gone back/round a few steps, move the horse forward, with purpose. if it plants still, backwards again, or hindquarters over again. etc. until the horse realises that it's handler dictates when and where it goes as soon as a lead rope is clipped on.

horses are big, dangerous things to have no control over, so like everyone says... she needs to get a grasp on the groundwork. oh, and buy a dually new, or at least with the dvd - or have someone experienced come and help. because, in the wrong hands they can go very wrong... and you don't want that to happen! :D

good luck!
if it continues, try one of Kelly's Marks' RA people, they are excellent at groundwork and will be able to show your friend some excellent tips.

xxx
 
clipcloppop said:
if it continues, try one of Kelly's Marks' RA people, they are excellent at groundwork and will be able to show your friend some excellent tips.

xxx
Click to expand...

Thank you for all your advice. I again printed your reply off & will give it to her tomorrow. I agree 100% with all you said. I have told her so many times that I hear myself repeating myself over & over again lol I think it would be great to have an RA out to her & the horse. I had an RA to my horse a few years back. She did an amazing job on my horse. Worth every single penny. I'm hoping that she will just call an RA & have a talk. I know it would make such a difference to not only the horse, but to her as well.
Thanks again.
 
My sisters horse was exactly like this but it turned out it was because of the width of the door, if you took him in at ever so lightly less and central he would not move, he would only go in if he was dead central on to the door and then he went in without even a second glance.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top