Refusing to come in

[MoodyMare101]

Ok so, I have had my mare for around 3 months now. She has always been absolutely fine to catch, however when I go to actually bring her in, she refuses to go anywhere. She was a lot worse when I first got her (rearing and spinning and just being a general prat), but she is much better now - she just stands there looking bored. It happens nearly every day and is quite frustrating as it means I have to catch the two other horses in her field and drag both of them to the gate (neither of them are very willing haha). When I eventually manage to get her out of the gate, she is absolutely fine and doesn't stop.

She is not scared of coming in in her own and food doesn't work (surprising really considering how food orientated she is!!). Neither does chasing her/shouting at her/getting angry. She has a nappy personality generally and does it when ridden (I never let her win). She is just a typical chestnut mare....

I was looking at getting her something like the Be Nice halter. I have read many success stories concerning its use when loading (also why I was considering it - she does a similar thing loading) any ideas if it might work for bringing her in from the field?

Or does anyone have any other suggestions?

 

[Zipzop]

Slightly different but my horse is loose on the yard at night with his stable door open. I found out one day that when YO wanted to put him in stable to feed or get hers out of theirs he started to plant just in front of the stable door and absolutely refused to go in.
I was horrified as he is a saint usually but after I heard, I myself went to put him in stable and he did it to me too! Horrified I thought I'm not having that. I tried various things but in the end I made him reverse in and every time he did it I made him reverse in again. He soon stopped it.
I would nip yours in the bud pronto. I wouldn't let her stop moving even if it meant turning her in circles or reversing. There is an old saying about 'whoever moves the feet is in charge' if the horse refuses to move them he is in charge but if you keep them moving, no matter what direction you are staying in control and can resolve things.

 

[MoodyMare101]

Zipzop, funnily enough, she does the same thing with the stable!! She absolutely refuses to go in to it (luckily she lives out so the stable is not so much of an issue). She is getting better, but I feel like she has got to a point now where I need some fresh ideas otherwise she is going to get stuck in a rut or get worse!! I will try the moving the feet thing in the field and see if it makes a difference (I tried it with the stable but I lead to her rearing and leaping all over the place :/ )

 

[Elf On A Shelf]

I have reversed plenty of horses into stables. There is a knack to it and the first few times you will miss aim, then you'll get it sussed then the horse will get it sussed and wiggle side to side so they don't line up with the gap anymore etc. It's all about keeping them moving as previously said.

Failing that tie your jumper/jacket round her head over her eyes, turn her in a few circles, semi circles to confuse her sense of direction and lead her in blind. Don't tie it too tight and make sure that it will come off with a good tug or by itself within a few seconds should she freak out. But most don't they just follow you in. Well you need to guide them obviously and watch your feet! The first few strides are like they are a drunk coming home trying to find the lightswitch!

Hmm! Thinking on it maybe even a set of blinkers would work if you popped them on when you caught her so she would see nothing but straight ahead.

Either which way laying down the law asap is what is needed.

 

[Damnation]

Oooh that would drive me mad!

If it were mine, she could reverse in from the field if walking forwards wasn't to her liking! Use a lunge line and weat a hat and gloves incase she decides rearing is preferable to reversing (my last made did).

 

[SEL]

This is when my dually halter comes out of the storage locker. My mare used to be a devil to come in - sometimes she'd plant and stare around (like a trance, it was a bit odd) and other times we'd come in leaping and bucking.

You don't have to spend long getting them used to the pressure / release of the dually but even my stroppy madam respects it.

 

[D66]

Make sure your horse has enough hay to last the night and is turned out promptly in the morning.
i have also reversed a horse into a stable, but ensuring the above helps to stop the behaviour in the first place.

 

[PorkChop]

I would definitely try a training halter, as others have said, once you get their feet moving you are away!

 

[Tyssandi]

Ok so, I have had my mare for around 3 months now. She has always been absolutely fine to catch, however when I go to actually bring her in, she refuses to go anywhere. She was a lot worse when I first got her (rearing and spinning and just being a general prat), but she is much better now - she just stands there looking bored. It happens nearly every day and is quite frustrating as it means I have to catch the two other horses in her field and drag both of them to the gate (neither of them are very willing haha). When I eventually manage to get her out of the gate, she is absolutely fine and doesn't stop.

She is not scared of coming in in her own and food doesn't work (surprising really considering how food orientated she is!!). Neither does chasing her/shouting at her/getting angry. She has a nappy personality generally and does it when ridden (I never let her win). She is just a typical chestnut mare....

I was looking at getting her something like the Be Nice halter. I have read many success stories concerning its use when loading (also why I was considering it - she does a similar thing loading) any ideas if it might work for bringing her in from the field?

Or does anyone have any other suggestions?

We have one like that here, she is a real biotch to come in for the owner, charging round and round. We have to get everything in then let her come in on her own as it is the only way sometimes.

Other times we use rope to coral her in one area, nothing else works, she does not come for food or praise. Another does Minnies on the owner (turns her shoulder into the owner and peese off) She does it when loading or turning out into field or catching her in, even with the catching bridle.

 

[MoodyMare101]

Oooh that would drive me mad!

If it were mine, she could reverse in from the field if walking forwards wasn't to her liking! Use a lunge line and weat a hat and gloves incase she decides rearing is preferable to reversing (my last made did).

Thanks! I have tried reversing her before and it works up to a point, might give it another go and combine it with other methods!!

 

[MoodyMare101]

This is when my dually halter comes out of the storage locker. My mare used to be a devil to come in - sometimes she'd plant and stare around (like a trance, it was a bit odd) and other times we'd come in leaping and bucking.

You don't have to spend long getting them used to the pressure / release of the dually but even my stroppy madam respects it.

I'm hoping that the pressure halter will work!! She is too clever for her own good though so my only worry is she will find a way to evade it haha!!

 

[MoodyMare101]

Make sure your horse has enough hay to last the night and is turned out promptly in the morning.
i have also reversed a horse into a stable, but ensuring the above helps to stop the behaviour in the first place.

She lives out in a pretty big field with lots of grass, so its not as if she isn't out for long enough or hasn't got enough food! She's just stubborn, next time I have to put her in the stable, I will probably try reversing her!

 

[MoodyMare101]

I am definitely going to - its now on my xmas list haha!

 

[MoodyMare101]

We have one like that here, she is a real biotch to come in for the owner, charging round and round. We have to get everything in then let her come in on her own as it is the only way sometimes.

Other times we use rope to coral her in one area, nothing else works, she does not come for food or praise. Another does Minnies on the owner (turns her shoulder into the owner and peese off) She does it when loading or turning out into field or catching her in, even with the catching bridle.

how strange haha! sounds exactly like mine!!

 

[Clodagh]

Could you lunge her in? It would drive me insane, I have never been empathetic enough to stand out in a cold field until it suits them to move, I have to bully.

 

[MoodyMare101]

Well tonight I went to get her in, I only had to call and she came flying to the gate - horayy!! Except when I tried to take her into the school for a lesson, she promptly planted outside the school, resulting in fits of laughter all round :') Eventually managed to get her into the school, but I have to say refusing to go into the school is a new one - this horse will be the death of me!!

 

[MoodyMare101]

Could you lunge her in? It would drive me insane, I have never been empathetic enough to stand out in a cold field until it suits them to move, I have to bully.

I never lead her in from the field without a lunge line (in case she rears as this is when she is most likely to!) and have resorted lunging her in a couple of times, but it doesn't always work because there are other horses in the field who get in the way!

 

[Clodagh]

How about whacking her with a length of blue pipe? It is a good weapon and soon engenders respect. I do think she is taking the Mick.

 

[MoodyMare101]

How about whacking her with a length of blue pipe? It is a good weapon and soon engenders respect. I do think she is taking the Mick.

I have tried similar and all it does is make her panic or she gets dangerous (kicking out/rearing). If all of my other options fail I will resort back to this, but I want to try other options first because she is 'sensitive'. I am not a fluffy person who is anti giving a horse a b******ing and I have had to do it with her (and others) in the past however it tends to solve one problem but set her back with others as it knocks her confidence and her trust in me(she lacks a lot of worldly experience for her age). I know she is taking the p*** which is why I want to sort it now, but she has come on a fair amount in the last 3 months and I really want to try and avoid any set backs!!

 

[SEL]

I'm hoping that the pressure halter will work!! She is too clever for her own good though so my only worry is she will find a way to evade it haha!!

Mine is smart too - but that means they 'get' pressure & release quickly.

 

[Damnation]

Could you lunge her in? It would drive me insane, I have never been empathetic enough to stand out in a cold field until it suits them to move, I have to bully.

How about whacking her with a length of blue pipe? It is a good weapon and soon engenders respect. I do think she is taking the Mick.

This!!!

My last mare was nappy and very dominant. I used the blue pipe on her because for one she wasn't scared, just being a twit, and two, she was taking the utter pee. Yes she went nuts (temper), but when she reared up I raise my arm so the pipe was above my head to make myself bigger (i.e I am the boss, get out of my space!!!) and she soon learned that I wasn't going to give up, and her show of rearing at me wasn't going to make me give up.

Sometimes she would reverse back to her mates with rears in between, but I just kept going until we got to where I wanted to go. If it meant turning her round with her bum to the gate and reversing her to the gate then so be it.

I only had to do this for 3-4 days before she realised that coming in was just much easier then the stand off that I was winning each time! The first day was a bit of a battle and took a while but once I was over that first hurdle, each night the resistance lessend to the point where she just walked in.

Eventually when she would try it on once in a blue mood, I would hit the leadrope behind me against her and she would just walk on with no fuss.

Wear a hat and gloves!

 

[Luci07]

Or try an ezi loader. My boy was starting to be a pain about loading. As soon as the lunge line came out he would roll his eyes and walk in. 1 session with an ezi loader and we have no problems at all now. A friend bought it for her gelding whom she had the opposite problem you have..horse disappearing at top speed in and out of the field! Although it is quite funny when you get someone who thinks they know better as he looks so angelic....