horse keeps pulling back when tied up

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Natassia

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My horse keeps pulling back when he's tied up, he did this in his previous home so its not a new problem..sometimes he goes a few days not doing it at all but other days he's really bad with it. He has broken the string a few times and today he broke the leadrope, he's never done that before.
I know he's not scared, his ears are always forward and he never goes anywhere, he generally just stands there. People on the yard tell me that he's just playing with me, he's only 7 and gets bored so I can understand that, in fact I'm reassured that he's not upsetting himself.
If he's going to be tied up for some time I gave him a haynet, today I didn't because I was just picking his feet out, brushing him off and changing his rugs. I was thinking of getting him a lickit or something to occupy him, but don't want him getting too much sugar, or anything that could make him put on weight.
If I think he's going to pull back, I untie him, walk round in a circle and tie him back up again and praise him when he's tied up again, I don't want to make too much of a fuss, and he seems to respond to this after a few attempts, the thing is he's so inconsistent. I've only had him 7 weeks as well so I think he's testing me a bit..he's fine with the farrier as well.
Sorry for going on but I'd really appreciate any suggestions.
 
I had a connemara did this. Used to drive me mad. He was only 4 so I tried all the usual things being nice to him, but eventually I realised he wasnt scared at all. One day I had had enough so I went behind him with the yard brush, and as soon as he started backing up I growled at him and stuck it up his bum ! He leapt forward and never did it again ....
 
Duke does this and he is the same age - he thinks it's a great joke
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if he doesn't feel like having his legs, tail washed or being shod - pull back and break the bailer twine. He doesn't even go anywhere - just stands there
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If you are worried just loop the lead rope through the bailer twine so if he does pull back he won't panic and make sure all gates are shut and he can't get out.
 
bloody annoying habbit, wont make any suggestions, but it sounds like he wasnt properly halter trained as a baby, when he wasnt strong enuf to pull away.
 
I have given up with my horse. I have had him for 7 yrs. If tied up outside he always breaks away in a panic at high speed so I just loop the rope through the twine without a knot. It's his only fault so I just put up with it. Just have to keep an eye on the rope and not leave him alone for more than a couple of minutes at a time. Sorry I can't be of any help.
 
I can understand that Marie, he's an Irish import and has been in a few homes, and he can be timid suggesting that he may have been treated a bit roughly, when the vet came to him for his teeth I mentioned that he was a but uneasy around his poll and she did some exercises with him and fortunately he wasn't in pain, she just said that it would take time and he's improving. The pulling back isn't totally due to me grooming around his head, but that makes it worse..I think its just something that I'm going to have to work through with him, I haven't had him long anyway and he's fantastic in every other way.
I have tried just looping the rope through the baler twine but he doesn't respect this and takes himself for a walk, I always have the gates shut its a yard policy. I think I'm going to have to get a bit firmer with him because I am a soft touch, he's fine with everyone else and the farrier.
 
buy a "bungee" tie-up.....if he still insists on doing it, crack him up the arse with a yard broom..bristles first.

he wont try it again.

if he IS stupid enough to do it, crack him again..
 
Thanks for the website will have a look.
I bought a bungee when I first got him, was ok for a while then he broke it, I know they're meant to come apart under pressure but this one actually broke, so its baler string from now on!
I know what you mean about getting him with the broom, but I really can't bear to hit him for something like that, I really don't think I've got it in me, but I'm sure it would work.
 
You dont have to hit him -if you just hold it behind him so he reverses into the bristles it will make him go forwards again. He wont associate it with you at all
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Instead of tying him, have a lunge line, and thread it through the ring (if safe) or the string, and hold it while you groom him. When he pulls back let the lunge line out, whilst simultaneously growling at him and chasing him forwards again (brush, whip, whatever) then praise him.
Sometimes this works because they don't find a tension to pull against...so the lunge line is inescapable.
Or superglue his feet to the yard concrete, although this can make riding in any pace other than halt difficult.
S
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That's interesting about his poll, Duke is from Ireland and when we bought him (from an eventer in England) he said he thought he had been ear twitched as he hated being plaited. He still hates having his ears touched and I have to be very patient when plaiting and we can only pull his mane if sedated, we tend to just use a solocomb.
 
Mine is on loan from an eventer as well, i'd like some more history on him really. Ear twitching sounds horrid, I recently pulled his mane with a solocomb and he wasn't too bad. Clipping was ok but he just had a low trace done as it was late in the season, we didn't tie him up I just stood with him, next year when he's clipped out he'll have to be sedated I think.
When the vet came she did carrot stretches and pushed down on his poll really hard with both hands, I was surprised that he let her go near his poll, and she said that he was in no pain. He's been better since then so she may have released some tension, but I'm still thinking of having the physio out to him.
 
I agree with the yard brush thing, if you don't want to do that you could crack a lunge whip behind him? (Only crack it don't hit him)
or tie him up with a hanyet if you think he is just doing it out of boredom. If he keeps pulling back with a haynet, they I would do the yard brush/lunge whip thing.
 
My horse had a lot of physio work done on his neck so its really important that he doesn't pull back and damage himself again. I find the best thing is to tie him up with an elastic exercise bandage instead of a leadrope because it has loads of give. Hopefully once your horse realises that he can't get loose by pulling back he'll get bored and give up.
 
A horse I know well did this when he went out on loan, having never done it before. The loanee changed yards and the problem stopped. Loanee is a very experienced horsewoman and was convinced he hadn't been properly halter broken despite my assurances he'd never done it before in the 3 years I'd known him. She changed her mind once he moved to the next yard and immediately stopped doing it! Sometimes they do it just because they can.
 
lsat time mine did this i ignored him!

i continued doing all the other horses - including feeding much to his annoyance! - while he stood at the other side of the yard.

he soon came over! i fed him tied up to a bungie and when he finished and tried to do it again he found he couldnt!!

ha ha - revenge!!

he hasnt done it since and that was about 6 weeeks ago!
 
When one of the horses that I ride started to do this we just ignored the horse and carried on whatever it was that we were doing in the first place all completely silently whereas normally we would be talking to him and praising him non-stop. He very quickly worked out that it really wasn't interesting anymore to do it and stopped it may just be that he thinks of it as a game.
 
[ QUOTE ]
lsat time mine did this i ignored him!

i continued doing all the other horses - including feeding much to his annoyance! - while he stood at the other side of the yard.

he soon came over! i fed him tied up to a bungie and when he finished and tried to do it again he found he couldnt!!

ha ha - revenge!!

he hasnt done it since and that was about 6 weeeks ago!

[/ QUOTE ]
Haha Brilliant !!!!!!!
Once they know the "pull back and break the string trick" you have had it
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I like the idea of the lungeline and yard broom ...I just give mine a licket tub and they stand there quite happy licking and slobbering for ages
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I think a lickit would work for him, he would love it but do they have loads of sugar in them and will it make him fat? He was good today so hopefully will be this evening as well when I bring him in.
 
Murph used to do this a lot. We were told to make a loop of a tail bandage and tie rope to that. When they pull back the tail bandage gives a lot without breaking, and if they are just being naughty they lose interest
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We found it worked quite well for Murph and he is a lot better now although has his moments. Obviously you have to do this under supervision as the tail bandage doesn't break unless under a lot of pressure.
 
my pony used to do this, he was generally bargy and would try not to do anything you wanted him to! he would break anything he was tied to and ended up pulling off the tie ring and wood from the side of his stable
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he knew he could get away so tried it every time and was never settled

until i found at the local tack shop a metal gadget which you screw to a secure surface, and the rope slots into it, there is a lever which releases the rope
sorry not explained very well!
basically he couldnt get free and after trying twice he has never done it again and stands lovely!
 
QR- I think Shilasdairs idea of the lunge line is a good one , and this has worked for me.
My horse really does not do it out of badness she panics and would do ANYTHING to get free once she decides she doesnt want to be tied up- i relate it to her being hit as a youngster when tied up , struggling and falling over and injuring herself.
I think if your horse is scared the brush idea is a bad one, however yours sounds like he is at it so I would give it a try, only you will know his nature, and you dont have to poke him with it just let him walk back into it.
 
My old horse used to pull back in panic whenever he was tied up and fell over backwards onto concrete a few times. I therefore learnt never to tie him up and he just stood there like a lamb with his leadrope over his neck.
 
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