The little sod is back

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traceyann

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My spanish horse is back with me due to rearing and boxing at my teacher head. He was on loan veiw to buy for three months. She found him to tricky. Anyway iv decided to resort to chifney tried a dually didnt work be nice worked for a while now doesnt. Please dont condem me he will goes months without doing it then all of a sudden will explode. He never got my head yet but im the only one he hasnt luck rather than skill. He done oddles of ground work and is very good and excellent to ride never rears while on him. can i use a normal headpiece rather than a chifney headstall. And must confess never used one before so any tips would be great. Thanks
 
Forgive me but if your teacher can't handle your horse you need a new teacher. To help you in person before you try putting something potentially dangerous (think broken jaw and horse PTS) in your horse's mouth.

Have you had anyone beside the teacher/view-to-buy look at why he might be behaving this way (fear, pain, riggishness, whatever...)?

If you're selling anyway I assume you don't want to spend a lot on investigations but it might be worth having basic checks and someone calm to do some ground work... should make selling easier anyway.
 
Well, BB, might be right abt the jaw breaking being an urban myth (unless possibly tied up/standing on own lead rope if getting loose) as I've not seen it first-hand. But I have seen some injures. Including a lovely horse who had reared bigger after the initial pain of the chiffney (in his case a fear response, very sad upbringing...) and ended up hitting face on beams above stable => huge vet bill, stitches and no riding for ages.
 
Is he Spanish bred, from Spain?

If so get a serreta noseband as it is probably what he was taught to respect if broken in Spain.

They have a rather basic approach to these things here.
 
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Iv tried the be nice headcollar it dosent work anymore. I know you dont yank or even pull on a chifney but not only does he rear he bolts as well.I was just going to lead him as if in normal headcollar loose and relax. then if he rears and bolt let the chifney do the talking if that makes sense. I am a bit worried about useing it so no scare stories please but i do have to think of my saftey first
 
Have you tried leading him in his normal bridle before you go over to a chiffney?


Normal bit with a couple and a lunge line attached is certainly good for bolters as when they go you can let some rope out whilst you get your bearings and then still have hold of them and pull their head round to stop them before they pee off altogether.

I have an eskadron control headcollar for my knobber now (after he spent months in his normal bridle for leading) which is basically just stallion chains. He doesn't mess with that.

I'm hopeful that eventually we will make it back to a 'normal' head collar! He never reared but if he did I'd still be looking to a normal bridle and a long line before a chiffney.
 
Sadly i have tried bridle as well i have tried everything and had loads of teachers out on him he is from spain and hes had a very hard life he been badly beaten before. going out to the field hes excellent normal headcollar never pulls its just comming in he really bad. I had horses thirty years and never had to resort to something like this. And my other horses are huge compared to him only 15 hands so i not decieded on this lightly
 
Thought you might have tried it already but was worth a mention just in case.

We occasionally used chiffneys on the colts at work. They're not so bad. Be safe and wear a hat. We don't want any accidents.
 
Carry a whip or a piece of hose with you and when he goes up give him a good whack on his hind legs. You are then attacking his only means of support and they do not like that.

It is not a matter of actually hurting them but more of frightening them whilst they are up in the air.
 
unicornleather said:
Good advice from bakedbean, or try using a kemp controller see here

http://kempcontroller.com/kemp-controller.html

Oz :)
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I have used this on a small but very strong mule who used her strength against me. Only needed to use it a couple of times and she now leads like an angel! Not expensive so worth having as part of your equipment.

Good luck with sorting your problem. Your safety is the priority.
 
Dosent work the same as be nice? Like i said give anything ago its seem when he bolts the be nice stops him so he cant go forward which is when he rears at you. I hate rearing at best but when its at you its not funny. I cant even smack him as he goes crazy growling is as much as i can do he done this of and on six months now
 
Well I did the chain over the nose with my filly and it has worked wonders, she no longer tries to tank off, as she's found out it's herself causing the pain not me and walks beside me nice and calm, and she did try and rear the first couple of times she had it on, I basically stood beside her with a long rein and she pulled against herself, they do learn
 
I would be slightly worried about using a Chiffney if he bolts as well as would be worried about him totally panicking getting away from you and then standing on the lead and doing himself some damage.
I do sympathise as we once had to deal with a pony who would go up in the air for no reason and come down boxing at you and she was only 13hh but was bad enough her's was a fear reaction so went down the Natural Horsemanship route and after a while it definately worked but you just have to persevere with them. Good Luck and hope you manage to find something your both comfortable with and that he respects.
 
I use an eskadron control headcollar too. I tried the Dually which worked for a short while, but she tanked off with that. She respects the chain and leads like a dream in it. It only cost about £15 from my local saddlery.
 
I've had a horse tuck his nose in and bolt off in a chifney. Broke the lead rope as I was so surprised I tried to hold him back.

I'd probably go for the kemp controller, I've used that too in the past and it seemed a lot more effective!
 
Does he do it only when he comes in? Is it through fear of coming in or anticipation? Can you keep him out 24/7? Sorry for all the questions just trying to see if there are any reasons for the behaviour.
 
you will probably just think i'm weird but if he is perfect when ridden how about riding him in? bareback so you don't need to bring the saddle with you. i do this all the time! in a headcollar aswell :o but then again i am crazy. and not because she bolts or rears but simply because im too lazy to walk :o but it might work for you and actualy save you from any injuries that may be caused by him rearing and boxing you on your head.
just a crazy idea from a mad person :p
 
I had a mare who would sporadically tank off when led for no apparent reason. As our yard is close to a main road and a motorway I resorted to a chifney but wish I hadn't. One day without my knowledge another livery brought her in, she tanked and the chifney sliced her tongue. I wouldn't use one again.

After that, I got a leader which is basically a rope halter with a rubber bit. It's very mild and if she pulled back it tightened and applied gentle poll pressure. It doubled up as an emergency bridle too :). She led much better in that. I don't see them often so if you're interested let me know and I'll dig out the details.
 
MrsD123 I bought this horse of a meat wagon going to italy that day considering he was a living on his nerves skin and bone and not know any human kindness. I dont think iv done to bad. Everything deserve a chance. He great in everyway apart from this no horse is perfect sadly this vice is dangerous and if i sold him where would he end up or worse killing someone. I couldnt live with that. When my teacher took him on knowing for well what he was like thought she could sort it but scraped the side of her head so back with me. I have rang richard maxwell hes not taking horse in at the moment due to problems with the farmer or something and the horse needs to be there as he dosent do it everyday but most. And i dont want him to go to any trainer that might hit him as that would send him over the edge. And riding him in bare back im to old to get on bareback nowadays in my youth maybe. I do like this horse and he deserve a chance. if i could find him the right home knowing for well his problem i would sell or give to life long home only.
 
traceyann said:
MrsD123 I bought this horse of a meat wagon going to italy that day considering he was a living on his nerves skin and bone and not know any human kindness. I dont think iv done to bad. Everything deserve a chance. He great in everyway apart from this no horse is perfect sadly this vice is dangerous and if i sold him where would he end up or worse killing someone. I couldnt live with that. When my teacher took him on knowing for well what he was like thought she could sort it but scraped the side of her head so back with me. I have rang richard maxwell hes not taking horse in at the moment due to problems with the farmer or something and the horse needs to be there as he dosent do it everyday but most. And i dont want him to go to any trainer that might hit him as that would send him over the edge. And riding him in bare back im to old to get on bareback nowadays in my youth maybe. I do like this horse and he deserve a chance. if i could find him the right home knowing for well his problem i would sell or give to life long home only.
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It is a warning to all, unfortunately we can't save every horse en route to the slaughterhouse [I am completely anti any sort of live export btw] and I have no doubt what you did was kind to the horse, unfortunately it turns out he needs professional handling and no matter who comes along, you cannot be sure he will have a home for life, people who are financially stable and experienced at this level are rare, they may employ staff who have to be cared for [Health and Safety], and there is no real reason why they should take on a problem horse when good horses are more likely to allow them to realise their own ambitions.
PS I am an oap and love riding bareback (with bridle), though I must admit my horse is trained to walk when I am on top and we have always kept together., but if you don't feel happy bareback then that is OK.
Sarah Fisher also takes on these types using Tellington Touch Techniques. You might be better taking a course, or ask for videos of his training. She often uses three to people to handle and train difficult horses, so it is not easy for her, and she is a professional.
 
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My friend had a similar problem with a horse in that her horse was fine but every so often he'd bog off for no apparent reason , it was discovered finally ( after 2-3 vets, xrays and battling with insurance , so not cheap !) that he had tendon/ligament injury along his spine ( she'd thought it may be kissing spine) and every so often it would twinge and that would set him off running , rearing .
Ive working in racing yards for 10 years and Chifneys we always clipped leadrope onto headcollar and ring of Chifney . A horse got loose , stood on lead and almost cut his tongue off , it was dangling out of his mouth . Not easy it keep in place whilst waiting for the vet !
 
I have looked at the serrate and all the other headcollar everyone as kindly thought of and now thinking of changing my mind on the chifney if honest my only worry with the serrate is he has marks on his nose now maybe from useing it before i really dont want anymore. He respects me in everyother way and trust me enough to go over tiny bridges and hacking and excellent in the stable always very polite. Apart from this vice which is probably the worst he can have.If only he would stop this he would be close to perfect
 
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