Horse keeps taking off inhand

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Sadie_ludlam

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Hi my horse a 16.2 Irish draught has a problem with taking off, I’ve had him a few months and when we walk around the yard he can be very nervous and will just take off, I’ve done groundwork in the arena and he’s well behaved in there but as soon as we’re out he acts up again, I’ve tried a Monty Robert’s head collar a rope halter and a longer line and no matter what he will still turn his head away from me and use all of his strength to take off, he’s the same if he sees another horse going in a different direction or if he doesn’t want to do something he will take off, I’m wondering if anyone can give me any advice on what to try next as it’s an ongoing problem.
 
Have you tried leading him in a bridle?

Long-term you either need something you can control him in so you can build his confidence in you and his new surroundings, or a safe space where you can practice and he can’t get hurt if he gets away from you.

Hence trying a bridle - then you do groundwork/handling as a thing daily outside the arena in the bridle until he trusts you.

If you cannot get control or he’s a danger to himself in the bridle then your other option is to try what I do with the strong feral ponies. For this you need the right setup though which you might not be able to achieve on a yard.

Setup: somewhere you can recatch him and he cannot get too far/hurt himself or others if he goes. Not electric fencing unless he really respects it and the zap is strong.

Equipment: headcollar (I use rope but can be any - you’re not trying to control with it as such) and a long line. Long line length not lunge line length, so cut down an old lunge line or pop on eBay and get a long line set.
Gloves. Hat for you. Twine to tie the line onto the headcollar if you’re worried he could get stuck in the line when he runs. High value treats - something he goes totally nuts for, be that carrots or the commercial treats or mints. Bum bag to carry the treats in.

Time: 5-10min per day. Twice a day if you can. On the first 2-3 days though you need to allow hours in case he decides not to let you recatch him.
Method: Catch horse and walk him towards his area. The second you can do so safely (in the field if the other horses won’t bother you but usually past the gate would be safer) stop randomly and offer him a treat for stopping with you. I train it to ‘whoa’ because I do this before backing and I like to have ‘stop’ well trained 🤣. So I would say ‘whoa’ stop suddenly, treat him for stopping with you. Repeat until he’s like: This is so cool, mum stops, I stop, I get a treat! Let’s stop!
At some point he will spook. Let him go. You’re not stronger than him, that’s why you’re at this method. Let him run off, line trailing behind annoying him (needs to be just long enough to ’chase’ him a bit but not so long he can get tangled in it). He’ll run around a bit, then eventually stop. Approach him with treat offered. Touch the line and offer the treat once you are touching it. Then gather up the line as he munches, praising him for standing with you and giving another treat when it is all coiled up. Then off you walk as if nothing happened. Repeat. If he runs off as you approach, let him, just keep walking to help him until he lets you.

What they learn from this is:
- Staying with mum is good. Yummy treats. Trust.
- Running from mum is bad (trailing rope).
- Mum catching me = removal of bad things AND food. Good!

Gradually he will run less far and catch easier. Then one day he will run to the end of the rope, then two steps, then just one. Takes a couple of weeks for me doing it more than once a day, and mine are so bad I can’t lead them outside their own field at first! This method fixes the issue - trust - and they’ll then lead for pretty much anyone. My worst two offenders lead like lambs for children now! It also has the advantage of basically teaching them to ground tie.
 
Following this after being put on the floor by my new boy….have had NH trainer out, thought we were sorted but did it at a venue, have booked another visit but hoping you will get some good advice. It’s a horrible feeling and mine is only 14.2 not 16.2
 
I used a chifney to lead a cheeky/rude ID to and from the field, he soon got the idea, but I did continue to use it for quite a while. I don't remember when I stopped using it, but he was fine for the rest of his days after that initial tussle😅
 
I have delt with this a few times. I haven't used a chifney but do believe that to keep everyone safe, you have to have enough control to stop the horse. I use a bit headstall (snaffle is fine!) and a lunge line. The lunge line is clipped to the far bit ring, over the top of the head and through the near bit ring. I tend to also have a normal rope attached to a halter, but appreciate that it can mean a lot of ropes if you're not used to handling them LOL.

I would then do the other method, ie asking for small things and rewarding when they are complied with. I would have the horse learn to yield to the halter, lower his head, turn his head, be able to turn by an indirect pressure over the wither, and generally be co-operative, with rests and praise when things go well. I have sometimes used clicker and treatsies to teach the horse to search out an answer to a question that I have asked. I would start with stand still, rest, yield to a feel, reversing, reversing a circle each way, walking forward a few steps only initially, and on a curve.

I would increase the challenge as the horse makes progress.

Walking forward would start to be for longer stretches but each time his attention wandered I would stop/reverse etc until he is mentally with you again. I would keep asking more, until you can walk and trot in straight lines, only asking more when he is relaxed, attentive and compliant.

However...

A horse tanking is dangerous and every time the horse succeeds, the behaviour is reinforced, so I make no apology for having the second rope and bringing him up short if his behaviour comes up short and is dangerous. I would also have the second rope when moving to a new and potentially stressful new situation, such a loading/unloading, going to a show etc. I would hopefully not need to use the second rope, but it would be there to re-establish control if I made a mistake and missed a signal and asked too much.
 
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Do you have any idea why he’s doing this? He is okay in the arena. Is he looking at going to join his friends or because he knows it’s the way to the field? I’d try and get to the psychology of it first.

And adding on for the other suggestions no idea how big or strong you are but sometimes somebody bigger or stronger who is confident in horse handling can be useful just to help set the boundaries. I sometimes think someone who is tall enough to look them in the eye helps.
 
We bought a welsh D that did the same. We tried all sorts of different head collars and building trust the NH way but if he was anxious or in that frame of mind nothing stopped him. One day when moving yards he decided he wasn't going on the transport lorry so spun and went to tank off. My timing must have been impeccable as I managed to drop my body weight and spin him back round as his front feet were off the ground (the transport guy was impressed). Both the horse and I stood looking at each other in total shock, but after that day he never did it again.
 
At certain times of the year (grass flushes) my horse is led to and from the field in a bridle. In new situations he is in a bridle. To load he is in a bridle. These are all points he learned that he can just bog off. He'd learned this before I got him and it has taken time to overcome. He is strong, large and opinionated and will use that strength against the tiny human with him. He is also an anxious horse by nature and often his first reaction is to run away, though he is getting better and it's been a few years since he properly pegged it. In a bridle, which he understands and respects, I have a split second to stop him, and it works. I hold one rein only and have no compunction about using it to remind him to stay if he is about to set his neck and go.

It does take time, consistency and repetition. I also employed the bumbag of treats, and that is only be used for 'work' or he becomes a mugger.
 
The only thing I found to work was a leading rein with a chain, fed through the head collar under the chin. My horse only tested it once and never tried again. A bridle and a dually head collar didn't work. I'm sure it wasn't pleasant for him, but 500kgs of cob almost knocking me over was a safety issue for me.
 
If the horse gets in front of you there is no chance of stopping him, even a tiny shetland pony is stronger than a human. I would have the clip on the side of the headcollar so you pull him round - but it sounds as though this is beyond headcollar! And some good suggestions.

Maya - regarding the trailing line, don't you worry that they are going to panic and bolt with the line "chasing them?" I had a pony once that bolted because something was on the ground, he would never have stopped but luckily he slipped over and I managed to get to his head and disconnect the line.
 
My ID can be difficult if he is anxious and stressed. I’ve used a bridle previously.
He was so bad at my previous yard I was close to getting a behaviourist out. I changed yards and he’s now a dope on rope in a head collar.
 
Orangehorse said:
If the horse gets in front of you there is no chance of stopping him, even a tiny shetland pony is stronger than a human. I would have the clip on the side of the headcollar so you pull him round - but it sounds as though this is beyond headcollar! And some good suggestions.

Maya - regarding the trailing line, don't you worry that they are going to panic and bolt with the line "chasing them?" I had a pony once that bolted because something was on the ground, he would never have stopped but luckily he slipped over and I managed to get to his head and disconnect the line.
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It’s about line length. Long enough to annoy but short enough not to be a danger is usually as long as or just longer than the horse (depending on temperament a bit). You want them to feel uncomfortable being ‘chased’ but not flat out panicking. I have tried with just a lead rope and it honestly doesn’t work. You need to be able to ‘save’ them from something to build the trust. To be fair, by the time you hit the point of trying this method you would have a horse who has run off repeatedly with a long line attached so is presumably not going through fences in panic.

First time I did this was by accident. Pony was in the process of learning to be led and kept disappearing because she spooked/she felt like it and I couldn’t hold her. So I let her go and walked her down each time. That time I had quite a long line and she was good and chased by enough of it behind her that my little Dartmoor tried to pounce on it like it was a snake! I walked and walked for hours on day one, until she understood that all I wanted was for her to stand still so I could save her from the ‘snake’!

Obviously it got refined into what I wrote above as I modified what had worked once into something you could repeat.
 
This needs nipping in the bud ASAP as can quickly become dangerous.

I would use a normal bridle initially to stop the habit. You may just have to resort in leading him in a bridle at all times. It's not the end of the world.

Why is he taking off? Does he goe for grass? Mine can do this when hungry. I also use a bridle to lead anywhere away form the yard and to load, though now I tend to be fine by just wrapping the rope across his nose.
 
My friend had a horse that would just keep walking in the direction he wanted if he didint have a bridle on. With a bridle he was as good as gold .
 
My Dales pony is like this. If I lead in a bridle/ halter/ headcollar he can take off if spooked, snap the reins, pull the bridle over his head. Get himself in more of a panic. If tied up and he spooks, he will pull and pull until something breaks.
Once when untacking, I had the bridle off & his headcollar fixed to a long lead rope. The rope was looped loosely over my arm as I undid the girth.
The buckle jingled. He took flight.
The lead rope wrapped round my wrist like a noose and he pulled me over and dragged me down the road - I honestly thought I would die.
I was really badly hurt.
I have learned that he is better being led in company. I have learned to wear gloves and a hat and to have a short lead rope so I can't wrap it around anything. And I have learned to let go.
He is much calmer with a belly full of forage so I try not to let the fields get too bare and to supplement well with lots of hay. I am an experienced horse person and have put in lots of work and had all the checks done. He is generally a sweetheart, but he has a very sharp flight response. I take extra precautions to keep everyone safe.
 
this is Diva’s party trick - she’s not “naughty” but something upsets her and she shoots off in a blind panic, however to begin with, because she’d learnt i’d let go, she started doing it just because - to the field (grass) or from the field (tea time!)

echo above with the groundwork, but in the meantime try a bridle, or a control headcollar with the chain - it’s not always convenient or safe to risk them sodding off if you’ve got stuff to do!

once she learnt it didn’t work anymore she packed it in, but it’s still in her because that’s just her “flight” response - we still end up having to go backwards all the way to our destination because i just can feel it building😂
 
My NF (14hh but tank-like) used to do this. When I got him you couldn't even clip a lunge line on as he would take off (someone had obviously done a number on him on the lunge or with a rope but we never found out what) and if he was put into a situation that bothered him he would just leave. He would run through a bridle or a control headcollar. He got much better as he gained confidence in me, but it took quite a while and the behaviour would occasionally resurface. I retaught him to lunge starting in the stable, and moved on to long-reining, but always had to be careful about how the lines touched him. I would never have taken him out in public on a long line/s. I had help from an IH person who taught me to always keep him present in the moment with me when I was on the ground, and not to let him look around and wonder about things. If he felt he was the one who had to make the decisions his decision was usually to run, but if he felt threatened he would do the same, so it was all about giving him confidence, taking the pressure off but also giving him little exercises to occupy his brain. But ymmv. Ironically, he never buggered off doing liberty work even when I was asking quite a bit of him.
 
Bridle, with reins rather than a lead rope. When he starts, drop the outside rein and pull on the inside one (you may need your elbow in his neck/shoulder for leverage), so that his head is forced round towards you. It's very difficult for them to tank off with their head pulled round like that.
A bit that won't pull through the mouth will help with this (full cheek/D-ring/hanging cheek).
 
I’ve had two horses that did this, tbh once they know they can do it, it never truly goes away.

Horse 1 - generally only did it in summer when out with her friends. Would rear up and leg it. Put a bridle on, no problems. Yard staff used a chifney on her, which also worked. I personally didn’t use it, never experienced one, and that horse was not one to start trying it on!

Horse 2 - had been a thug all his life, learnt what he could get away with. Was also of a nervous disposition, his default behaviour was to yank the rope out of your hands, double barrel, then run away. I bought him a chain headcollar. Attached a long NH rope (lunge line to light), and set him up in a “safe” area. The instant he started to turn around I yanked on that rope as hard as possible. That gave him a nasty shock, and he started to improve. He also needed hours and hours of training how to lead properly. Also tried to avoid situations that might tempt him into legging it again.
 
dorsetladette said:
We bought a welsh D that did the same. We tried all sorts of different head collars and building trust the NH way but if he was anxious or in that frame of mind nothing stopped him. One day when moving yards he decided he wasn't going on the transport lorry so spun and went to tank off. My timing must have been impeccable as I managed to drop my body weight and spin him back round as his front feet were off the ground (the transport guy was impressed). Both the horse and I stood looking at each other in total shock, but after that day he never did it again.
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This is what I have found. As I use a normal rope, they forget that they have the extra one and, if they do something silly, they can be brought up in rather short order! They soon realise that this was disadvantageous.

I do generally use a full cheek snaffle so it is always stable in the mouth.

Mine are also trained to have roles dangled off them, over them, etc, including making noise. They have stuff on their backs that drops to the floor, and they are expected to stop and wait for further instructions. I also teach them to lunge off a fore or hind leg (using a second lunge rope) and I believe this helps them to not panic if they ever get their legs caught. I do flags and drums, it is about making them safe for the modern world.

Often, a new horse will spend their first ridden session just learning to be mounted as it seems most people don't teach mounting manners. I mean to side pass over towards me, park up in a sensible and accessible place and remain parked whilst I not only get on, but also do girth, blow my nose, put gloves on etc. To me, those early lessons are worth gold.
 
My old bird did this, 16hh tank of a horse that knew exactly what she could do. My fault unfortunately. Bridle made no difference, she just whipped round and yanked and as reins are quite short she was off. I loved that baggage though. I couldn't do the get off and lead if scared, shed be off. So I guess I echo nip it in the bud as if you don't it may be too late. I wasn't brave enough to use a chifney but maybe should have. Good luck!
 
I’ve been through this with my youngster. The only thing I could hold him was a Richard Maxwell training halter and a 12ft rope and I’ve also done a tonne of groundwork. Could not hold him in a Dually or a bridle and was worried if he got away in a chifney he could seriously hurt himself. He can go in and out in an ordinary headcollar or Dually now.

It’s expensive for a bit of rope but it does work.

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You could try a lunge cavessson with the lead rope or lunge line clipped to the middle ring on the cavesson. It’s hard for them to set off if their nose is being pulled round.
 
Sussexbythesea said:
Mine was the same, when there is no pressure on the head he’s no reason to pull away. Doing liberty work and building connection did help with the pulling away issues.
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Interesting isn't it? Mine had comparable issues with separation anxiety - he was perfectly happy to be out of sight of his mate in the same field as long as humans weren't involved! Poor boy.
 
It depends whether he is running off in fear, or because he's almost napping to get to whatever he wants.

I think it's a really important step in any horses education to teach them that the answer to unwanted or 'scary' stimuli is not to move their feet, it creates a horse that thinks before they react or at least doesn't have running as their default setting. Dex got away from me several times in the first 3 weeks of ownership whilst I was doing this groundwork with him, and I can count the times on one finger that he has done it in the 2yrs since, be it in hand or ridden.
 
What Red-1 said. It's a lack of respect for your personal space. I have dealing with this with our 17 hand Friesian and unfortunately he doesn't have to do too much to be out of control. I've done a lot of work both bringing him and turning him out and some groundwork in the arena. Every time he gets too close or tries to lean on me with his shoulder, I stop and back him up. Aim is to always have him walking behind me with some slack in the rope. I will carry on walking and randomly stop. If he isn't listening or doesn't respond and invades my space I'll back him up. The slack in the rope and a rub on the head is his reward. He is worse when it's windy or if something spooks him but I am consistent. In the arena we do more of this, also getting control of all the legs - backing up over and between poles, disengaging the hind end and moving the shoulders around the front end. I notice he will test the boundaries or revert back sometimes if he's been out for a few days and not done any groundwork or had any handling and needs a bit of reminding. But usually I can do this with very subtle cues when he is listening, I made my body language bigger when he isn't listening. He is a dominant horse and doesn't have another horse who will keep him in check so he is used to being able to move the others around and nobody moves him so some of it is he just needs to learn. I'm much happier handling him now though with this groundwork as he used to be almost dragging me in and trotting sideways. It definitely is very effective.
 
spotty_pony2 said:
What Red-1 said. It's a lack of respect for your personal space. I have dealing with this with our 17 hand Friesian and unfortunately he doesn't have to do too much to be out of control. I've done a lot of work both bringing him and turning him out and some groundwork in the arena. Every time he gets too close or tries to lean on me with his shoulder, I stop and back him up. Aim is to always have him walking behind me with some slack in the rope. I will carry on walking and randomly stop. If he isn't listening or doesn't respond and invades my space I'll back him up. The slack in the rope and a rub on the head is his reward. He is worse when it's windy or if something spooks him but I am consistent. In the arena we do more of this, also getting control of all the legs - backing up over and between poles, disengaging the hind end and moving the shoulders around the front end. I notice he will test the boundaries or revert back sometimes if he's been out for a few days and not done any groundwork or had any handling and needs a bit of reminding. But usually I can do this with very subtle cues when he is listening, I made my body language bigger when he isn't listening. He is a dominant horse and doesn't have another horse who will keep him in check so he is used to being able to move the others around and nobody moves him so some of it is he just needs to learn. I'm much happier handling him now though with this groundwork as he used to be almost dragging me in and trotting sideways. It definitely is very effective.
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This is exactly how we handle all the NF youngsters from the beginning (and just because they are 13.2 don't think they can't be right tw*ts at times 🤣 🙈) SP2 I really like your clear and detailed account of how this groundwork should be done.
 
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