Turn out issue!!

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Caritas

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Any ideas greatly appreciated! I have owned my horse since a 3 yr old and he has always had an issue with being turned out. He used to pull away going to the field, just when he felt like it, stand up on his back legs etc etc. Anyway he is 10 yrs old now and to walk to the field, he is the nicest, most respectful horse you could think of. However, as you open the gate to get into his paddock he would just take off so for the last couple of years I have had a small pen inside the gateway that I would walk him into, take his rope off and let him go, open the pen and off he could go. Unfortunately he has a bad tendancy to spin round in the pen once ive let him go and pivet on his hind legs, obviously this is not good for his joints and after having a problem with one hind limb I decided to try and walk him out of the pen, without the rope on, into his field, turn him round to face me and then let him go. This has worked whilst he has been turned out on sedalin but the longer I have been doing it, the worse he has got. It got to a stage that the minute i opened the pen he would try to run out, i then eventually held on to him, turned him round to face me and tried to give him a treat, he realised my attention had gone and pulled away, hence why I never walk him in with a rope on as he would have that away with him and would never be caught. Today I opened the pen and because Id told him off yesterday for trying to run over me, he planted his feet, mouth tight and would not move, if id had got him to go forward, i knew he would have just ran me over, so i stepped to the side and let him go to avoid an accident. Obviously tomorrow the issue is going to have gotten worse as he was allowed to have run out of the pen today, I just dont know what to do with him. Due to him hurting himself being turned out and with turnout issues he has, I have thought about keeping him stabled but feel so cruel. Any ideas would be greatly appreciated or any people with similar problems?? It wouldnt make any difference if he had a bucket of feed or anything cos when he gets to that point, he wants to go or is waiting to go, its like he switches off. He is the most nervous horse ever but at this point you could beat him and he wouldnt take any notice. (Obviously I dont although he does make me feel like it, haha) Im just concerned as this is getting very dangerous. I have spent hours walking round the field with chifneys and pressure halters on, stopping, backing him up, turning round etc!! I cant used any of these items to take him into his field as I wouldnt be able to take them off safely to let him go.
 
What would happen if you long reined / long lined him? How does he take to it?

If he knows about it what about catching him a bit early tonight and long reining him in and out and out of the pen and field gate time and time again. Then tomorrow when you go to turn him out long rein him up to the field entrance and past it a couple of times and then straight through and into the field and out again. Obviously you'll need a helper on the gate.

If he doesn't long rein I'd teach him to long line (lunge with two reins) and then when he went through the gate into the field I'd keep him working on the lines until he was settled enough to take his bridle and kit off.
 
Have you ever tried turning him around the gate, so you are one side, he is the other and then taking off the rope? This is how I deal with argy bargy types and it has never failed me yet.
 
my tb used to do this,although not as bad and it stopped within a week,all i did was take a bucket of feed with me or polos or anything he loved,on the way to the field give him a few mouthfulls and ideally have someone open the gate for you,walk into the field give him the feed bucket and quielty take off the halter and let him eat the rest and my horse would them just plod off ,i did this for a week going from feed bucket to just a polo or apple ,my horse tended to do it more in the winter but doesnt do it at all now,this worked for me so it might be worth trying
 
I've had a simalar problem with one of my stallions that have now resolved. I was kinda trying every thing at the time to stop him hurting himself and i came up with this idea that worked. At the gate i put up an eletric fence in a small arc so that he could not gallop two strides an let him off the lead in there. then i would wait until he has calmed down. then i would let him into the second area which is slightly bigger (another arc of eletric fenceing around the first), and again waited until he was calm. the i would let him out into the field. By then after a few days he learns that by getting into to field he must be calm.
I hope you understood that and are able to gain from it. I can't say if it will work with your horse but it was a succsess with mine.
 
Thanks for all your replys, the long lining would be no different than walking him around the field, its when he gets into a routine of knowing when and where he is going to be let loose. Obviously I cant long line him forever and dont think there will ever be a fix to the problem its dealing with the problem i need help with. turning out in a small area, he just would not calm down until i let him out, which i cant do with his problems hes had with his hind leg!!! Feed, he wouldnt give two hoots for when hes in this frame of mind, he is like a different horse when he gets like this. Any other ideas greatly appreciated, thank you all so much for your replys, much appreciated.
 
Weezy, thanks for your reply, it would be very dangerous trying to attempt turning him out over a gate, he could just go at any point and it could lead to a nasty accident. I only have electric tape to my field so it would not be possible to try this anyway!! ANy other ideas?? ANyone wana come and try, lol.
 
If turn out is soooo exciting are you sure he is getting enough of it? Obviously you want him to be well-behaved anyway but might having him out for longer help? (Dependent on whatever injury he is on the sedalin for.) Also do practice with the other's suggestions. My new share horse is 10 and learning loads of new (good & bad!) tricks - definitely not too late to conquer this.
 
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