Horse taking off when being turned out.

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Hi all,
Problems again with knobber horse :o :rolleyes: I have decided to keep him, after spending the whole weekend crying my eyes out and being unable to imagine life without him I had to call off the second viewing. I felt awfull and like a total timewaster but am so much more relaxed and happier with him now. We've even been on a few hacks alone up the lane and around the valley so fingers crossed that threat of him being sold has hit home hard and he will behave more :D:D

Now his field is split in half with electric fencing with a mare and foal in one half and him and his field mate in the other. When I bring him in he is fine to wait for me to un-hook the fence from the post, hook it onto the other post, walk through calmly and wait for me to close it again. I always turn it off when moving the horses in and out of their field just incase they catch themselves on it and get a shock. But when I try turning him out, as soon as he is halfway through the "gate" part he bolts off. He will let me catch him again straight away and whenever he does this I bring him back, walk him back through the "gateway" and try to make him stand still to take the headcollar off but he takes of again. Over the past week we have been repeating this process about 5 times each night without success. Mum tried to hold onto the leadrope at one point and nearly dislocated two fingers. I want to get him out of this habit asap for everybody's safety. We have tried a little feed whilst slipping the headcollar off to make him wait, backing him through the gateway with his head turned away from the field part and turning out in a bridle and a Be Nice headcollar (not at the same time). So far the only method that has worked is the backing him into the field with his head turned away. The fence is turned off when leading him through so he doesnt get a shock and he is fine leading up to the "gate", just not going through! It seems as though he is just happy and excited to be back out, but I'd rather he contained it until the headcollar is off! Any ideas on what could help?
 
Thanks, we're still doing this everyday, just wondering if there were any other methods people have found successful :)
 
Turn him out in the head collar a few times and see if that calms it? I know the feeling, out little TB has his moments. He seems to have calmed with the good influence from my boy. There now always turned out at the same time and he's good as gold.
 
Use a chiffany and treats. My horses almost always wait till they have had their treat and I let go. Do you think he has had a shock from the electrics as he went past? That would take longer for him to forget. Do you turn the fence off so its doesn't click?
 
Our WB also does this at times.Usually it's because something has sooked him,or the others are messing around or he is simply too happy and exhuberant.He is so strong there is no way anyone can hold on to him,but he doesn't do anything horrid,just tanks off bucking and cavorting.I have found having treats in my pockets does help as he is so focused on the food he forgets himself.It does take time so be patient with your horse.You could try some groundwork such as join up.
 
If you could make a double gated area, like a small box in the gateway so that he cannot get away even if he rushes through the first one, you could then take time to make him stand quietly have a treat then take off the headcollar before opening the second gate, once the habit is broken you could take down the extra fencing.
 
I used to have this problem with a very exhuberant 18hh warmblood, who would rear to full height just inside the gateway before trying to tear off down the field. I led him in a NH rope halter for a little more control and used an extra long rope (so I could stand out of the way of his airs above the ground but still keep hold). I taught him that he would not be released until he had waited for a treat. I suppose, in total, it took about a month to completely cure him of the habit
 
I have a similar numpty of a pony. Doesn't do it all the time which means he sometimes catches people off guard. Bribing with treats works so just a case of taking carrots etc and distracting him just before the gate and giving him a treat whilst I'm opening it and when I take off the headcollar. Bit of a pain but works for us as he's very food orientated! If the backing into the field works for you, that might be what you have to do.
 
Thread a leadrope through a normal headcollar & hold both ends. Once through the gate before he charges off give him a carrot & slip the lr out. Then take the headcollar off when he's settled. Eventually he'll wait for the carrot at the gate, at which point you get him used to turning to face you before he gets the carrot & you slip the lr. Then you can start taking the headcollar off while he's facing you before he gets the carrot. Works on everything I've met. Problem with stuff like chifneys is you complicate it by making them wait longer while you take it off.
 
I had a mare that did this, and I solved it by always turning out with a chifney, and by spending time taking her into the field, giving her a treat, then just leading her out again. She soon learnt that going into the field didn't mean galloping off!
 
I am of the old school and believe that a horse should have manners and be able to be led anywhere in a halter. Some might need a control halter for a while but, they need to learn that if they tank off they get a punishment so, I will set them up to fail.

In this instance I would bring the horse in as normal and then return to the field and set up an inner gate with electric tape fixed to the rest of the field.
I would have this set up about 15 yards into the field. Take the horse to turn out and when he tanks off let him go so he will get a zap.
I would then catch him, turn him back to the gate and take his halter off, in good time, remove the second fence and go on my way.

I have not the time nor the inclination to spend time using bridles and chiffneys, if I want to lead four horses together out to the field I do so and they all wait until I take their halters off because they have been trained it is no worth taking advantage.
 
I've seen a little maize thingy done before, like those zigzag ques you have at airports or when queing at alton towers, when it goes there and back and its really annoying. I've seen someone do that before in their field, they had a square fenced off near the gate, bring horse into field, turn it round, take headcollar off but it wouldn't have enough space to twist round and gallop off, it would have to calmly turn around, go throught the zig zaggy thing and only then they could gallop off. It worked for her :)
 
I also agree with giving a treat as you're turning out. I can't get rid of my boy when I turn him out now that I've starting giving him tasties when I take the headcollar off ;)
 
littlelegs said:
Thread a leadrope through a normal headcollar & hold both ends. Once through the gate before he charges off give him a carrot & slip the lr out. Then take the headcollar off when he's settled. Eventually he'll wait for the carrot at the gate, at which point you get him used to turning to face you before he gets the carrot & you slip the lr. Then you can start taking the headcollar off while he's facing you before he gets the carrot. Works on everything I've met. Problem with stuff like chifneys is you complicate it by making them wait longer while you take it off.
Click to expand...

Sensible and practical, I like!
 
Had this problem with my ex racer after buying him. We used a dually headcollar and a lunge line either side of him- i was by his head and stable boy from race stables the other side, basically he tried to take off and we held him and shouted at him he hasn't tried it since. He is now always turned out in headcollar as he doesn't no when let off, always turn him towards gate once in field and then give a treat. He still occasionally has a go but he is now lead in normal headcollar unless he has been in for few days.
Good luck but yes nip it in the bud asap.
 
I like the zig zag idea. You could train yourself a Le Trek champion at the same time!

I also like the threading a leadrope through, but would thread a lungeline through and blimmin well not let go, hanging on with two hands!

With my husband's horse, who is 17h and did this as a youngster, I would use a very long leadrope and wrap the end of it several times around the gatepost before I opened the gate, so he simply couldn't pull away and got used to the idea of having to turn and stand facing me. Probably not the safest idea - you have to be very wary of where your fingers are/are going to be when the horse turns.., but it works for me.

I would also leave him with his headcollar on for the first hour until he got used to going out calmly and quietly. They soon learn that they will get their freedom a second later if they behave.
 
Is it silliness, or is he scared stiff of the fence? Alf is absolutely petrified of electric fencing, to the point that he gets sweaty as we walk up to the passageway between two electric fence paddocks, and I have to have someone with me to open the tape gate into his field. If I take him in and take his headcollar off by the gate, he will pull back and take off - but if I lead him well into the field where he knows the fence can't bite him, he is his usual mannerly self. I'm in no hurry, and understand that he's scared, so I don't object if he feels the need to shut his eyes and run a bit. I stick a bridle and lungeline on him so I can keep hold even when he does panic. It's not ideal, but he's an older chap, isn't going to change, and he's so perfect in other ways that I can tolerate this phobia!
 
He's had a zap from the fence before but not at the gate. He's managed to do a commando crawl underneath to go play stallion with foalie next door so I think he's pretty confident with it! I turn it off completely so it doesn't click as I felt that this could have been making him tense up ready to run. We have tried the lead rope/lung line threaded through the head collar and that's how mum nearly did her fingers in. He always gets a treat at the gate to try and break this habbit and to make him wait but he has so much grass he isn't always interested! Maybe I'll take his Likkit with me next time, can't pull him away from that :D thank you all for your suggestions, will give each of them a go at least and see how we get on. PS: Double_choc_lab hope you're not too sore! Hot bath with Radox should help! (Can't quote as am on my phone).
X
 
I'd go for a chiffney, they are really easy and quick to take off and my boy knows when he has that on he has to be on his best behaviour.
 
Definatley try a chifney especially if you think he's getting almost dangerous. It shouldn't be a problem using it just to lead out in.
 
Please don't turn out in a head collar/other device and not be able to take it off before horse is loose! He needs to be safe as well as you :-)

As well as treats/electric ideas have you considered the order he gets turned out in? I.e. is he rejoining friends or going out first, and hence alone. Might make the prospect slightly less exciting...
 
Always have the animal turn around and face you before releasing,with this one back it through the gate.Someone died nearby by a horse tanking off with a joyful buck and kick as it went,never ever allow this to happen.
 
Sounds like you have the right idea already, to make it more effective I'd ask him to take a step towards you (just one) and wait until he looks at you with BOTH eyes at the same time, to means his attention is focused on you. At this point give him a treat and then remove the head collar.
It will take ages for him to look at you but if you give a long sigh it may help.
You can then progress to him taking the steps after the head collar removed but it will take a while to progress to this.

This really helped my two. You can also growl 'wait' at them if they are getting out of hand, or just bring back out of the field.
 
Foxhunter49 said:
I am of the old school and believe that a horse should have manners and be able to be led anywhere in a halter. Some might need a control halter for a while but, they need to learn that if they tank off they get a punishment so, I will set them up to fail.

In this instance I would bring the horse in as normal and then return to the field and set up an inner gate with electric tape fixed to the rest of the field.
I would have this set up about 15 yards into the field. Take the horse to turn out and when he tanks off let him go so he will get a zap.
I would then catch him, turn him back to the gate and take his halter off, in good time, remove the second fence and go on my way.

I have not the time nor the inclination to spend time using bridles and chiffneys, if I want to lead four horses together out to the field I do so and they all wait until I take their halters off because they have been trained it is no worth taking advantage.
Click to expand...

As above, I also strongly believe that horses must understand who is the boss !
 
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