Horse charging from field gate - advice needed

[elliesmiles]

Can anyone help me? When I turn my new horse out she walks into the field fine, turns back towards the gate without a problem but the moment I reach to undo her headcollar she throws her head and tries to charge off down the field. She stops the minute she realises I still have hold of the leadrope but we go through this rigmarole several times before I'm able to get the h/c off quickly and let her rip. It doesn't seem to make any difference whether there are other horses in the field or not. Any thoughts on how to start dealing with this?

 

[Toby_Zaphod]

You may try this control headcollar. Hopefully she will respect the poll pressure & wait for you to release her. All horses get very excited to get out to the new grass at this time of the year. You'll just have to continue being firm & consistant with her & hopefully she'll eventually learn some manners when being turned out.

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[spanishhorseygal]

You could try taking a carrot, polo or something similar with you in your pocket so that she doesn't try to dash off the minute you go to take her headcollar off. If she's expecting something yummy after you remove the headcollar she won't make such a hasty retreat. Make sure you give her a sniff of it before you take the headcollar off though. I do this occasionally with my boys and it means that they always wait patiently while I remove the headcollar until I walk off, even if they dont get the treat every time.

 

[spaniel]

A friends pony did this habitually for many many years before she got him. We tried all the standard stuff but it just didnt help. Thee was one thing that worked though.....

Get some electric fencing and make a square pen inside the gateway, about the same size as a decent stable and put the electric power on it. make a tape gate so you can undo it.

Walk the horse in through the main gate then close it. Release the horse either by unclipping or, to start with, by letting go of the leadrope if you have to. he will spin but come up against the tape. Then remove the leadrope/headcollar, duck under the tape and then open up your tape gate.

After a while the pony did learn that to try and spin and gallop off was totally futile as he could only go a couple of strides at best.

 

[Shilasdair]

I agree with the wise 'Spaniel' but also - check that s/he isn't headshy or more specifically, earshy. You could try handling the ears more and treating your horse when good. I always release mine then give them a carrot or apple...so they are in no hurry to leave me at the field gate!
Good luck!
S

 

[0ldmare]

So many horses do this and I absolutely hate it! The ones that tense up as you reach up to undo the headcollar are the worst. I have retrained all the horses I have ever owned to stand at the gate until I walk away (now you cant get rid of them!). I train them with extra strong mints! Basically they all know that they get a sweetie after the headcollar is taken off. All I do is the first 4 or 5 days leave the headcollar on and give them an extra strong mint before releasing the leadrope. By about the 5th day they wont go until they get their treat. I am sure some people will say you shouldnt give them titbits but hell it works every time

 

[elliesmiles]

Thanks for all your quick and really helpful replies. What a great forum this is. Despite my usual hatred of feeding titbits I've been trying the carrot/polo/treat on the way to the field so she knows I have something, then tempting her with it as I take the h/c off but sprinting away is so much more interesting for the baggage. Oldmare - I never thought of leaving the h/c on, its so obvious now you've said it! Will try that approach and then think about the control h/c electric fencing ideas.

 

[nomini]

I give alisha a mint before I take the headcollar off, and after i have taken it off as she used to do what your describing and it was starting to become dangerous. She now stands patiently at the gate until she has had her 2nd mint and then walks off calmly.

 

[CJ1]

for many years i used to watch kids turn their ponies out with a whooshy of the headcollar and leadrope so they'd run off. It annoyed the hell out of me cos it led to these ponies doing that all the time, in terror! Then some give them a tit bit to make them stay, and of course now if someone turns them out they expect one and will nip if they dont get.

Its back to basic manner training. Ask the horse to stand still and wait until they are free and you are out the way.

 

[filly190]

One of my horses used to do this, and it was polo's that stopped it. Difficult at first when they are tense and ready to go and you seem to need to grow another hand, but it really did work for me.

 

[Hornby]

Good reminders here of tips to try when I take mine to the "exciting" field - they have to walk 50 yds ! The field I use at first they can get to themselves without leading - I just open both gates and they run round the corner. Will give them a few wks in this one so they get calmer. As I only have 2, I can also take the speedy one first and then take the OAP. I know speedy would be even faster if she went second!

 

[Janette]

Totally agree with the reward system. Star has to stand with me for a minute after I take the head collar off while I give her a mint. I also carry the mint in my hand and waft it under her nose as an incentive to stay with me, if she starts to get bargey and pulley on the way to the field. Works like a dream.

 

[MagicMelon]

Not sure about the idea of the electric fenced bit - if I tried that with one of my horses I know he'd simply pop right over it (he has done, many times.....!).

I think giving him something is a good idea, even just throwing 3 carrots on the ground as to take the headcollar off or something - just so he begins to learn to wait about a bit.

 

[Christmas_Kate]

The horses where I used to work would do this. I lost count of the amout of time I spent trying to catch a horse which had galloped off headcollar and leadrope still attatched.
I'm a bit unsure on this "turn them back towards the gate" theory, IME they just then spin round and may buck etc, and you have to move...fast!!!
I would try the treat thing, if they get the jist that by behaving and staying with you they might get something nice, they're less inclied to run off. Don't do it every time, just say twice a week. That will be enough to teach them good manners. of course, if they start biting then stop.

 

[spaniel]

MM - Yep, if you have a biggy or one that pops a fence the electric tape thing is probably futile! We did it with a 14.2 which was a bit easier!