My horse has picked up a new bad habit - any ideas?

madhector

madhector

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Now I know I complain about Jerry alot, and he is a pain in the backside to ride most of the time, I put up with this as he is quite a talanted sod so worth it most of the time. He is also lovely to handle on the ground. Well that is until a week ago...

Normally when you turn him out he just wonders off and grazes, he never charges around the field or messes about (saves his energy for when I am on board
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) but recently when I turn him out as soon as you undo the headcollar he turns and kicks out repeatedly and the charges off bucking and squealing.

It doesnt look to me like high spirits, more like a dominance kind of thing, I have had a few near misses now and thought I would see what people on here thought before I take some sort of action...
 
abby does that sometimes, but never kicks out or anything just rushes up to the other horses or whatever, or if she's been particularly lively.
 
yeh thats what i mean, abby never does that so i dunno what you can do to help it. should of made ma post a little clearer lol!!!
 
I used to look after a friends pony who did this, although he would hardly give you time to undue the headcollar before charging off, sometimes with headcollar in tow!!! I used to wrap the leadrope around his neck first before undoing the headcollar. Then when the headcollar came off i still had hold of him. You could try this although i appreciate Jerry is probably stronger and bigger!!!

Another thing i always do is give then a treat when i turn them out. My old pony when i first got him did this but i started giving him a treat before i took the headcollar off. He learnt eventually and after that he always waited when i took the collar off for food. If i didnt have any he would follow me to the gate!!
 
At work I turn out a 17.1hh like this. Before the headcoller is even off the lil bugger rears, spins around and is off! Twice with me in tow launching me 2m into the air because I refused to let go. My boss tied him to the gate so he couldn't pull away, but I didn't like this idea. When I turn him out I go into the field and make sure there is enough room for me to take a few steps backwards, I also bring a carrot. Half before he goes into the field and he gets the other half if he waits for the headcoller to come off, this usually helps, depends on how food driven your horse is.
Hope this helps
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I had a horse that used to do that - he wasnt nasty just exuberant when let out and would spin round and let out massive kicks, kind of aimed at me but in a playful way (!!!!) - think of horses playing in a field. I cured it by leading him into the field and letting him graze in hand. If he wanted to walk instead of eat I walked with him, eventually he put his head down to eat, I would let him eat for a bit then I would make him walk on and then I took the headcollar off, giving him a treat as I left. Admittedly the first few times he did try and drag me so I took him in his bridle and in hand grazed him in that (not ideal but I needed the control). I think it is a play thing which quickly turns in to a 'I'm the herd leader, respect me!" so I just took the part that I was the leader and I walked away from him not him from me. I think sometimes the practice to always turn the horse towards the gate is safer because you have a quick exit but gives them the excuse to then whip round. Horses! Always give you something to worry about!!
 
With my friends 2 mares who can be a handful we walk them in the field, turn them round to face us and shut gate with them on one side and us on the other and give a treat once headcollar is off. Sometimes they wait for the treat sometimes they gallop off but at least we are out of the way.
My old pony horse started gallopin off just as I undid the headcollar and sometimes with it still on. I started taking her in a bridle and instead of letting her go straight away, I'd make her walk up the field a bit and back to the gate or part way before letting her go. She was only 15.1 though and I do appreciate its not much fun with a big strong horse.
Good luck with him.
 
I used to turn out a horse that did that and I tended to just keep the headcollar on and yank in the hard suddenly but instantly release and that tends to keep their attention firmly focused on the human. Then when he was firmly focused on me I let him go and swung the end of the leadrope at his bum. This may seem a little mean but it worked and did no harm to the horse. The main ethos was that everything was on my terms when he was being let go.

I hope that this helps.
 
I cant say my horse has done this, but I was once walking my pony in during this sort of time and she just rodeoed and bucked into my side...luckily it didnt hurt and i just put it down to spring fever.....as she didnt do it again....
When I turn out a horse I suspect is going to turn, buck/kick and bolt off I allow them to go through the gate while I stay the other side and undo their headcollar on the other side of the gate so they dont have a chance to kick at me. It also makes them learn to stand and wait and they are facing you so it takes them extra time to turn and kick out....
Are there any other horses he grazes with who he may have learnt it from..?
 
Might just be spring fever or coping youngster behaviour.....
Is he working hard to the mo or does he have some pent up energy? I would work him a little harder to burn off some of the excitement...its a pain when they pick up bad habits isnt it....
My horse at the weekend really played up in the trailer for the first time ever...he reared three times and broke my thumb by the end of the it....!! Ive got to re-train him...
It would be great if they could speak...:0)
 
I'm afraid my old mare was always like this. Impeccably behaved at all times except turning out, when she was positively beastly. The number of rope burns and kicks I had were unbelievable. I couldn't even open the gate before she would charge through - once I got impaled on the gate end and ripped my chest open as the dragged me over it - night before French listening GCSE exam, boy was that uncomfortable.

I had her 7 years and tried everything but she never got any better to turn out. If she had to stay in more than just over night it took 3 people to hold her to turn out - and boy did we leg it once she was let go.

It doesn't sound like Jerry is doing this for the same reasons as Cass - if it's a sudden development it could be "spring fever" or perhaps his way of letting off steam as his brain is probably working pretty hard at the moment. Most important thing is to keep yourself safe. I'd definitely try food - lead him in past the gateway, turn back but give yourself a good horse's length or so to get out the way towards the gate. Take headcollar off and then give food. Then run.
 
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