How to deal with horse that pulls back (when tied)

[piaffe]

Addie has a new trick (

). She pulls back, when tied up and breaks the baler twine.

The first time she did it, she spooked at a bird that landed on the wall in front of her. So I kind of understood. SInce then (4 days ago) she has done it 6 times!!!!

She did it this morning and then went off to eat her hay so it isn't stress etc it just seems to be that she finds being tied up a little boring (she has also learnt to untie herself)!

Any suggestions on how best to deal with this as I'm worried about tying her directly to the ring.

OH used to work at Badminton and he said they had these chains, covered with plastic and a quick release clip which, may be suitable but have no idea where to get one.

Any other ideas?

 

[barbaraNcolin]

I found on the t'internet really thick bungy leads with a quick release clip one end and normal clip the other end, that I use in our lorry. I'll have a lil' look to see if I can find out the proper name for them or where to find them.

 

[nic85]

I knew a horse who used to do this but she was a moose and did it because she was 'scared' she broke numerous amounts of lead ropes, head collars and baler twine before someone bought one of those chain/quick release clips...worked a treat!! she was always tied up with it and if she pulled back she wouldn't panic or leg it and soon stopped.

I'm not sure where to look for one, I suppose most good online saddlery's or normal saddlery's would have them....

 

[JessPickle]

Pickle does this, he isn't scared he just knows his own strength. I use trailer ties for him, which he can still break if he really panics at something. They mean pickle pulls but then realises there is no point and gives in, he had a good pull on it at first but quickly got the idea

like these

http://www.kmeliteproducts.co.uk/proddetail.php?prod=acc0015

 

[barbaraNcolin]

Jess, they are the same thing I have in the lorry. Derby House have also got cotton leadrope ones with plastic over the top to stop them being chewed??

 

[_OC_]

Equitie - Breakpoint Tether is what you need this little piece of elastic tied to the ring was the best bit of kit I used on a mare that was very prone to this...cost about £3.50 each...sorry did try and copy the link from Derby house did not want to know...you can buy them in most saddlers!

 

[piaffe]

Thanks everyone, going to have a look at suggestions now.

 

[piebaldsparkle]

Think these are the chains your OH is think of.


http://www.robinsons-uk.com/products/search.asp?keyword=chain#sku.57403

 

[piaffe]

I've actually got one of those as Viento used to constantly rear when tied up so he could get his front leg over the rope (weird horse)

Im not so sure it would be strong enough if she were to pull back on it though, surely it would break as easily as the baler twine?

 

[piaffe]

Oooooooh, fantastic def looks like the thing he described. Thanks.

 

[piaffe]

That looks good too. Thanks

 

[Harrie123]

My horse did this a lot, (hes four) so I used the bungie ties (elstic ties, like normal baler twine but elastic). I think the reason he broke the baler twine is he got to the end of it and it was so much instant resistance he panicked them broke it. With the elastic ones they can pull but they dont seem to panick because they dont get the end of it, and it pulls back shightly encouraging them to 'let go'.

Ive managed to move him back onto baler twine again now.

 

[piaffe]

I didn't think of it like that, thanks. Maybe I will try mine first before I buy a chain/trailer tie.

She is 3 so perhaps its an age thing!

 

[_OC_]

[ QUOTE ]
I've actually got one of those as Viento used to constantly rear when tied up so he could get his front leg over the rope (weird horse)

Im not so sure it would be strong enough if she were to pull back on it though, surely it would break as easily as the baler twine?

[/ QUOTE ]

Yes it would,but over time she would do it less as that is how my mare did it less and less using it.....and I would rather it gave then end up with a horse that became sore in her poll region due to her head collar.

 

[Faro]

It sounds very much like your horse has learnt that by pulling back like this she can free herself, and if freedom is a "reward" them yes, she'll use her new trick more and more.

I don't have much advice as to how to stop her doing this I'm afraid, but could I suggest that as this has happened a lot recently, and is beginning to become a habit, that you get a physio/chiro/therapist out to check your horse over.

Pulling back hard like this is a very common cause of damage to the poll, as well as to other areas. It may not look obvious at first, but it is worth getting it checked over, because any hidden damage could lead on to other problems (physical and/or ridden) in the future.

 

[Bubbles]

Hi Piaffe,
One suggestion, on your tie ring make three or four loops of string to tie up to, each progressively larger and loop your rope through all four (I do hope this is making sense!)The first one should be normal size, and the last one quite big. Then, when neddy pulls back she'll snap the first bit of string, but she'll still be tied up to the next bit, so she'll get the release sensation but still be tied up. Failing that, tie her up to an elasticated tailbandage that will just keep stretching. In hand, if you give a couple of tiny pulls on the headcollar, will she lower her head? Prob worth teaching her that so she learns to yield to pressure as opposed to pulling back.

 

[sallyellis]

I have a bungee rope which is made of thick elastic, its covered in plastic and has a quick release on one end like the trailer ties....you can get them from e-bay I use it on all of my youngsters as it stretches so gives a little but they cant break it but if they have a full on panic you can release it quickly. Good luck.

 

[Stacie_and_Jed]

I feel i will get shouted at for this but ill say it anyway!!!

Jed always without fail pulls back and breaks away when he is tied to baler-twine, because he knows he can get away. I now, and have done for the past 3 years, tie him to the metal wall fixing when he's out side. He doesnt pull back when tied to this and it has resulted in no more broken lead ropes!

I do have to be extra cautious not to leave him alone incase there is something scary happening, then i quickly un-clip his lead rope and move him.

 

[legaldancer]

Please don't tie direct to the ring. I did it & nearly got killed when my horse pulled back. He too had done it previously so I should have known better. I was standing near his head when he panicked & pulled back, breaking the rail from the fence & taking it with him. The rail hit me in the back & knocked me down & horse complete with rail, ran over me in sheer panic. I had horrendous bruises & my mobile (on my leg) got smashed. Luckily I had my hat on.
About a year later the horse had neck trouble, attributed at the time to kissing spines. I have since learned that it was the pulling back that could well have caused the pain he subsequently suffered.

I've been told that tying your horse up with two ropes, one longer than the other, can help stop this behaviour. When they pull back & break the first, they still have another rope anchoring them. I haven't used this method, but it maybe worth a try.

 

[Ziggy_]

Mine learnt to do this to free herself, not through fear, so I started using two ropes, one long one short. When she broke the bit of string holding the first one she found she was still tied by the second one and eventually gave up. Then she learnt to undo the knot instead....

 

[Ottinmeg]

i use the elastic ties, i think they have a 70lb breaking strain.My mare was tied up one day and got her head under the lead rein and pulled back and broke the tie so i tied her back up and she instantly pulled back now she knew how to get free.She did this about 6 times in as many minutes so i grabbed a schooling whip, tied her back up and the second she went to pull back i smacked her across the arse with the whip and she hasn't tried it since! Not suggesting you do that to a youngster though! mine was doing it because she could !

 

[Weezy]

Unpopular, but I would tie her to something VERY secure (like a deep bedded concrete post) and let her pull. Once she realises that the game is up she will stop.

 

[Honeypots]

[ QUOTE ]
Unpopular, but I would tie her to something VERY secure (like a deep bedded concrete post) and let her pull. Once she realises that the game is up she will stop.

[/ QUOTE ]

Same

 

[PennyJ]

Sometimes they pull back "because they can" Simple as, no other reason.

However, I've started a new job and the lady I now work for is into her natural horsemanship methods. She has these things, and combined with the extra long NH rope they work brilliantly in this situation.

http://www.blockerranch.com/index.php
http://www.theponytackshop.co.uk/for_pon...safety_tie_ring

 

[burtondog]

When I was travelling I worked for a couple of weeks at a racing yard in New Zealand. We used to lead the horses to the track then stand them in stalls while they waited for jockeys. They were cross tied in the stalls with chains welded onto the stalls and clipped onto each side of their head collar.

I told the trainer that in the UK we always tied our horses onto baling twine so that they could pull back without hurting themselves and the trainer said that was just silly because she'd seen horses injured by getting loose but none from being tied up properly.

My horse figured out he could break baling twine when it suited him so I plaited 3 pieces together and tied him to that until he stopped trying to break free. He's back on one piece of twine but now he thinks he can't break it so doesn't try anymore.