So horse bent the galvanised steel gate...

An old nagsman friend would tie him to a stake with a chain, and leave him for a few hours... I can bet they didn't bother trying to pull back after that!

Braver than me, I don't bother tying mine now, as too frightened of an accident. (she pulls back too - or did when I last tried!)
 
Fools Motto said:
An old nagsman friend would tie him to a stake with a chain, and leave him for a few hours... I can bet they didn't bother trying to pull back after that!

Braver than me, I don't bother tying mine now, as too frightened of an accident. (she pulls back too - or did when I last tried!)
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I have one that pulls back - but we taught him not too - by making him think that he was tied, hen he wasn't - and eventually he ended up not knowing if he was tied or not. The original OP is taking the michael though......!!
 
trefnantblackknight said:
Will do!!! :D
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Horse sounds like he is taking the mickey and you have began to worry about tying him up making a big deal out of it. There are proffesionals out there who can help ... i know if it was my own i would be doing the someone hanging onto the otherside of the leadrope round a solid object method... probably frowned upon but it is successful if done correctly.
 
dressedkez said:
I have one that pulls back - but we taught him not too - by making him think that he was tied, hen he wasn't - and eventually he ended up not knowing if he was tied or not. The original OP is taking the michael though......!!
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That's what I had been trying to before the gate tying as I just couldn't think what to do - I was just putting the rope through the twine so if he pulled back it would just fall out but he knew he would just move around and just walk off! even when I corrected him and kept putting him back this was all last summer and winter.....but as soon as he was tied to the twine 2 seconds late he would pull back and either break the twine or more commonly the rope.
 
tessybear said:
Horse sounds like he is taking the mickey and you have began to worry about tying him up making a big deal out of it. There are proffesionals out there who can help ... i know if it was my own i would be doing the someone hanging onto the otherside of the leadrope round a solid object method... probably frowned upon but it is successful if done correctly.
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Today I bought my other boy in tied him up then got him in a tied him next to him so he could see tying up isn't all bad but after a few minutes while I wasn't giving him attention he pulled back!

Did that today with OH holding the rope he kinda stayed still while I was brushing doing feet etc but then he got bored and pulled away...and that was only after 2 minutes...
 
quirky said:
Tinypony - I misread me's post. I think that is possibly what the person I watched should have done. What they did do was put the lunge line behind the hocks and back through the tie ring and hung on, hence my horror :eek:
I fully understand how the 'correct' method would work :)
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Behind the hocks?! Yikes!!!
 
dressedkez said:
This horse has learnt to pull back - and a safety link will just make it easier for him....not that I am suggesting gates, poles . JCB's et al - he needs to learn it is not acceptable to pull back, and he gets a fright if he does - that is why we use electric fencing (when we have to) to keep them in fields....200V's up his backside in this situation will be a risk for all - but a whack on his backside expertly adminstered might not be a bad idea - which is why I suggested a prickly yard broom - but you do have to be quick - and I always thought that one slight advantage that we have over our equine friends is that - our brain power is slightly more evolved.......Discuss!!
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Well I know he hates electric fencing his worst fear along with puddles. He got caught in some when another horse drove him through it :( :)

could try a broom but he usually kicks out if he is told off in his rear area ;)
 
As everyone has said never tie to the actual gate as it can lift off it's hinges and go with the horse.

Tying to a piece of string was at one time a Pony Club panic thing that caught on. Mine rarely get tied to string the learn that being tied up and staying there is what they must do.

If you can tie to a fence or gate post - check though that it is not rotten as my friend found out when her sons pony pulled back, the post fell apart at ground level and pony and post flew of across the yard jumping the fence into the paddock - with the post still attached. Fortunately pony was unhurt.

You could try a bum rope - when they lean back the rope presses into their bum sending them forward again. This is a picture of one of my youngsters tied up at a show - the first time away from home as a yearling - he stood their all day. The knot at the wither is a bowline, the rope goes through the throat of the headcollar and then through the centre ring before being tied to a ring - preferably above head height.

MatamataWaikatoWorld008.jpg
 
I have a welsh cob who likes to bend gates,more by rubbing his rather large butt on them though than by pulling back (far too lazy to make the effort to do that:rolleyes:)

On a more serious note,I too would avoid tying directly to the gate unless you are very sure it is stronger than the horse concerned.

I have used the lunge line method,does seem to teach them that they don't actually get away from you by pulling back,just get to go backwards a few feet,a game which soon get's boring for most;)
Use as long a line as you can though,otherwise might manage to break free,which would put training back even further I should imagine.

Tnavas said:
You could try a bum rope - when they lean back the rope presses into their bum sending them forward again. This is a picture of one of my youngsters tied up at a show - the first time away from home as a yearling - he stood their all day. The knot at the wither is a bowline, the rope goes through the throat of the headcollar and then through the centre ring before being tied to a ring - preferably above head height.

MatamataWaikatoWorld008.jpg
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Although will no doubt come under fire from some on here,I think that looks like a really effective method.

Only problem would be if they panicked about having something around their behind,but then that would be a gap in training that should be dealt with first anyway I'm guessing.
 
devonlass said:
Although will no doubt come under fire from some on here,I think that looks like a really effective method.

Only problem would be if they panicked about having something around their behind,but then that would be a gap in training that should be dealt with first anyway I'm guessing.
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Initially they do tend to be a little jumpy about the rope, but as you say it's all part of the training - the rope means go forwards - I use it to teach them to lead so they have learnt what its for before being tied up. I use the same rope for loading difficult horses too. I've found it to be a really great method for teaching them to tie up. The people at the truck next door on that day said he had a couple of goes at pulling back but gave up because the rope pressure means go forward. Eventually I could leave him tied up and be totally sure he wouldn't pull back.
 
I was taught to split the twine lengthways either in 2 or 3 or 4 so it was thinner so would break more easily and then put 2 or 3 loops of it getting bigger.

Horse pulls back, twine breaks fairly easily so no sitting down, but horse still tied up to second length string. Pulls back again breaks second length of string, but still tied up. You get the idea.

Obviously you have to put the rope through all the pieces of string and the lengths of loop have to be pretty different so the horse feels the release and stops pulling. Haven't seen it since I was a teenager but it seemed to work.
 
Was just about to suggest what tnavas has said, but I use an exercise bandage around the bum section :)

I've had a horse who does what you describe, pulls back quicker than blinking, and this cured her.
 
If you use a bum rope you can always teach them to come forward from the pressure of a bum rope before tying up. It depends how handy you are with ropes, if you aren't don't try. It involves having a leadrope on the hand furthest away from your horse (ideally a longer than normal leadrope) and a longer rope in the other hand, holding the loop at the top of the back. A little feel on the rope, then instant release when they move forwards.
Actually, for horses that don't normally have long ropes about, there is a stage before that, which is to accustom them to the feel of a rope around their backside and hind legs.
 
Some good training on a horsemans halter of some type to teach him to go forward when pressure is applied then with a very long free running rope put it through a bicycle tyre inner tube and walk to the end of your rope or lunge line preferably out of sight but again making sure everything runs smoothly. when he goes to pull back the elasticity of the tube will give a bit adding the pressure smoothly that he has learned by groundwork to accept. He should then move forward the tube will break under extreme pressure but not easily if he fights too hard (he shouldnt if he has been trained not tied to go forward from a slight pressure). If he panics you can release your hold line without him realising his actions have had any effect if he cant see you he will assume you are not that near
After a while he will realise that he cant get away and he will have to use his brain to either work out he cant and give up or will devise some other way to break free. All done without shouting in fact dont even speak to him at all.
 
Tnavas said:
A very informative post Amymay - care to elaborate?
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OMG, I am agreeing with Amymay! Is there a support group??:eek:

Enfyns has the answer. See above. What we do but only after they've been taught to lead with pressure-and-release, and a lot milder, then using nylon yachting rope that slides easily with one or two turns around a strainer set four feet into the ground in the centre of the round pen. The run backwards can then be controlled with one hand.

Lunge lines are designed not to be slippy and a rope can snag in a ring. Another thing, it is not a bad idea to always have a sharp knife in your pocket when handling horses and ropes.

At over 70 I decline to be towed down the field by a spirited yearling when it can so easily be avoided. My ponies tend to tie quietly, all of them, and the surplus baler twine goes in the bin where it belongs.
 
Tnavas, sorry - sighing at another troll post.

Dry Rot, ring help666 for more details on the support group =)
 
My youngster learn to do this but he wouldn't do it particularly quickly, he just pulled back slowly until the twine snapped then sort of looked at you with a butter wouldn't melt "what?" sort of expression. With him, as I knew he wasn't panicking about it or doing it in a rapid movement, I graduated from split twine to using unsplit twine. It didn't take him long to cotton on this didn't break with his little 'technique'. With a horse that pulls back quickly I would probably look to hold or have someone hold the leadrope through the tie ring whilst you're doing your usual things with him. If he pulls then they can give a bit but not let go. Means if he really panicked you can quickly release but otherwise you can just keep hold.
 
Years ago a place I worked at had a large tyre fastened securly to the wall, unruly horses were tied to the tyre securely with a strong headcollar and rope and allowed to pull. Tyre would stretch a little and then when the horse slackned off a bit, would yank the horse forwards! Horses gave up pretty quickly and most never bothered again.

Have never seen this done anywhere else and wouldn't dare try it myself, but it certainly worked for them.
 
Use a tyre inner tube instead of string, it gives a bit but doesn't break and isn't fixed to cause injury.
 
Tnavas said:
As everyone has said never tie to the actual gate as it can lift off it's hinges and go with the horse.

Tying to a piece of string was at one time a Pony Club panic thing that caught on. Mine rarely get tied to string the learn that being tied up and staying there is what they must do.

If you can tie to a fence or gate post - check though that it is not rotten as my friend found out when her sons pony pulled back, the post fell apart at ground level and pony and post flew of across the yard jumping the fence into the paddock - with the post still attached. Fortunately pony was unhurt.

You could try a bum rope - when they lean back the rope presses into their bum sending them forward again. This is a picture of one of my youngsters tied up at a show - the first time away from home as a yearling - he stood their all day. The knot at the wither is a bowline, the rope goes through the throat of the headcollar and then through the centre ring before being tied to a ring - preferably above head height.

MatamataWaikatoWorld008.jpg
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This is a great way of approaching these problems and I have seen it work brilliantly.
I also am filing Dotty1 's inner tube tip for a future try when needed.
OP please don't tie to gate if he lifts it off it's hinges it could be fatal.
 
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