Free horse please take him!

mattilda

mattilda

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He is seriously trying my patience. In Summer he is a pain to turn out, Tanks off with me hanging on, or not, and then trailing after him to take off his headcollar. Thanks to a top tip from Theresa F he no longer gets away with that.
So now he has decided that when I bring him in the gate is the scariest thing in the universe and he cannot possibly go through it!! When I do get him in he box walks, snorting and generallt winding me up.
Grrrrr....so if you want him he is yours!!
 
swap?!?! I have one that plants herself as soon as you put her headcollar on her
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LOL!! She'll walk on after a while, but only on HER terms
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One thing - are you sure his eyes are ok. I only say this as Cairo, our most reliable and steady old clyde started being very odd with gates - rushing through them, snorting and all over the place. Turned out that his remaining eye had suddenly gone very long sighted and he was more or less blind up to 3' from the end of his nose. With a bit of time he adjusted and was ok.

However, yours sounds like a bit of a pain in the bum (sorry to sound rude) and it maybe now he has learnt that the chain stops his tanking, he is trying something else. Stinky does this from time to time - he loves a challenge
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The chain will again be useful - if he plants then a tug will get him going. Farra did exactly the same thing - refused to go out of the field - nothing wrong with her apart from 4 year old attitude. Couple of big tugs, praised immediately when she moved (got a little minty cube) and she has been a good girl ever since.

Is yours in by himself when he starts box walking? It may be stress. If this is not the case, ie others are in and you think he is just trying to see what he can get away with, tie him up with the chain attached but do stay and keep an eye on him.

He should learn that if he stands, life is good - make a big fuss of him, but if he pulls etc, chain gets uncomfortable - his choice. You know your horse and whether this will work - with one of my TBs, I would not have tried it, but with my Stinky, then yes this worked - he was going through one of his pest stages. He now stands in by himself only give a few squeals for his big mate then gives up when he realises that he is not going out until I am ready.

Keep with him, once he realises that life gets uncomfortable if he is an arse and nice if he is good, you will love him again - at one point I could have happily sliced Fleur into small pieces and made her into a pie to be shared with me and the cats.
 
Do you hold the gate open a little bit or does it open wide? If you can open it wide and prop it open so there's no chance of it closing on him he might be better?
 
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You are not being in the least bit rude. He is the biggest pain I have ever had the pleasure to own. His eyes are fine, this is just because he no longer gets away with tanking off in the morning. He has only started this in the last 2 or 3 days. The box walking lasts until he gets a haynet or a feed and isn't a real problem, just irritating as he messes his bed up. He hates the chain because it works for MEEE!
This is Whisky throwing a temper tantrum of major proportions and guess what....I am going to win this time.
It maight be because I have just started lunging him while my saddle is being adjusted. He hates it and so do I. Horses eh..who'd have 'em
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Annagain, yes I hold the gate wide open. He is just being a pain. I am not doing anything any different than I have always done.
 
Tie the bugger up with the chain - I can and sometimes do leave mine tied without a net for an hour or so if I am getting ready for a show - they have learnt they dont' always get a net, in fact it is rare that they do when tied up on the yard.

One of my bugs is horses that misbehave if not tied with a net - one of the first things I do is to teach them that no net does not mean having a paddy.

Reward him with a net when he stands nicely and behaves - for me the secret is make life uncomfortable if they don't do the basics, and immediately they do, then reward them - with a pat, a minty cube or a feed depending on what has been achieved.

Keep with the chain - with time you will not need it apart from the rare occasion - Stinky had it on last week for two days as he went through a stage of not stopping when I did - I like to be able to take two horses and push a wheelbarrow, hence I expect perfect manners when being led.

Farra is now trying the lifting foreleg up and scraping and kicking - that will stop immediately - 17 hands of clyde front leg flying about is not to be taken lightly - Mr Sticky visited the leg on Sunday and yesterday she lifted and went to kick out and stopped, thought about it and put it down - big pat immediately given.

You will get there and Whisky will be fine (and in second place in the pecking order).
 
Thanks for your advice. I am in no way giving my chain up, it is my new best friend!
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He does hate it. He is also on a diet so he doesn't get hay straight away, another reason for the tantrums!
However, his reign is well and truly over. He is 16.3 of well built Hano and I am 5'4" of well built woman..but I will conquer him. He is just trying a different tactic with me. He is way too smart for his own good.
In other ways he is a darling and I do love him but they certainly try your patience sometimes.
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Oh the joy of horses, i have one that tries to lead me and another that refuses to move till she feels like it.
Most annoying when you have a yard full, as these 2 i have to lead on their own or i end up with stretched arms
 
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