Horse bolts when being led to the field

[freckle]

Does anyone have any advice on how I can train my horse to have some manners when being led to the field? He's 10 this year so should know better! He's on part livery and in the early autumn he started bolting when you tried to take his headcollar off in the filed, so we left it on. Then he did the same when you tried to unclip the lead rope, so we looped the lead rope through the ring so you didn't have to get too close (the bolting came with flying hooves, by the way).

This strategy worked for a while, until he started bolting before you got to the field, so I would try to ride before he went out to take the edge off him. This has worked over the Christmas period, but very soon I'm not going to be able to ride every day and neither the yard owner nor groom want to lead him out (in fact, I have said they shouldn't, because both have been kicked and I don't want to be responsible for someone ending up in hospital again).

He's a quirky little horse, and very talented, but has always been difficult to handle from the ground, thinking up new ways of being a sod and then forgetting about them just as suddenly when he gets bored!

Help! He can't stay in for ever more, nor can he stay out permanently at our yard until the summer.

 

[Tinkle]

This problem often perpetuates as the more they try and sod off when you get them to the field, the more we try to set them loose quickly and end up reinforcing the bad behaviour. And then it just escalates from here. Whereas actually he needs to walk sensibly and stand until you decide to take his headcollar off....however, long you might decide to take.

A bridle/headcollar with lead rope over nose/chifney may help with leading him. But these in my view with most horses should only be used as training tools not as a permanent situation. It may help for you to do some work in hand with him in a safe environment (yard/arena/even just the stable) to reinforce that you're in control of stopping and starting. My gelding (although by no means all that bad) got into the habit of dragging me in from the field a bit when he was coming in for his tea. So I did lots of work on leading him, then stopping him and making him take a couple of steps back, then stand still, then ask him to walk on etc. I did it all the way in from the field including right outside his stable door until he learned that he had to wait. It's really about him learning to respect you and your control. Some stronger aids may help but ultimately he should wait and listen. As I say it may help to do this in a safe environment first.

Good luck.

x

 

[freckle]

Yes, I was aware of the danger in potentially reinforcing the behaviour, but as I wasn't the one leading him out most of the time, I couldn't have expected grooms to spend extra time dealing with him when there was work to do! However, it does look like I'm going to have to take responsibility of the situation now and go back to basics with him now.

I'd rather not use a chifney in case I was unable to remove it once we got to the field, but similarly it's fairly difficult to hang on to the end of a rope to make him stand in just a headcollar.

He is, in fact, superb to lunge, so I wonder if that might be worth trying in the field (when it's not such a quagmire), but in the mean time lots of lessons in manners around the yard.

Thanks for the advice.

 

[Dizzle]

My share horse used to do this.

So... when we went to the field I'd give him half an apple and hold the other half in my hand, he'd smell I still had food and stick with me. I'd also use a scoop with a tiny bit of mix in. He'd get the food as soon as he was in the field, head collar off and turned round. In the end I could get him to follow me in the field without a head collar, it also made him easier to catch.

Even if the other horses were the other side of the field he'd stay with me for a few mins, then bugger off to his herd.

Maybe not the best way to train a horse but it worked well for me and him!

 

[jaffs]

I would do the same thing. Just to break the cycle.

 

[Lulup]

Lead him in a chifney with a lunge rein attached so you have plenty of rein to play with if he tries to bugger off, keep the field gate shut so that he cannot get in there till you choose to let him in, and when you get there turn round and walk him back to the yard and keep repeating until he stops anticiapting the 'realease' moment. Once he is listening and behaving you can take him in the field - if he gets silly take him back out and repeat until he is calm.Then once he will stand calmy in the field remove the chifney and give him a carrot/apple/treat everytime before you turn him loose so that he forgets about his rush to dash off quickly. Always ensure that he turns round to face the gate and stands calmly before you release - consistency is the key - he cannot learn the rules if they tend to change so you will need to keep it black & white for him and ensure that anybody else turning him out (once you have sorted the problem) follows the same procedure.

 

[diggerbez]

[ QUOTE ]
Lead him in a chifney with a lunge rein attached so you have plenty of rein to play with if he tries to bugger off, keep the field gate shut so that he cannot get in there till you choose to let him in, and when you get there turn round and walk him back to the yard and keep repeating until he stops anticiapting the 'realease' moment. Once he is listening and behaving you can take him in the field - if he gets silly take him back out and repeat until he is calm.Then once he will stand calmy in the field remove the chifney and give him a carrot/apple/treat everytime before you turn him loose so that he forgets about his rush to dash off quickly. Always ensure that he turns round to face the gate and stands calmly before you release - consistency is the key - he cannot learn the rules if they tend to change so you will need to keep it black & white for him and ensure that anybody else turning him out (once you have sorted the problem) follows the same procedure.

[/ QUOTE ]

this is exactly what i would do

if you use a chifney and lunge line he won't get away from you no matter how hard he tries- the idea obviously of the lunge line is that if he does start to get away from you you still have a hold on the line....it won't take him long to work out the chifney. you can put the chifney on a sliphead to make it easier to take off. good luck!

 

[StellaArtois]

I had the opposite problem my horse would spook and bolt when being brought in from the field, which normally ended up with me flat on my face of backside. I tried bridle etc and lunge line and he managed to get away once with this as he was really strong. I didnt have a chifney and felt I didnt have the experience to use one. I got a richard maxwell headcollar and did some ground work exercises with it, he never got away again. He tried to run off once, after horses running up the next field which gave him a fright and the head collar whipped him round so quickly he was stood looking at me wondering what happened. He never really tried it again but I had more confidence in handling him as I new I didnt need to worry that he would escape. It might not work for everyone but it did for me. I used it for loading ect too and it was great. He was just one of those horses where if you gave him an inch he would take a mile.

 

[machannah]

chiffney - definately. Had the exact issue with my ever growing 2yr old. It stopped the cycle straight away, however he now has it put on perodically to remind him who is in charge. Whatever you do wear gloves!!! I had an accident when I was 15 with a lunge line - dont ever relax and forget those golden rules.

 

[jjl]

Or you could get a lead rope with a chain on - aerborn do them with a handle on the lead rope so you can hold on without loosing the rope - thread the chain through the side of the headcollar ring, over the noseband and clip to the other side of the headcollar side ring. Got this tip from a jenny loriston Clarke book and it works on my 17hhplus brute.I wouldn't lead him without it but rarely have to use any force as he respects it most of the time and when he doesn't a short sharp yank does the trick. You could also do this with a lunge line so you've got more control if he tries to get away.

 

[Tiffany]

My friend's horse used to try and take off either on way to field or as soon as inside field gate. My friend switched to a pressure halter and on way to field she would stop a couple of times and ask her to stand. If she didn't she walked her back to the stable. It took about 3 days for her to get the message but she soon learnt that if she didn't walk sensibly and stand when asked she didn't make it to field. Result

Hope you sort it soon

 

[now_loves_mares]

I used to have a similar problem and a simple carrot after the headcollars are taken off seems to work wonders! However mine can still be naughty to bring in, if it's windy, and will try to bolt while being led across the field. If I know the weather is bad, I use a stallion chain, this nearly always work but if it's really bad I hardly stand a chance with two of them. If it's just one though, I make sure I keep them close, keep at their shoulder, and keep their head turned slightly towards me. This means that if there is some fly-kicking going on, it's less likely to get me.

I had some problems with my youngster in the summer (ridden, not leading) and I realised that I had been far too lax with all my general handling with them, so I've been far stricter lately. This has made a huge difference - but I understand if other people are handling them, especially if they are grooms who have a day's worth of chores ahead of them, it's possible they are not being quite on top of these small things.

Sorry bit waffly, but basically stick at it and be tough ( and use carrots!)

 

[Damnation]

Food.
I turn out a stallion at work, he is a big lad (16hh, I am 5'3) and everyone wonders why he turns out so quietly for me.
Other staff members have a prancing jogging idiot that they have to loop the leadrope through the headcollar for and then let go once they open the gate. I however can walk him to the field, turn him around take his headcollar off and off he walks.
Pony nuts. I didn't use gagets or anything like that but just periodically fed him food on the way to the field and once in the field.
Now he knows I have food and I feed before I lead him out, when I take his headcollar off and after it is off and he stands like a lamb

 

[freckle]

Thanks for all the advice. We're starting lessons in manners this morning! It looks like all the horses will be in for a few days as it's so frosty, so an ideal time to practice leading to the field with no distractions. I know someone who has a chifney, so I'll borrow that with lunge line attached... and pockets full of food!

 

[freckle]

Great success today! I can now lead him out to the field calmly in a bridle and with lots of pony nuts. We'll try the headcollar tomorrow...

Started off stopping and starting around the yard, then I rode him back and forth across the field, stopping and praising him as we went. When he did that calmly, I tried leading him. He responds to just my voice commands and we had no fuss and bother.

Thank you all!