Need brakes for my baby

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Marmite Sandwich

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My yearling colt has taken to getting naughtier and naughtier (i know its not surprising being a colt etc) But I need some more tips to teach him to lead a little calmer please?
He is very bouncy and strong and would quite happily drag me all the way to his field.
He is gentle and sweet in his field, he doesnt kick bite or rear or anything like that he is lovely the rest of the time.
I've used pressure halters etc and they do give a little resistance but not strong enough "brakes" - what i'm after is a way of teaching him to behave rather than stud chains etc please
 
You CAN control this baby. He's just being like any other youngster.

The fact that he is gentle and sweet in the field suggests that leading him is an exciting affair and his brain just goes "whoopee!".

My filly did that too.

As a yearling she used to rear, buck run circles around me (taught to lead at about 10mo) when leading from the field. All I used to do was just stand perfectly still and ignore the behaviour. No comeback, no retaliation, I may as well have been a tree.

I would let the little fizzbomb run around me and do whatever until she fizzled out and came back to me. Then I would say "good girl" and offer a neck stroke and resume walking in the direction I was heading holding the leadrope as I would any other horse.
It gradually got less and less the more times I led her in. It didn't take long at all.

After a while she was like a dope on a rope (she's just turning 2 now) and if the wind does get up her tail, with me being 8mo pregnant, I just stand like I did a year ago and she comes straight back with an "oh sorry mum, but please can we walk a BIT faster?" look. I'm like, errr... no, it's this pace or no pace!

Basically, it is as simple as that. It's either walk nicely, or don't walk at all. No need to use voice or whips. Just standing there is really frustrating for them so they soon learn to just walk nicely.
 
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I'll give it a try - i have done trying to stand him still at which point he usually trys to roll - an attempt to remove his headcollar i think.
But not tried standing me still - i'll try it but i do suspect i may get dragged up the track tho lol!
 
:) That was my fear but you have control of his head in whatever halter you have so just take confidence in the fact.

A slight tug is all it takes to take steam out of the impulsion.

The mistake is to try and force it, there's no need to when they will do it themselves. All you have to do is provide the boundaries.

This isn't some NH hocus pocus. This is learning to lead two bolshy colts half a mile down a track myself a few years ago. It was either do this or let them gallop off into the sunset with my arms still attached to the leadropes :D

BTW, where are you leading him to? If back to the yard, then leading practice in a controlled space will also help. Keep up with the you standing still until he behaves though.
 
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Being a colt is no excuse or 'reason'. Especially as a yearling!

Take the ****** everywhere, even if it's just trips to the muck heap and back, till he gets bored senseless and learns leading is NOT a play activity nor just going back to his field or for feed. The rope halters should work exactly right, used correctly [the knots are placed there for a reason].

If you have an older, quiet horse that won't mind a bouncing baby around him, take them out together till baby shuts up and learns to deal with it.

Is he out with any other youngsters in the field? And an older horse? How does he tie?
 
As an add-on from the above, it's worth teaching him now to yield his shoulders and quarters and to go back when you touch his chest/say the word. My big youngster was *very* bargy when I got her, rearing, leaping into the person holding her, charging forward and even minded to aim a kick on the way past! I've used the tactics above with her when she's completely scatty, but also insist even when she's just excited that she steps over (yield the shoulder) and keeps out of my space at all times. It also helps to teach yielding the quarters so if he does zip past you, you can make absolutely sure he circles around you on the long rope. When she's uppity but not wind-up-her-tail scatter-hat-y, if she gets ahead of me while we're walking, she has to stop, take a few steps back and wait for a signal before she is allowed to walk on to one side but a little behind me. Ninety-nine percent of the time now she walks like an angel. The remaining one percent, we do any combination of the above until she walks sensibly again. Good luck!
 
ChristmasSparkles said:
Being a colt is no excuse or 'reason'. Especially as a yearling!

Take the ****** everywhere, even if it's just trips to the muck heap and back, till he gets bored senseless and learns leading is NOT a play activity nor just going back to his field or for feed. The rope halters should work exactly right, used correctly [the knots are placed there for a reason].

If you have an older, quiet horse that won't mind a bouncing baby around him, take them out together till baby shuts up and learns to deal with it.

Is he out with any other youngsters in the field? And an older horse? How does he tie?
Click to expand...

LOL yes, I admit I took my filly with me everywhere this winter, just for exercise if nothing else. We went from the tie-ups to the muck heap, the hay barn, back to the tie up (on the way chatting to friends) and it was a busy beef farm so there were quadbikes and tractors flying around everywhere... hairy stories of survival are available should you want them ;).

Leading with another horse is a good idea too and same applies, if both play up, stop until you have established order again.
 
I think you need to work on some groundwork techniques with him. Mine, although not a colt, was a pretty bolshy individual so I had someone come and give me some tips and he really learnt a lot. He likes to use his brain though and do stuff and I needed to have him being obedient as knew he wasn't going to be small! He's 16.2hh now at just turned 4 and, although he has his 'moments' now and then, on the whole he is do much better. If yours has already got to the stage of dragging you off though I would suggest an eskadron chain headcollar may help you. Works on my older horse as he can be inclined to tow me about!
 
thank you, there are some fab ideas there :-) i used to lead him out with my mare and that was much calmer but now they go in different directions, leading him everywhere so it gets boring is something i will try too, i have been guilty of putting off leading him anywhere as its just such a battle. Feel a little more hopeful now tho :-)
 
Also, try not to get stressed about it, as tally ho said a lot of youngsters are like this. Its just something to work through.
 
Easier said than done but don't take it personally!

I've always used a rope halter on my youngster and bought an 8 ft lead rope off eBay, a good length without getting in a tangle!

My 2 yr old went through the rearing inhand and broncking stage, due to lack of confidence and excitement, they need to test that we are a strong leader!

Make sure he understands pressure and release, voice aids, backing up, before leading anywhere. I like to 'school' to and from the field. Half halts, halt, backing up, I also walk v slow to the field so she doesn't rush to get out.

I always have in the back of my mind, "the horse will always choose the path of least resistance", so when she does prance about I turn in circles and purposefully walk her on ensuring there's no pressure on when she's walking on nicely, so no hanging off the head, as its easy to send tension up the rope! It felt unnatural at first leading loose as I was never taught another way! I've found a few bumps on the rope brings her focus back if I sense she is going to go up, hence I'm making it uncomfortable for her but not giving her constant pressure to pull against. Believe me it's all about trial and error though! I tried giving her rope to run around me once and she went wild, hooves flying around my head lol, so I know she needs firm direction.

Just start with v short walks and build up slowely and don't worry about what anyone else is doing with their horse at that age!

Grooming is a good way of bonding and building up trust. Ground manners and leading to and from field is all you really need to be doing at this stage anyway, enjoy x
 
My most lunatic baby ever is also the one you now just point at and she moves over or back. I second methods used by Tally ho. But like all things it comes with feel and tact. You need to be in the right position at all times. Otherwise you can get kicked so yes definite control of the head. I have used a cotton lead over the nose. I have wrapped chains as well. While many on here are gasping at cruelty, I much prefer that than ever letting one get the jump on you. Some horses become masters as cocking that head to the right and tanking off with you. And worse, I've seen people getting kicked this way. But yeah, they want to move then let them. But at the same time you set the boundries.

Terri
 
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