Standing still to be tacked up

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Beckie65

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My horse has always done this in the 4 years of having him, and its really starting to bug me now how do i address this, he swings about wont stand still x
 
Am interested in this too, as mine is the same!!! Except mine has not ground manners whatsoever!!!!
 
I would try cross tying them, should stop them being able to fidget so much.

Also you could give them a haynet to keep them occupied although I personally don't like to.
 
My mare is girthy due to poorly fitting saddles in the past. assuming your horse isnt in pain then play about with what works. Some may disagree with me but i tried lots of things with my girl and the only thing that works for her is grazing so i bring her in, pop on her bareback pad or saddle do it up the one hole where she moves about then i take her to a patch of grass and let her eat and whilst she is happy, i tighten and faff. I figure it works for us and Id rather break etiquette than have her stress.
 
Cross tie, as 3B suggested. Also keep a pokey stick about your person and poke the bit that comes at you.
 
Try using a treat. Fill your pockets with something nice, initialy start by leading up to mounting area, asking for a stand, and when standing lean over his back and give him a treat from the opposite side.

Repeat this until he is expecting a treat from the opposite side each time. Don't give it from your side so that you don't encourage him to nip at you. Don't give the treat if he starts to move off. (you might need someone else to help you at first)

Once this is ok, then start to put weight in stirrup and treat for standing still. Again repeat this until he stands still each time. Then work up to actually getting on and give a treat once you have sat down in the saddle.

Obviously please make sure that there is no issue with his back, saddle fit, etc before doing this as refusing to stand still when mounted can often be a discomfort thing and a way of your horse trying to communicate this to you. But if you have had everything checked then try what I have said above. It's a pretty reliable method.

Once you have worked through this and he is standing, you can gradually reduce the treat giving, and only give them sometimes, gradually reducing to never over a period of time.

Hope that's helpful! Good luck!
 
I would look at what you are doing!! Take it slowly and gently! Is it bridling or saddling or both? Use advance and retreat or clicker training. You need to be polite to him for him to be polite to you!!
 
Fidgeting when being tacked up can be a sign of soreness - one of mine was particularly fidgety and he was found to have an on going neck problem - took a year fortnightly of Chiro treatments until it came right. He went from fidgeting when tacked up, not wanting to leave his paddock, not coming to me to be brought in to walking away from me in the paddock.

After each treatment horse would improve and then go back again - it took many months of following chiros intstructions to rebuild the muscles to hold his neck straight
 
Beckie65 said:
My horse has always done this in the 4 years of having him, and its really starting to bug me now how do i address this, he swings about wont stand still x
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I am going through this stage as we speak! Although its been going on for a lot longer than four years. He is ok if he has a haynet, but he is funny about having his bridle on - I think its because his headcollar is too tight over his bridle when tied up and he finds it uncomfortable for me to try to fit it over his bulky bridle and pelham bit and roundings. So he tries to walk off as I am putting his bridle on. Okay- fair enough, time for me to listen to what he is saying and to invest in a bigger headcollar, or just put on headcollar but not do up throat part and try to squeeze it all in! I admit I have been somewhat unfair. I am only human (although some would debate that!) lol

Over the last couple of weeks I have made a point of doing the following:

Putting reins over head and on neck.
Taking off headcollar (he immediately tries to walk off or reverse)
Pulling his neck round with the reins to where I want him.
Making him stand where I want him to stand.
Giving him a mint as soon as the bit is in his mouth providing I have not chased him around the yard to do so! I have highlighted the word 'I' as this is the whole point I'm trying to put across. I am the boss. He does as I say. But I ask him nicely. And I am fair and consistent.:cool:


Whenever he moves whilst grooming I have moved him back to where I want him to stand and said 'standing'. I often have to repeat myself abut ten thousand times each session, almost to the point that I could throw myself on the floor and sob with frustration. :eek::eek: He is gradually becoming better and I am slower in my movements and more 'patient'.

I do think, and I am not using this an an excuse because it is almost inexcusable, but when you have had a busy and although short, extremely tiring commute to work, and been at a very busy and pychologically demanding job (child protection), then are faced with train cancellations or a long train and car commute of an hour to the yard, by the time I get to see my horse I am totally wiped out, frustrated, tired, in a rush, etc, etc.

Poor horse has been waiting all day for food, love and a bit of fresh air and I come along like a bulldozer, shoving a cold bit into his gob and expecting to squeeze a tight headcollar over his head without even giving a second thought to how he might feel about me doing so! ..... sums it all up really.

RSPCA out you come! lol
 
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applecart14 - it is entirely possible that your horse is sore in the poll - this is quite normal behaviour for a horse that finds wearing his bridle uncomfortable. A visit by a chiro may eventually sort this out - sometimes even though pain is relieved it takes a while for the horse to forget the association.

I used to have a lovely mare that was a gem to put on her bridle, would put her head down and open her mouth for me. One day she wouldn't do this and I called in the chiro straight away - she was out in the poll and this had been caused when she had pulled back the previous day.

Horses don't normally do things to pee us off - they do it for a reason and discomfort of varying degrees will often be that reason.
 
As above, cross tie. I'd be inclined to take his hay net away as well, may just be providing a distraction and if your taking him up - 1) he may be annoyed at being fussed when eating and 2) he doesn't need a haynet - for the short time of tacking up..

Cross tying is the best way in my opinion, my mare was X tied for a year (4-5) and after she's fantastic now, just stands really well. Horses throwing themselves around when being handled/tacked up is a pet hate!
 
Backs been checked my ciro, no adjustments needed, saddler out march which i do reg every 6 months so i know its not pain related, he's fine to mount, its just the girlthy, been on a course of ulcer guard and feed arranged accordingly as me and vet thought it could be a possibility, before scoping, improved in behavior, but still have this problem, he swings away from me, i may give the clicker training a go, its worth a try, accepts the bridle fine.
 
Going to be the boring one and say check for discomfort anywhere. No point trying to solve it if still going to be sore somewhere.

If it was me, I'd personally be less inlined to cross tie etc and work more on ground work to get him soft relaxed and work on learning to ground tie to an extent. With baby Coblet, I expect to be able to do everything not needed to be tied up, so got him used to ground tying from the start. Cross tying is great, but there will be a time where there is no means to cross tie him, so you're thn back to square one potentially. Get him sorted and put the time in to get him stood quietly on his own in an open space eventually, and you're sorted for anywhere.

Only my opinion though...just what I'd look into doing if it was me. :)


Eta - if he's girthy, if you haven't got one already, look into more comfort type girths also?
 
Cross tie him .

I use voice and the back of my hand on his rump or shoulder.


We have a livery here who never tells off, she grooms it while it walks round her and rugs it up also as it walks. Bugs me silly how you can let a horse dominate you and not address simple manners.
 
3Beasties said:
I would try cross tying them, should stop them being able to fidget so much.

Also you could give them a haynet to keep them occupied although I personally don't like to.
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The only trouble with a haynet is they rely on it as a pacifier.


Should a reason occur when a haynet is not possible. (vet/farrier?) etc the horse will revert to old ways.


I am for repeat training so they learn to stand still without this. The livery here tries to move with me now I say ( STAND) followed up with a smack on shoulder if he thinks of it.
 
Did your chiro check neck and poll as well as back?

Have you had teeth done recently?

Are you sure your bridle fits comfortably and that it isn't pinching or causing pressure and that you aren't causing discomfort when fitting it?

If he is girthy consider a different girth or a girth sleeve. And consider ulcers.
 
Tnavas said:
applecart14 - it is entirely possible that your horse is sore in the poll - this is quite normal behaviour for a horse that finds wearing his bridle uncomfortable. A visit by a chiro may eventually sort this out - sometimes even though pain is relieved it takes a while for the horse to forget the association.
.
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Very interesting point, thanks. He did have an accident in the trailer not so long ago when muggins here put the dually on him to load whilst practicing, and before moving the partition across the trailer to let him out, swapped the lead rope clip to the outside tie ring instead of the tie up tie ring on the dually, and he stepped forward, felt the restriction on his nose and thumped his head three times on the roof in panic (luckily its the soft pliable roof, so not much damage). Berated my stupidity for ages grrr.

Will get checked out again, - he has had his atlas out before now.
 
I have a homebred arab (so, I know, before anyone else says it - his behaviour is all down to me!) who is a complete fidget. He is quite fit, has saddle, teeth, back checked regularly and never had a problem. He is not at all bargey and he is good to lead, but he just will not stand still for tacking up, rugging, grooming! He's OK at home, but anywhere a bit more interesting/ exciting, no chance, constant fidget. "Ooh, what's going on over there? Oooh, look at that horse! Oooh, there's a pink lorry!" AAAHHHHH! But I love him. :D:D:D

So, OP, I'm no help to you at all, but some horses are just fidgets!
 
I will say this from the view point of you being a responsible owner as it shounds like you are and that you have ruled out pain or discomfort and are just dealing with a pi$$y horse. There are plenty of them about because they are made that way by handlers not giving them consequences for unwanted behaviour.

There is a pony on my yard that has nipped other people so many times it would be impossible to count. As soon as you approach her with a saddle or rug, she will barge her entire back end around towards you. When doing rugs up, girth up etc...she will constantly try to nip and fidget back and forth. Unfortunately, whilst she does get told off sometimes, she is also allowed to get away with it sometimes by the handler just keeping out of the way and watching while she nips at them.

This is not fair on the horse. We need to make things black and white for our horses in order to help them understand. If we insist on good behaviour one day, but let it go the next, then we are to blame for the horse carrying on. It is for us to teach the boundaries and for us to be consistent and give our horses the very best chance of success.

So..if you are simply dealing with a perfectly healthy, but pi$$y horse that won't stand still for you, it's time to get a bit tough on him.

There's no need to hit him or beat him...that'll only make it worse for obvious reasons, but he has to know that there is a consequence so that he knows it is wrong. My voice is all it usually takes with the little mare on our yard. BUT...i always have a schooling whip to hand as she will sometimes strike out with a front leg right at you. If she is in one of her really bad moods, the instant she strikes, I will hit the wall with the stick so hard it makes the most awful noise...along with a big loud "STAND UP". She instantly stands nicely, so I instantly drop the whip and go soft. I don't tell her she's a good girl as she isn't being a good girl. She's just standing still like she should, it's nothing special, so it doesn't get treated as something special. But...when she stands nicely, I am soft and sweet around her as I groom and tack her up. The very moment she does something bad, I am the scariest MF she will ever meet...albeit for 1.5 seconds and then I am sweetness and light again while she stands still.

For me, I get a blip of bad behaviour from her maybe once or twice a month...for everyone else on the yard, she is far less agreeable. The thing is though, I don't feed her, I don't ride her and I don't give her any real affection....yet, I am the only one that she will offer any kind of affection to and that says all I need to know.

My TB mare came to me with appalling manners, but she is a dream to be around now and I never had to lift a finger to her. I just put the fear of god into her every single time she went for me. It took her about a week to understand and she has never looked back.

Take a zero tolerance policy on bad behaviour and you'll see reults quickly. Just remember...hitting is only going to make things worse and anger is a surefire way to show him that you are out of control. You just have to be mentally STRONG and make him understand.

...The reason I don't tell a horse good girl or good boy when they do stand still is that partly, as said above, it is basic manners...not special behaviour that deserves reward...but also...a horse, just like a dog, can become easily confused by how soon the positive reward comes. They can end up confusing the good boy or good girl for the bad behaviour...which the opposite of what we want.
 
RLS said:
I have a homebred arab (so, I know, before anyone else says it - his behaviour is all down to me!) who is a complete fidget. He is quite fit, has saddle, teeth, back checked regularly and never had a problem. He is not at all bargey and he is good to lead, but he just will not stand still for tacking up, rugging, grooming! He's OK at home, but anywhere a bit more interesting/ exciting, no chance, constant fidget. "Ooh, what's going on over there? Oooh, look at that horse! Oooh, there's a pink lorry!" AAAHHHHH! But I love him. :D:D:D

So, OP, I'm no help to you at all, but some horses are just fidgets!
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That just sounds like exciteability and adrenaline....I wouldn't be too worried about that either :-)
 
Tnavas said:
Fidgeting when being tacked up can be a sign of soreness - one of mine was particularly fidgety and he was found to have an on going neck problem - took a year fortnightly of Chiro treatments until it came right. He went from fidgeting when tacked up, not wanting to leave his paddock, not coming to me to be brought in to walking away from me in the paddock.

After each treatment horse would improve and then go back again - it took many months of following chiros intstructions to rebuild the muscles to hold his neck straight
Click to expand...

Agree....swinging and fidgeting is either bad manners/training issue,,,in which case its down to the ownder to sort out ground rules.....or its pain related.
 
X tie horse until it learns. Nothing worse. Mine gets his name yelled at him but then he can hear the tone in my voice so he chooses to behave, otherwise i tell him i will no longer love him and he will not get any treats etc etc.
 
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