Horse pulling away

[Horsekaren]

Hi,
I am really keen to hear some advice on how to cope with a horse that occasionally pulls away when being led. I have only had him for 2 weeks and he seems to be settling in well, he seems very gentle but he can be very strong and pull away when being led.
I have been wrapping the rope of the head collar around his nose and that has helped, I walk at his shoulder and hold the rope under his chin which has also helped.
I have purchased a Dually Head Collar for him but I am hoping to train this out of him.
He seems to be more pully when there is another horse around being lead, at night I cannot leave the last horse in the field alone so ideally I need to be able to lead my horse and the other horse (who has impeccable ground manners)


Do you have any advise or tips on how I can train this out of him? I am new to horse ownership and am nervous and every time he pulls away I feel my confidence hit the ground. He has so much potential and I really want to sort this issue out. He is an 8 Year old 16H cob.


Thanks!!!!!

 

[Exploding Chestnuts]

I'd get somone to boss him a bit, show you how to lead him, also you need a longer lead rope than often sold at tack shops, and I don't think holding him near the headcollar is going to help, worse case scenario is he may jump on top of you.
The rope round the nose either works or it does not work, it can't be described as "helping the situation"l, it either stops him or it does not stop him. That is why I say, you might need assistance.
You need a growl type of warning word, to tell him when his behaviour is unacceptable, and at the same time you jerk on the noseband of the headcollar, if he is jumping about. It has to be done timeously. You are the leader of the herd. The final word is your word.
PS don't fluffy bunny him with sugary words when he is doing things OK, that is what he is "paid" to do.
PPS until you are confident, just explain to others that you are having problems and that you just can't manage two, which is a bit of an ask for new owner.

 

[Shay]

I too would suggest not holding him close. If he pulls away he could injure you. It feels like you have more control; but actually you don't.

Absolutely you should be able to train better manners into him. You might need the help of someone experienced. I don't personally like bossing them or bullying them - they have to learn to stay with you because that is the easier thing to do and the correct thing for them to do in terms of horse herd dynamics. At the end of the day they are always going to be stronger than we are so if we try to rely on strength we are going to loose.

A dually will help - I prefer them over the more aggressive control type headcollars which can cause pain - but they do require some skill to use effectively. If you have an natural or intelligent horsemanship type person near you it might be worth asking them for help. Not the lot beginning with P.

 

[Exploding Chestnuts]

You cannot let the horse decidewho is herd leader, and if it is not clear that you are the boss, he will take that role.
Its easier for him to drag the owner over to the verge to get a nibble off grass.
You don't ask a horse to choose what to do, you tell him,

 

[Meowy Catkin]

Short term - a bridle, bit coupling and an extra long leadrope, plus gloves for you. A groundwork lesson with a good instructor may be very helpful too as the long term solution is training the horse (and possibly the handler too, even if it's just for a confidence boost).

 

[Exploding Chestnuts]

Short term - a bridle, bit coupling and an extra long leadrope, plus gloves for you. A groundwork lesson with a good instructor may be very helpful too as the long term solution is training the horse (and possibly the handler too, even if it's just for a confidence boost).

and never turnout in to a field with a bridle, always a headcollar.

 

[Mahoganybay]

I had this issue with my big ID tank, he knew his strength and that he could get away from me. Tried all sorts, leading in bridle, dually, stallion chain. He was a total nightmare.

I have found what has worked for us is the following:

1. A http://www.ezyloader.co.uk/ headcollar adapter.
2. A long line.
3. Gloves when leading.
4. Lots of ground work, backing up, moving over etc.
5. A strict turnout / bringing in routine.

Would I say he is 100% cured, possibly not but he has gone from doing every time we lead him to him now not doing it for about 2 years (touches wood frantically).

Good luck, it's a PITA.

 

[Corbie]

I agree with everything others so far have suggested, especially about not holding by head collar or too short. When a horse wants to go it's power will override yours however close or tight you hold him. A longer lead rope held longer actually gives you more leverage should a horse start playing up or pulling you, and you will be in a safer position and less likely to be trampled on. There are some interesting you tube videos by the horse trainer Pat parelli on this that I found really useful on leading issues. Apart from the practical suggestions there is plenty of thought from a horse behaviour point of view, and how to establish yourself as leader (because at the moment he's not considering you to be his leader). Put some groundwork in leading him in the school, get him to respect your space and show him lots of praise when he is going right. Good luck 😉

 

[Equi]

The first thing to teach him is to yield to pressure. Work in the arena and get him going backwards, then start walking about and when you stop, he must stop and teach him automatically to take a step back. eventually you can walk him on a long lead and when you stop he should stop and go back. I did this with my big lad who was an anxious puller, now he does it like he breaths air and i have found that it really settles him down esp when we go to new exciting places..i automatically do this exercise with him and his brain clicks back into "oh, this is my human and i have to be good cause i know everything is okay" and his head goes down and and he breathes a big huff.

 

[Exploding Chestnuts]

One thing is sure, mention the P word and you will shut everyone up.
Learning ground handling is just as important as other skills, but don't buy in to that particular cowboy's ideas.