HELP ME PLEASEE! ALL HELP APPRECIATED...

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storm rider

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My pony is naturally very bargy so has to be led in a chiffney, which i hate, but otherwise he will just barge off and wont let you get him! but recently he has been running away when i try to catch him and by the time hes run around the field alot and then finally let me get him he is worn out! i wanted to consider keeping him in a stable at night, but theres no room at my current yard and i cant afford to keep him anywhere else! i was also thinking the chiffney could be hurting him as he turns his head away as soon as he sees it! so was going to try just a normal snaffle instead? any tips are appreciated!:) thankyou ...
 
Hey!

It's not much fun when Pony does not want to be caught!


How large is the field?
How many are in Ponies field?
Do you give pony - say - tip of carrot - when you catch pony? - Reward for being caught?
How often do you catch Pony?
How far do have to lead Pony to stables?
Is there anyone who also has to bring in their own horse/pony when you need to bring in Pony?
When was the last time that Pony had teeth checked?
 
If you stable him at night won't you still have to catch him anyway everyday to get him in anyway? Best guess is he'd rather eat spring grass than work, get him used to being caught for stuff other than riding.
As for swopping the chifney, if he has no manners then he won't have them in a snaffle either. I'd recommend getting someone to help him learn some manners, the chifney should be used to teach him manners, not as a permanent solution (unless its a very fit comp horse/ racer). Personally prefer a stallion chain myself if somethings needed.
 
Lots of questions! ok so,
1. the field is very big! not sure precisely but like 2-3 acres, maybe bigger?
2. there are 3 geldings and 2 mares
3. i usually give him a mint or something at certain points if hes good e.g after hes got it chiffney on, after ive got him out the gate ect!
4. i catch him every night, around 4.00 if i ride him and around 6.00 if i just take him out the field to give him dinner
5. to get to the stables you have to walk about 5 metres down a road and then a small tracks which leads to the stables.
6. i am usually there just before the other people are so i usually catch him before!
7. im not too sure, but i wouldnt have said for a while as his previous owner didnt get their teeth checked or worm them! i was going to book to get his teeth checked soon to be on the safe side but hes not showing any signs of sore teeth ect as he eats perfectly fine!
 
littlelegs said:
If you stable him at night won't you still have to catch him anyway everyday to get him in anyway? Best guess is he'd rather eat spring grass than work, get him used to being caught for stuff other than riding.
As for swopping the chifney, if he has no manners then he won't have them in a snaffle either. I'd recommend getting someone to help him learn some manners, the chifney should be used to teach him manners, not as a permanent solution (unless its a very fit comp horse/ racer). Personally prefer a stallion chain myself if somethings needed.
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do you have a suggestion on what i could do with him if i tried leading him for something other then riding him? he does have manners in a snaffle because as soon as hes in a snaffle he isnt bargy! hes only bargy if hes being led in just a headcollar! i do take his chiffney off as soon as ive tied him up so its not like hes constantly wearing it!
 
I use the Monty Roberts Dually halter and I think it's fab. And, you can use it to teach the horse manners on the ground. I need it for loading but it will certainly stop a horse from barging. I'm sure there are others who can give you advise about the catching.
 
If you have difficulty catching him, then spend time catching him just to give him a carrot or feed him, so he doesn't associate being caught with riding. To help the leading, it would be easier if you had someone to help you. Personally, I walk at the shoulder & never have a too tight hold. If the horse pulls, i'll give one short, sharp tug on the leadrope, then take of the pressure immediately. If horse has no respect for this, i'll do the same with a leadrope looped over its nose. If still no respect i'll do the same with a stallion chain until they realise pulling me round isn't on.
 
To help the catching problems:
Always get him to take a step towards you when you turn him out and don't let him off until he looks at you with both eyes,at this point give him a reward. When you catch him give him a treat and release him. Make sure you bring him in to feed not just ride.
Try a rope halter or dually...I wouldn't be caught either if I was put in a chiffeny each time!
 
littlelegs said:
If you have difficulty catching him, then spend time catching him just to give him a carrot or feed him, so he doesn't associate being caught with riding. To help the leading, it would be easier if you had someone to help you. Personally, I walk at the shoulder & never have a too tight hold. If the horse pulls, i'll give one short, sharp tug on the leadrope, then take of the pressure immediately. If horse has no respect for this, i'll do the same with a leadrope looped over its nose. If still no respect i'll do the same with a stallion chain until they realise pulling me round isn't on.
Click to expand...

when i dont ride then i catch him and take him outside the field to feed him his dinner so then hes having to be caught to get food! and i always give him treats after he lets me catch him! i was thinking of starting to try just a leadrode around the nose, but when a lady at my yard used to own him there was an incident where he barged out her hand and ran down the road to the field and nearly got run over!:( i was thinking of trying it though!?:)
 
cheeryplatypus said:
To help the catching problems:
Always get him to take a step towards you when you turn him out and don't let him off until he looks at you with both eyes,at this point give him a reward. When you catch him give him a treat and release him. Make sure you bring him in to feed not just ride.
Try a rope halter or dually...I wouldn't be caught either if I was put in a chiffeny each time!
Click to expand...

when i turn him out i always make him walk up to me so i can take his chiffney off and i give him a treat if hes been good and letting me put him out! like i said i do lead him out the field to get his food and i was going to try putting the rope over his nose to see if that will work! i do hate having to lead him in the chiffney and im never rough with it unless he does try and barge, other wise i have no tension on it so theres not pressure on his tongue!
 
storm rider said:
Lots of questions! ok so,
1. the field is very big! not sure precisely but like 2-3 acres, maybe bigger?
2. there are 3 geldings and 2 mares
3. i usually give him a mint or something at certain points if hes good e.g after hes got it chiffney on, after ive got him out the gate ect!
4. i catch him every night, around 4.00 if i ride him and around 6.00 if i just take him out the field to give him dinner
5. to get to the stables you have to walk about 5 metres down a road and then a small tracks which leads to the stables.
6. i am usually there just before the other people are so i usually catch him before!
7. im not too sure, but i wouldnt have said for a while as his previous owner didnt get their teeth checked or worm them! i was going to book to get his teeth checked soon to be on the safe side but hes not showing any signs of sore teeth ect as he eats perfectly fine!
Click to expand...

storm rider said:
when i dont ride then i catch him and take him outside the field to feed him his dinner so then hes having to be caught to get food! and i always give him treats after he lets me catch him! i was thinking of starting to try just a leadrode around the nose, but when a lady at my yard used to own him there was an incident where he barged out her hand and ran down the road to the field and nearly got run over!:( i was thinking of trying it though!?:)
Click to expand...

There is a 2 Hour difference between when you catch Pony to ride and when you dont catch Pony to ride- Pony (is clever!) And will pick up on time difference!

When you catch Pony NOT to ride- can you bring Pony in at same- or similar time- just to fuss/groom/ Play with" (not scrabble or snap!) feed and then turn out?
A pony who used to be at our yard HAD to be caught at The Same Time- Regardless of whether he was ridden or not! (I nicked named him Time Bandit!) If owner was even 10 mins late Pony would make sure he was not caught for At least 30 mins!

xXx
 
If your worried he'll ignore the leadrope, have a practice somewhere safe first. If he shows no respect for it, use a stallion chain. Is there no-one more experienced who can help you out? Sounds like previous owner just hasn't taught him any manners, but by the sounds of it you've got the right attitude to teach him some
 
Sorry but the post above which said a Dually will 'certainly stop him from bargeing'(can't copy/paste on phone) is not correct. It won't 'certainly' stop him. It might but then it might not work either. Dually works for some people/horses and not others. I know an extremely rude,bargey mare for whom it did nothing (and it was used as instructed in the DVD!) Rope around nose is not far off the Dually effect and much cheaper but the Be Nice worked better on her than either of those. I've used a chifney on 2 or 3 big warmbloods b4 - none needed it permanently but it was certainly safer for handling them in certain situations. However,one of them,(after it being used,properly and gently on him a few times) actually then behaved better in an old French link snaffle we had lying around-he did not like the chifney (who would?!?)and responded better to the snaffle. Obviously nothing is a permanent replacement for good manners&groundwork(tho you definitely know this already from your posts:) sometimes a temporary measure is necessary for safety (yours and his& others',especially when you have to lead him on roads/public places)and to instil a bit of respect&control without everyone getting stressed/scared. Good luck with him-it sounds like you'll crack it:)
 
Purple Duck said:
There is a 2 Hour difference between when you catch Pony to ride and when you dont catch Pony to ride- Pony (is clever!) And will pick up on time difference!

When you catch Pony NOT to ride- can you bring Pony in at same- or similar time- just to fuss/groom/ Play with" (not scrabble or snap!) feed and then turn out?
A pony who used to be at our yard HAD to be caught at The Same Time- Regardless of whether he was ridden or not! (I nicked named him Time Bandit!) If owner was even 10 mins late Pony would make sure he was not caught for At least 30 mins!

xXx
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ah right, that sounds like something i could try! will do this over the next few weeks and see if it works or not!:) xxx
 
Venevidivici said:
Sorry but the post above which said a Dually will 'certainly stop him from bargeing'(can't copy/paste on phone) is not correct. It won't 'certainly' stop him. It might but then it might not work either. Dually works for some people/horses and not others. I know an extremely rude,bargey mare for whom it did nothing (and it was used as instructed in the DVD!) Rope around nose is not far off the Dually effect and much cheaper but the Be Nice worked better on her than either of those. I've used a chifney on 2 or 3 big warmbloods b4 - none needed it permanently but it was certainly safer for handling them in certain situations. However,one of them,(after it being used,properly and gently on him a few times) actually then behaved better in an old French link snaffle we had lying around-he did not like the chifney (who would?!?)and responded better to the snaffle. Obviously nothing is a permanent replacement for good manners&groundwork(tho you definitely know this already from your posts:) sometimes a temporary measure is necessary for safety (yours and his& others',especially when you have to lead him on roads/public places)and to instil a bit of respect&control without everyone getting stressed/scared. Good luck with him-it sounds like you'll crack it:)
Click to expand...

ok, well maybe i will see if i can get/borrow a 'be nice halter' and try that! thankyou!:)x
 
A longer lead rope may help too, they can't get away as easily if you give them a bit of length as the head usually turns towards you.
Have you taught him to back up?
Backing everywhere may help, he may try it on but keep calm,
Sounds like you could do with someone teaching him the basics again.
 
I wish i had, had a be nice halter on teh horse I had on lwvtb, he nearlt killed me too many times and ended up kicking me in the legs when he charged off one day, he was a 14.2 cob, I now ride a 17hh warmblood a brother to moorlands tortilas, he comes in and out on a head collar most days but can run off so put on a be nice and he is a lamb. If you can scratch him as you walk beside him i find this works too, its almost as if they have forgotten you were there and the scratching reminds him there is a tiny 5foot size 8 woman beside you Mr and it is not expectable to jump in the air and land on me. A pocket full of bribes works well too, try not to catch him for riding or food only, bring him in and tie him up for 5 mins and turn him back out, if he comes in quietly he can have a carrot when you turn him out. By not feeding each time you bring him in he has nothing to rush in for :)
 
i dont think a longer lead rope would help as he would still just barge away! i might try it though! he does do backing up.
I always scratch him, stroke him and give him treats ect! i previously had a pony who if i put him out without giving him his dinner, he wouldnt let me catch him for like an hour! even if i gave him his dinner later on!
 
storm rider said:
i dont think a longer lead rope would help as he would still just barge away! i might try it though! he does do backing up.
I always scratch him, stroke him and give him treats ect! i previously had a pony who if i put him out without giving him his dinner, he wouldnt let me catch him for like an hour! even if i gave him his dinner later on!
Click to expand...

With the longer rope you hold it closer to the end, it gives you more power as its much harder for them to get a purchase, think lunge line!
Practice in the field first, he should walk trot and back up beside you round the field on a loose lead.
 
It may also help to turn him out in a Fieldsafe head collar(the special sort that break apart if the horse gets caught on something) whilst he's being difficult to catch,as it means u don't waste time getting headcollar on,just snap rope on the ring and prevents that 'I'll let u get right up to me,get headcollar over my nose and then I'll bu*ger off' scenario. You then either slip a be nice, or headstall&bit,or whatever you're using, over the headcollar. I think he is just
testing you and finding it all a fab game when he wins!
you and finding it all a fab game when he wins!
 
Hvent read all the replies so sorry if this has been said.... having paid 40 quid for dually and still being dragged all over, happened to pick up a rope halter..a five quid thing off line that had been lying round in my dads kit...turned out to be the best bit of equiptment ill ever own lol, didnt need any bit once horse realised the pressure points etc, so why not try the rope halter... as for the catching thing..iv always found when mine are being a pain..just spend a day or two catching..feeding a treat letting go etc..they soon realise that coming in isnt all about work..bits etc, mine tend to try and catch me now, even when im busy round the yard poop picking etc they follow me and slip heads in head collar no probs ! Must say, you have to make sure rope halter sits perfect for max effect as tried it on my mare and she didnt respond so well...think it was too big so adjusted and hey ho she was fab !!
 
cheeryplatypus said:
With the longer rope you hold it closer to the end, it gives you more power as its much harder for them to get a purchase, think lunge line!
Practice in the field first, he should walk trot and back up beside you round the field on a loose lead.
Click to expand...

ok, i will try it :)
When i lead him he does walk and back up when i do and he trots with a slight tug! he got alot better after doing a join up with him so might try another one :)
 
Hello All,
Dont know if youll see this but just a quick up date! I went to get Billy in earlier today, either 11 or 12, as the rain was forcast for later on, i hesitated when i went to get him as i thought he would run away, i hid the chiffney under my jumper and just showed him the lead rope, he stood still, i clipped him up and he stood still, although i did have the leadrope over his nose i was so proud of him! as soon as i took the chiffeney out from under my jumper and he saw it, he backed away and tried to walk off so i hid it again! then later before i fed him i left his dinner in the car and took him for a short walk and trot up the road with just the leadrope over his nose and he didnt try to barge off once! i dont think well ever manage to just have him clipped on a headcollar like a average horse, but i was so proud of him because he just stood there and let me catch him!:') thankyou so much for all your tips and help, i really appreciate it!xxxx
 
Venevidivici said:
It may also help to turn him out in a Fieldsafe head collar(the special sort that break apart if the horse gets caught on something) whilst he's being difficult to catch,as it means u don't waste time getting headcollar on,just snap rope on the ring and prevents that 'I'll let u get right up to me,get headcollar over my nose and then I'll bu*ger off' scenario. You then either slip a be nice, or headstall&bit,or whatever you're using, over the headcollar. I think he is just
testing you and finding it all a fab game when he wins!
you and finding it all a fab game when he wins!
Click to expand...

i turn Billy out in his headcollar anyway! if he didnt have a headcollar on then he wouldnt let me get close to him! i have his headcollar so it could slip of if he got stuck, but it wont just fall off so its safe!
 
It sounds to me like he hates the chifney!!! :(

I know lots of people will immediately :rolleyes: roll eyes at this suggestion but would you consider some natural horsemanship?

I've been having problems with my horse being bargey and rude and was coming out of the stable and rearing it etc etc. Then because of the leading issues I was then having loading issues.

I've had 2 sessions and the horse now respects my space and moves back as soon as I enter his stable out of my space. If he barges me then he gets sent backwards. Today we did loading and the minute he saw the trailer freaked out (he has been taking up to an hour & only loading when people had lunge line / whip behind him) 20 minutes later he was walking on and off without hesitation with nothing but the rope halter.

My NH lady thinks a Dually is too severe and prefers a nice thin rope halter - you can put quite a lot of pressure on it. But tbh I think it is less about what you use and more establishing the boundaries with leading/handling him.
 
Becki1802 said:
It sounds to me like he hates the chifney!!! :(

I know lots of people will immediately :rolleyes: roll eyes at this suggestion but would you consider some natural horsemanship?

I've been having problems with my horse being bargey and rude and was coming out of the stable and rearing it etc etc. Then because of the leading issues I was then having loading issues.

I've had 2 sessions and the horse now respects my space and moves back as soon as I enter his stable out of my space. If he barges me then he gets sent backwards. Today we did loading and the minute he saw the trailer freaked out (he has been taking up to an hour & only loading when people had lunge line / whip behind him) 20 minutes later he was walking on and off without hesitation with nothing but the rope halter.

My NH lady thinks a Dually is too severe and prefers a nice thin rope halter - you can put quite a lot of pressure on it. But tbh I think it is less about what you use and more establishing the boundaries with leading/handling him.
Click to expand...

i have done a join up once and it helped alot! also been teching him to back up with me ect so a few more join up will help i think! just need to find the right time!
 
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