Leading bargy horses HELP

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darkbay12

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My horse is quite bargy coming out of the stable to and from the field, also just in general leading round the yard, on and off the trailer, does anyone know of any good control headcollars there is that they would recommend just so I can have a bit more control and do more groundwork with him :)
 
have you tried a standard rope halter and a longer line? It will give you alot more control than a standard headcollar does. The Dually's aren't bad but unless you use them correctly they are a waste of time and money.
 
I use a dually to re-inforce my horses manners, 3yr old cob realised how strong he was, a few sessions with the dually and a bottle with stones in to distract him from unwanted behaviour worked well, my old WB mare, built like a tank, thought she could do what she wanted, when she wanted, using her weight, being an old tart (20+) she still pushes her luck, but will now wait for feeds/haynets, will not drag you where she wants to go, all thanks to the dually, both are still works in progress, but both respect the dually, which needs to be fitted snugly to work.
I once watched someone trying to load a horse in a dually and failed, months later met the owner and got talking, owner always waited till the last to leave, avoiding 'helpful advice', I mentioned that I had witnessed her trying to load her horse and had noticed that the dually was too slack, she fitted it properly and her horse loaded with no problems, I did the catering at an EC so met this woman at shows, just for the sake of tightening the dually, she was failing to load her horse
 
Another one for the leadrope around the nose! Although ifbyour willing to pay the dually works well. Thankfully I have now stamped out most of the argy bargy issues with my boy- still tries his luck though.
I also found it helpful carrying a short crop- my boy tended to try and barge away ahead or barge out of the stable a decent sharp smack on the chest/shoulder soon fixed these issues! I know some will be entirely against it but my boy is not the "sensitive" type and needs to know... I am in charge of where we are going just now!
 
Really not a fan of control headcollars. If they are bargey I prefer a chain looped under headcollar or if really bad a chain through a bit.

However, each to their own and I wish you every success in finding a solution that works. :)

And to MyDogIsAnIdiot we have a 'see-saw' livery on our yard with a 4 yr old mare. If you ever want to mash their face into a blender...... :D
 
Rope halters work well, not the white Welsh cob show type though! They are much thinner than a headcollar so you have more response, but there's nothing to tighten up too hard if they pull (a la chain/rope loops, etc).
 
Once you have his headcollar on and before you even open the door to walk out, move his feet. Ask him to go back, to go sideways, to come forward and go back again. Then go out of the door slowly and if he barges, back him up again. And again. And again. An American rope halter helps, to use pressure and release, I find lots of horses disregard the pressure from "normal" headcollars but basically it is a leadership issue. If you can control his feet he will have more respect for you as a leader, especially backing up.
 
Lintel - I agree! I had a very bargy cob once and used to put the headcollar rope over his nose and carry a short crop to tap him occasionally when needed - oh and I always wore gloves! After a time he was a real gentleman to handle but not with others who used to think it unnecessary and would just lead him out to the field for me without such precautions!
 
Dually all the way, have tried several alternatives and this is by far the best. My cob knows her strength and uses it to her advantage. Since using the dually she is like a different horse to lead. I can walk her out to the field on a very loose line without her pulling and barging in to me. I bought mine second hand so managed to grt it for £25.
 
JillA said:
Once you have his headcollar on and before you even open the door to walk out, move his feet. Ask him to go back, to go sideways, to come forward and go back again. Then go out of the door slowly and if he barges, back him up again. And again. And again.
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This x10.

Perseverance is absolute key. If you're going to start, you need to make sure you follow through 100% - even if that means it takes you an hour to get to the field.

I find working on it every day for around 15 minutes is extremely effective.

It doesn't have to be boring - I love setting up poles/cones etc. and then setting targets on where to stop and back up etc.
 
JillA said:
Once you have his headcollar on and before you even open the door to walk out, move his feet. Ask him to go back, to go sideways, to come forward and go back again. Then go out of the door slowly and if he barges, back him up again. And again. And again. An American rope halter helps, to use pressure and release, I find lots of horses disregard the pressure from "normal" headcollars but basically it is a leadership issue. If you can control his feet he will have more respect for you as a leader, especially backing up.
Click to expand...

This, I always get me 3yo (nearly 4) to back up when he gets a bit pulley. Now he's pretty good, but has the odd lapse in manners!
 
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