tanking off when leading

[BillyBobs]

Hello ! Advice needed!! Had my lad for 2 years OTTB , very smart , feisty and easy to train. A few setbacks witb ulcers , colic and a hoof injury in the field but training wise he’s getting there. My issue is that every summer we have the same problem- bringing in from summer field is a nightmare. It’s a massive field with a herd of around 35 ish , he seems to clamp himself to a particular mare and then when walking him back to the gate, he will all of a sudden bolt and run back to her. We have done lots of groundwork and he is an angel - he walks lovely , can back up with a click or your fingers , take himself to his stable . But somehow in that field , he loses his tiny mind . We have had Paddy Gracey up , used a dually, tried joining up , used treats , increased the ground work but it all works … until it doesn’t!! Can anyone advise on how best to walk this eejit back safely. He is OK to catch , it’s easy enough to get up close to him but it’s when he’s walking away , he just switches and runs through you or gets in front and then pisses off ( all happens in a blink of an eye ) . Haven’t really known anyone to have this problem- most issues are around catching but that’s not his problem!!
Thanks for reading

 

[AmyMay]

Chiffney with a ‘through’ rope.

 

[stangs]

Bridle if you’re not already using it, and not letting him straighten up or bring head up as much as possible.

Would it be possible to try a CAT-H approach out in the field, rewarding him moving away from her (without bracing/with head down) by bringing him closer if that makes sense? The chifney might help but won’t solve the root issue which to me sounds like separation anxiety that’s being made worse by going onto richer grass.

 

[MagicMelon]

Bridle? Also could you have a pocket full of treats and keep his attention on them as you're walking back to and through the gate? He might not notice he's left! Also perhaps having a little bucket of food the other side of the gate so he learns whenever he comes out of the field he gets food?

 

[Cortez]

That's just bad manners: bridle, or chain over the nose, and take no nonsense.

 

[BillyBobs]

Thanks for all your replies. I am inclined to think it’s lack of respect and bad manners too! My issue is that he is so well mannered in every other situation and also for the 6 months of the year he’s in the other field ?? I don’t know how to instill any more manners than I already have !!
I don’t want to use treats due to the above and he is better in a dually as he does respect it more . I am just really trying to understand why he does this and why only in this situation ???

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

Bridle or stallion chain with a lunge line I don't always agree with constant treats but it might be worth doing just to put a bit of a distraction in place to help you out and break the cycle

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

Thanks for all your replies. I am inclined to think it’s lack of respect and bad manners too! My issue is that he is so well mannered in every other situation and also for the 6 months of the year he’s in the other field ?? I don’t know how to instill any more manners than I already have !!
I don’t want to use treats due to the above and he is better in a dually as he does respect it more . I am just really trying to understand why he does this and why only in this situation ???

It's a learned cycle of behaviour you have to break it and once he realises he can't do it anymore your half way there, hence why I said use treats to stop it from happening to start with.

 

[AmyMay]

I am just really trying to understand why he does this and why only in this situation ???

Because he wants to stay out with his mates.

 

[BillyBobs]

Because he wants to stay out with his mates.

I know but his mates are in the winter field too so why only in this field ? Am
Wondering if it’s cos the herd is bigger and whatever specific mare he has claimed is there

 

[Katieg123]

I would also say its just bad manners and put on a bridle or a chain. If you need can you have a second person help you? Can be handy to have a person on each side. Once hes in give him some feed or a treat so he starts wanting to go in instead of staying out with his mates. Either way hes just taking the p*ss at this point

 

[Maxidoodle]

OP, in addition to suggestions above, use a long line, so he’s not getting away from you (short leadropes don’t help in this situation).

 

[AmyMay]

OP, in addition to suggestions above, use a long line, so he’s not getting away from you (short leadropes don’t help in this situation).

I disagree actually. Anything I had that was prone to being rude was kept short and close.

 

[stangs]

OP, in addition to suggestions above, use a long line, so he’s not getting away from you (short leadropes don’t help in this situation).

I like long lines for horses that might pull away or go up but will still respond to pressure if you've got enough to hold onto. For a horse that tanks off though - the minute he's off, he's off and having extra rope will just mean the OP's skiing behind him.

 

[Katieg123]

No matter what rope you use please wear gloves! Rope burn sucks... You'll also be able to have a better grip

 

[Maxidoodle]

I disagree actually. Anything I had that was prone to being rude was kept short and close.

This is a common thing that pops up often, it’s just very different styles of handling.

 

[Maxidoodle]

I like long lines for horses that might pull away or go up but will still respond to pressure if you've got enough to hold onto. For a horse that tanks off though - the minute he's off, he's off and having extra rope will just mean the OP's skiing behind him.

It’s also about training and groundwork first, the OP says they do groundwork, so it’s about timing also. Yes, it Might not work for everyone but it’s a different way.

 

[Horseysheepy]

For a horse that's threatening to tank off at speed to it's friends back across the field, then yes I would personally have it on a shortish rope so you have more leverage and less likely to be skiied off with it.

 

[Cortez]

It’s also about training and groundwork first, the OP says they do groundwork, so it’s about timing also. Yes, it Might not work for everyone but it’s a different way.

Once the horse has got ahead of you it's off, so keeping yourself at or slightly ahead of his shoulder is key. Long leads are good for horses that like to go up, but too long and you'll either get in a tangle, leg over the line, or it'll be up to 90kmsph by the time it hits the end of the rope.

 

[eggs]

One of mine can be similar. 99% of the time he is very good to bring in but if you catch him in not at his normal coming in time (time varies but all the horses come in at the same time) he can be a git. I can always catch him and he walks nicely part of the way of the field but then just sets his neck and bogs off back to his pals.

I put a bridle on him and have a lead rope which has a chain and rope. Chain goes over his nose and through the bit ring. I keep a close watch on his ears as they will flick back to his mates just before he tries to go back to them so I get him to flex his neck towards me so that he can't set it against me. He is now very good to bring in outside of his normal coming in time but I do suspect that if I tried with just a headcollar he would revert back to his previous behaviour.

 

[AengusOg]

Hello ! Advice needed!! Had my lad for 2 years OTTB , very smart , feisty and easy to train. A few setbacks witb ulcers , colic and a hoof injury in the field but training wise he’s getting there. My issue is that every summer we have the same problem- bringing in from summer field is a nightmare. It’s a massive field with a herd of around 35 ish , he seems to clamp himself to a particular mare and then when walking him back to the gate, he will all of a sudden bolt and run back to her. We have done lots of groundwork and he is an angel - he walks lovely , can back up with a click or your fingers , take himself to his stable . But somehow in that field , he loses his tiny mind . We have had Paddy Gracey up , used a dually, tried joining up , used treats , increased the ground work but it all works … until it doesn’t!! Can anyone advise on how best to walk this eejit back safely. He is OK to catch , it’s easy enough to get up close to him but it’s when he’s walking away , he just switches and runs through you or gets in front and then pisses off ( all happens in a blink of an eye ) . Haven’t really known anyone to have this problem- most issues are around catching but that’s not his problem!!
Thanks for reading

Be a proactive handler, rather than a reactive handler.
Communicate through the halter.