Youngster refusing to move forward

[Cass89]

Please can anyone help me? I recently brought a 2 year old filly and she is refusing to walk through the gate, she got zapped (for the first time) by the electric fencing next to it, and now she either flat out refuses to move, or bolts through.

I’ve tried backing her up and turning her in a circle, but as soon as I ask her to move forward, she refuses, she will not move, or she’ll start to rear. The only time she will go through it is if another horse goes through first, and then she tries to bolt off (which she’s managed to do a few times)

I really want to nip it in the bud before it becomes a massive issue, it’s been going on for a few weeks now, just thought I’d add, this is on the ground.

 

[Barton Bounty]

Have you tried coaxing her with food?

 

[Cass89]

Have you tried coaxing her with food?

Hi yes I’ve tried that too, she just refuses to move. She gets really panicky even when another horse is lead infront (the only time she’ll actually go through it) and then just tries to bolt through/past you.

I want to start getting her out and about to start seeing things soon, but it’s a bit of a worry if I’m not even able to get her through a gate. It has knocked my confidence a little if I’m honest, but I certainly don’t want to give up and I know she still a baby.

 

[Barton Bounty]

I think it will just be persisting and going gently if she has had a fright, you will get there, just keep calm and dont get stressed and frustrated. She will get there eventually.
When you get her a few steps forward, make her stand, give her big big praise, same as you go along. Its all just new and a learning curve.

You could try putting her on a lunge line just for the length, and you walk fully through the gate, let her follow, even if she doesn’t come, she will learn you got through and it isn’t scary.

 

[maya2008]

Long line (and gloves), wait it out with food and someone to encourage from behind. You don’t want to scare her at any point, or make her angry, just be gently annoying from behind (noise, push, whatever works for her) and offer something good in front. When she goes, she will probably rush through. Let out the line, let her get clear, reward with some food. Repeat.

 

[Pearlsacarolsinger]

I would make sure that you are between her and the fence, so that she knows it can't get her. Is it possible to remove the electric fence until she is walking confidently through t8he gate?

 

[paddy555]

I would make sure that you are between her and the fence, so that she knows it can't get her. Is it possible to remove the electric fence until she is walking confidently through t8he gate?

you can't really blame her, she goes through gets zapped and scared.
First turn off the electric fencing. They know if it is on or not. It's not that you can't get her through a gate but you cannot get her through that gate where she has been allowed to get scared. Other gates will take some time to build up her confidence.


I would start taking her for walks and forget the problem gateway.
To get her through the problem gate turn the fencing off, lead a quiet horse through and just let her follow, if she bolts of OK.
I expect she will eventually get the idea but it may be very difficult now to get through her fear. Once you get her leading well in hand through other gates and she gets to trust you and become happy I expect she will learnt to cope with the problem gate.
No point in making an issue of something you may well not succeed at ATM.

 

[sbloom]

Is this a gateway she absolutely has to go through every day? If there's any way around it it would be good just to work on having her stand near it, as close as she'll go without getting at all stressed, let her stand and process (you'll need to be able to regulate your breathing etc) and then possibly even take her away from it. Progress very slowly, getting closer and closer over days or even weeks. This may not be an option of course.

I'm not an expert but my reading around behaviour seems to focus on that fine line between a flooding type of desensitisation, and one that works with their concerns rather than trying to overcome them quickly.

 

[Red-1]

Ouch, that was unfortunate. I would change the fencing immediately as she has a valid fear. If the rest stays as electric, I would change the area around the gate to post and rail. Obviously electric would still have to be off when leading anywhere near it.

I would avoid it completely until she has her confidence back in you. From her perspective, you led her into danger and she got hurt, then you have insisted she go back to the danger zone and she has had to protect herself. She needs to re-build confidence away from the original issue and it was such a severe betrayal (in her eyes, I'm sure you didn't know the electric was on, so it was an accident in reality) that a permanent change to the area surrounding the gate would be wise.

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

It's going to take time and patience because she has got zapped and being so young they just don't forget.

Can you make the entrance wider?

I had a similar issue with Arabi when he was just backed I walked him in the stable with his saddle on and the saddle touched the doorway, he just used to refuse to go in with a saddle on and even without he would rush through.

I was on a block of stables that had quite narrow doors so I moved him to a different stable that was wider and it was the only thing that stopped him doing it.

 

[Marigold4]

Is it safe to let her follow another horse through, but loose? Then she can take her time to check things out without pressure? My yearling finds going through our gateway through a hedge and with a footpath the other side scary and can plant before or rush through. I have fenced it off safely and now let her follow my other horse in her own time. She is looking, sniffing, checking it all out and getting better. Before, I was getting a bit nervous about leading her through as she would suddenly leap in the air and shoot off, and I think my nerves didn't help. I appreciate it may not be possible for you to safely let your 2 year old loose though. I don't like the idea of a long line/lunge line because if she gets away from you, it will tangle up in her legs and scare the living daylights out of her.

 

[eggs]

I had a very similar thing happen with my youngster many moons ago. Unfortunately it was the gate into his field so I had to be able to get him through it. He would come out of the field through the gate no problem but would not go back through the gate into the field - it was going into the field that he got zapped.

It took a couple of afternoons but the following worked:

- his field mates were left in the field but I made a very large pen with electric fencing around the gateway so that I could keep the gate open without the others getting out
- electric was turned off
- headcollar and very long lead rope on him
- as soon as he planted when trying to go back into the field I would move his head from side to side to the point where he had to start stepping from side to side (this was the bit that took longest)
- once he was moving sideways I could start getting him to edge forwards
- he was through the gate before he knew it
- if he planted again before going through the gate start with the moving head and then feet again

 

[Tiddlypom]

Is this a proper gateway with a proper gate and hanging and slamming posts, or an electric gate?

 

[Wizpop]

Is it possible to widen the gateway to very wide? I did that with one of mine and gradually put it back to normal width over time as he got his confidence back. Reward for going through more calmly each time.

 

[Lyle]

If she leads well in general, id focus on building her confidence going through a 'gateway'. Get some jump standards and set them up a considerable distance apart (you could do this in the field) find her starting point, they may need to be 10 meters apart for her to feel comfortable. Walk her through, over and over. Move the standards in over time, you could even make them as narrow as a stable door. If you had extra standards, you could add them to either side of your 'gate' standards and tie electric tape to make a simulated fence. This Would be my last step.

 

[Dasher66]

Feed her in the gateway, or as near to the gateway as she feels comfortable, then gradually move closer to it. Move on to going through the gateway and back again before the feed.
It doesn’t need to be a big meal just recognisable as a feed in a bucket, a bit of chopped apple or carrot and a handful of chaff would do.