Help I cant lead my horse!

[joop]

I was hoping someone would have some words of wisdom for me. I have a 5 year old unbroken id x tb that I can not lead from the field to the stable without her tanking off. Well she doesnt really tank of as much as she walks off but sets her neck against me and I have lost her. She never goes far - about 10 foot away. I have tried normal headcollar, dually and a be nice headcollar. I have tried leading her with a lunge line but still can not hold her. She is not very badly mannered on the groung generally - I can get her to move backwards, forwards and sideways. She has been doing this she was two years old so I think some of this may be learnt behaviour. I had a monty roberts RA out but they were useless to be fair - they wouldnt even try to lead her. I have just started mouthing her but I am loathed to lead her of a bit because if that doesnt work where the hell do you go next? Please dont be nasty with your replys I really am at the end of my tether and just wondered if anone thought there was any hope I will ever be able to lead her in a headcollar in and out of the field. As it is now she has had to go back into her stable as she got away from me too many times this morning. Thanks.

 

[baybeejay01]

Try putting a chain under her jaw when you lead her - I know some people are going to throw their hands up in horror at this but it worked for my 2yo when she got on a mission! The chain is only as harsh as the hands it is in and my filly learned very quickly that all attempts at being bargy were futile and now leads in sweet as a nut in just a headcollar. If she gets one on her she is put back in the chain briefly and doesn't attempt to rush in.

 

[the watcher]

What are you leading the horse to? Is it anticipating a meal or treat when it gets in, or conversely anticipating work?
If expecting food and nice things, I suggest you feed in the field first, then lead in after the food when horse is less hungry. If it is for work I know I would just lunge it in the field..then lead in for something nice.

i wouldn't feel too bad, one of mine is a monster in the evenings as she is anticipating dinner and is in a real rush - and she is 7 - so I have learned to just open the gate and ignore her..she is so surprised at not having to fight she just ambles in with the others

 

[samp]

Will she follow another horse in? Have you tried her in a lunge cavesson and lunge line? Sounds like she needs to learn who is the boss and how to start respecting you. I would do lots of ground work with her in an enclosed environment, yet make it fun

 

[spaniel]

My full ID is much the same. He isnt naughty but just wants to walk faster than I can manage and given we have to come down quite a slope, once he is ahead of me it all goes a bit t*ts up!!

I would either lead in a bridle or get yourself a chifney. They soon learn not to set against you.

I know just how you feel.....

 

[joop]

I feel crap about it all. I have got to the point where I think if I cant even lead her in from the field whats the point in me even thinking about riding her. She is not anticipating anything so its not like its excitment or anything. I have done a lot of groundwork with her and the stupid thing is she does really respect me as boss when she is listening. Even before she pulls away she is testing me all the time - she will try and encroach on my space and I will ask her to move away with my body language and she does. After she moves away she licks and chews at me. This is where I am flumoxxed, I do not allow her to walk over me. A chain is the same principle as the dually except the dually releases as soon as they do right so they should learn quicker, but she can pull through that so the chain wont work. The be nice I have only had for a month and I thought that I had cracked it with this - up until this weekend! Thanks for all your ideas though. Maybe I should sell her and buy a motorbike instead?

 

[tabithakat64]

My advice, try holding your horse by the headcollar, always be ready, Fudge tries this sometimes usually to get a tasty looking piece of grass and as long as I'm ready I can usually stop him, am thinking about investing in a pressure halter and have been doing some ground work so that he respects me more

 

[erica]

Couple of thoughts:
Can you vary the route to the field, so she is not anticipating it as soon as you set off?
Do you have the time to spend a couple of days walking her to and from the field (perhaps with a bridle and a friend to help) so that she just gets plain bored of the whole thing?
My mare can be a real pig to lead sometimes (she's 12, sorry). Something that I have found works with her and some other bolshy horses I've had to lead, is that whenever she feels like she's getting ahead of herself, I tell her to stand, then push her back a couple of steps. Each time she plays up and pulls forward, she ends up having to go backwards. You need to be quite forceful, but it seems to have the desired effect.
I would agree that a bridle, and a lunge line attached, are the safest way to lead her and will ensure you can control her. Once she is respecting that on a regular basis, try her with the headcollar. If she reverts to type, back she goes into the bridle. Trust me, she'll eventually learn that it is easier to just do what you want...
Good luck, I do hope it comes right for you two. Don't lose heart. I know it seems like there's no end in sight, but I'm sure you will look back on this in a few months time and wonder what all the fuss was about.

 

[hjw]

I have to say that my old ID x TB was exactly the same. Started when he was a youngster and continued throughout his life. We tried all sorts and the only thing that we found to work was to run a chain through the nose band on his headcollar and through the back ring and attach a leadrope to that. Funnily enough you didnt have to use it as he had complete respect for it and was extremely polite when it was on. When it wasnt he reverted straight back to his usual barging self. At 17.1 and weighing 3/4 of a tonne he was too big to "take charge".

What it meant though was that you werent constantly tugging and snatching at his headcollar to try and turn his head and stop him which would have otherwise made him headshy to lead.

 

[leanne123]

don't know if this will help you as not sure how tall you are ect, keep in front of the shoulder with the horses neck, head flexed slightly in front of your body that way theres no way that your horse can turn away from you and use brute force to its advantage. it may help if you put your elbow in the base of its neck (midway) at first as it will bend around you in a circle instead of away from you.
have you seen the way they lead tb's around the parade ring.
it works well for me but then i am 6ft 3 so theres a bit more of me to bend around.
hope you get to grips with this as bolshy horses are just downright dangerous good look.

 

[dwi]

I can sympathasise with this because my mare used to be very difficult and we have been at rock bottom with her.

I would be interested to know why the monty roberts RA didn't try to lead her? Did they think that she had a specific problem that needed to be looked at in a different way? Presumably they suggested something? If they ignored you I would report them back to the head office because I know that they like to keep a track on these things.

I love this forum for general advice but I think that you need to seek professional help. This sounds pretty severe. If the RA didn't give you what you want then why not try asking a riding instructor for help or a similar professional rider to come and do some sessions with you.

Good luck. I've managed to get there with my mare but I wouldn't have done it on my own.