Dually Halter

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Trakehner92

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Hi all!

I just wondered if anyone has any experience with the Monty Roberts Dually Halters?

Now before everyone jumps on me about them being horrible ect ect here is my issue.

I have had my horse for 8 years and we compete regularly. He travels like a donkey in absolutely anything you put him in and is generally a superstar to load. The last 3 months he has been completely stubborn and is refusing to load ( no there is nothing wrong with him he has just got a bee in his bonnet!) and it's getting to the point where I'm dreading taking him anywhere in case we don't make it for the class or even worse ... He wont load to come home.

We went to a show a few weeks ago and it took us an hour and a half to load him to come back home. and then at the weekend I arrived an hour late to our ODE and very nearly missed my dressage because he took an hour to load Grrrr!!

Now we have done the whole practicing loading every evening and he is very smart. He will go on and off numerous times like a good little horse and then as soon as he realises we are actually going somewhere he plants his feet and spins his bum so we cant get him up the ramp.

We have tried ... food, a rope around his bum, a good general telling off, standing for an hour and being calm and patient and trying time and time again and he is just getting worse.

Has anyone tried the Halters for loading and did they work?

Also if anyone else has any other idea's that would be great. :)
 
I bought a dually for the sole purpose of loading, absolutely fantastic!! Horse was loading confidently in a few days. Always took it with me when travelling but never needed it again!
 
Charlie007 said:
I bought a dually for the sole purpose of loading, absolutely fantastic!! Horse was loading confidently in a few days. Always took it with me when travelling but never needed it again!
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I've heard so many good things about them. That's it. I've made up my mind. The credit card is coming out lol.

I'm happy to pay for one but didn't want to shell out over £50 for it not to work :)
 
I'd be very careful about using them (or any pressure halter) on any stubborn horse as you just get into a battle of strength and over time you end up having to use more and more pressure to get a response.

I'd strongly suggest you get someone like Michael Peace out who can show you other techniques - the trick is to hassle them by making them move their shoulders rather than just trying to make him go forwards. Ive found this really useful on my own horse who is a difficult loader (and I tried a pressure halter to begin with!)
 
I use one - not for loading but mine started a habit of, for no good reason and totally without warning, pulling back and setting off into the distance...

I now use the head collar and a lunge line just to be safe. Pleased to say the habit now seems broken but I still put it on when out and about as its far better to be safe than sorry..
 
i use one on my 17hh Irish draught. Hes not a naughty horse but when he decides to go somewhere, he just goes when in a headcollar, towing me behind him! I bought a Dually and took him to the school to teach him how it works and it was like magic. I didnt have to do anything, i just walked forward and he was like a labrador puppy pootling along next to me and didnt step out of line once.
I dont use it all the time but if i know im going to be in a situation where he will act the clown or use his weight against me i put it on. He doesnt like it because he snorts when i clip the lead rope on the nose piece but thats just his character because i have never pulled on it at all so hes never really felt the true benefit of it.
 
I use one for loading and outings on my horse - I'd never been towed before like I was when I first got him, it was if I wasn't there and he did whatever he want. We had some loading and leading lessons and now I don't use it at home at all but do if we're going anywhere. He has a little more respect for it and it backs up the techniques I learnt so most of the time I'm using it a a plain headcollar and switch to the side if he's starts messing about.
 
frostyfingers said:
I use one for loading and outings on my horse - I'd never been towed before like I was when I first got him, it was if I wasn't there and he did whatever he want. We had some loading and leading lessons and now I don't use it at home at all but do if we're going anywhere. He has a little more respect for it and it backs up the techniques I learnt so most of the time I'm using it a a plain headcollar and switch to the side if he's starts messing about.
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Perfect thank you. I have no issues leading or anything like that. Literally just loading. It's so frustrating !
 
PS Get a longer line with it too, so you have more room to play with. It helps if they back out, so you don't need to move from where you are. I think a lunge line is too long, so I have one about half way between that and a normal rope. Came with the dually.
 
Looking at getting dually not due to real loading problems (going out horse looks thinks about it says he would rather go to field, we advise him not happening, he thinks again and then he pops on , is fine loading to come home) but because i have reduced strength in my hands (and at 16.1hh he is a lot bigger and stronger than old horse) i cannot afford for baby behavior to turn in real naughtiness and for him to find out how much stronger he is than me. How is the sizing, horse in full size bridle, id x tb beeeding (pretty head but deffo not tb size) i was looking at black but wonder if blue size will be needed? Thx
 
I got one for my 5yo who started to feel her feet a little and realized her strength this winter! It has been a massive help both in turnout and loading, and I made sure to spend time in the school doing groundwork with her wearing it.
I think it is important to practice getting the "pressure - release" technique spot on before using it for loading, as timing really is key, especially for sensitive horses.
 
Eventmum said:
Looking at getting dually not due to real loading problems (going out horse looks thinks about it says he would rather go to field, we advise him not happening, he thinks again and then he pops on , is fine loading to come home) but because i have reduced strength in my hands (and at 16.1hh he is a lot bigger and stronger than old horse) i cannot afford for baby behavior to turn in real naughtiness and for him to find out how much stronger he is than me. How is the sizing, horse in full size bridle, id x tb beeeding (pretty head but deffo not tb size) i was looking at black but wonder if blue size will be needed? Thx
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I would say black would be fine, they are quite generous, and have to be fastened snugly for the action to work.
 
Love mine. My mare can plant sometimes when leading and can be tricky to load. I feel I have far more control with leading and loading.
I bought one and then booked an appointment with a IH associate to make sure I was going to use it properly. Because there is a wrong way!
 
I got a pressure halter (not a Dually) for my TB who was extremely stubborn and used to plant at the bottom of the ramp - if I tried to bully him on he panicked and went mad, if I tried to coax him he stood at the bottom of the ramp and fell asleep.

The halter made no difference whatsoever and was a total waste of money unfortunately!
 
You say there is nothing wrong with the horse apart from him being stubborn... He has loaded well for several years but now all of a sudden won't load?

I'm sorry but I would be worried about something so out of character if it were me.

He loads OK until he knows he's going somewhere, that suggests something about travelling is stressing him out and I would be trying to get to the bottom of that first.
 
Wheels said:
You say there is nothing wrong with the horse apart from him being stubborn... He has loaded well for several years but now all of a sudden won't load?

I'm sorry but I would be worried about something so out of character if it were me.

He loads OK until he knows he's going somewhere, that suggests something about travelling is stressing him out and I would be trying to get to the bottom of that first.
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I appreciate your concern but as you have never seen this horse I don't think you can comment that there is something wrong with him. There is nothing wrong with him at all. He is fit and sound and when he is on the box he snoozes the whole way. He performs well every where he goes and I can assure you he receives regular treatment from the vet, dentist and the physio. As well as a saddle check every 12 weeks. He has never had a bad journey. He is never forced on to the box, in his own time he takes himself up without a care in the world without me even going up with him. I have owned the horse for 8 years after rescuing him for a horrible home where he was beaten and neglected so I have never forced him to do anything he doesn't want to do and I have made sure this horse has the best possible life he can have. I know when he is being stubborn and when he is genuinely scared or in pain. I didn't ask for advice on how to care for my horse. I asked for peoples experience with the dually. We also have a camera in the box so we can watch him the whole way and he genuinely just sleeps. He doesn't bang to get off of the box once he's own just takes himself up and stands quietly.

Thank you to everyone else I have ordered one so we will have a go once it arrives.
 
Richard Maxwell halter. This is 1000x more effective than the Dually when used correctly in my opinion.

When used correctly with either a 12ft Parelli rope or a lunge line if the horse is trickier, coupled with the correct technique of pressure release, it is so effective. I have never known a horse not to load wearing one of this when loaded by a person who knows how to use the equipment properly and I have loaded some truly difficult and very opinionated, stubborn horses with it. OP, where are you based?
 
My horse is based in Halifax ☺☺

I've been doing loads of research and looking coffee people to come out and show me how to do it so I get it perfect. Just want to make sure that I do everything right :) xx
 
Trakehner92 said:
I appreciate your concern but as you have never seen this horse I don't think you can comment that there is something wrong with him. There is nothing wrong with him at all.
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I did not say there was something wrong with him - I meant that if my horse was displaying behaviour so out of character that would leave me to think something might be stressing him out.

I'm not sure why you're being so defensive about that, it's a perfectly reasonable query :) and I wasn't having a go, just offering an alternative point of view
 
Wheels said:
I did not say there was something wrong with him - I meant that if my horse was displaying behaviour so out of character that would leave me to think something might be stressing him out.

I'm not sure why you're being so defensive about that, it's a perfectly reasonable query :) and I wasn't having a go, just offering an alternative point of view
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He doesn't appear to be stressed out whilst traveling or when he comes off and he doesn't dive off of the ramp to come off or anything so hopefully he is just being stubborn and a bit of ground work with a dually will help :)
 
Mine loads and travels very well - just wants to get off the trailer at 90 miles an hour!! I don't believe he is frightened - just excited to be out!! Will try my dually at the first opportunity.

Oh well, he's a good boy and I love him - just not this little habit. He does stop pulling me around immediately he realises the dually is on.
 
Used one for a variety of reasons, some horses it has worked brilliantly on, some have fought against it and some it made no difference to. Horses for courses what works for some doesn't always for others. Why not see if anyone has one you could borrow to try? I've done this with bitless bridles etc.
 
Trakehner92 said:
I appreciate your concern but as you have never seen this horse I don't think you can comment that there is something wrong with him. There is nothing wrong with him at all. He is fit and sound and when he is on the box he snoozes the whole way. He performs well every where he goes and I can assure you he receives regular treatment from the vet, dentist and the physio. As well as a saddle check every 12 weeks. He has never had a bad journey. He is never forced on to the box, in his own time he takes himself up without a care in the world without me even going up with him. I have owned the horse for 8 years after rescuing him for a horrible home where he was beaten and neglected so I have never forced him to do anything he doesn't want to do and I have made sure this horse has the best possible life he can have. I know when he is being stubborn and when he is genuinely scared or in pain. I didn't ask for advice on how to care for my horse. I asked for peoples experience with the dually. We also have a camera in the box so we can watch him the whole way and he genuinely just sleeps. He doesn't bang to get off of the box once he's own just takes himself up and stands quietly.

Thank you to everyone else I have ordered one so we will have a go once it arrives.
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I don't think wheels was criticising your management of your horse but was maybe questioning if your transport is acting differently. why not try and travel in it yourself(I know we are not supposed to) to see if there is anything wrong , maybe a vibration or something which he may have found unsettling, good luck with sorting out the problem..
 
splashgirl45 said:
I don't think wheels was criticising your management of your horse but was maybe questioning if your transport is acting differently. why not try and travel in it yourself(I know we are not supposed to) to see if there is anything wrong , maybe a vibration or something which he may have found unsettling, good luck with sorting out the problem..
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Yeah I will do actually. Does anyone know if it's very illegal to do that? Lol
 
My experience is that different halters work better for different horses! ;)

My old pony used to load well in a plain rope halter but my welsh cob X completely ignores every type of halter except a Dually.

I loathe the things to be honest but it works for and means we don't have to get in to a pulling battle.
 
Trakehner92 said:
Yeah I will do actually. Does anyone know if it's very illegal to do that? Lol
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not sure but we used to travel in a trailer regularly with one who was a bad traveller, we just kept our heads down...you wouldn't have to go very far to feel if something was not right and I doubt that the police would be stopping you to check..
 
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