Don’t Spoil Your Horse!

Fit to be tied!

We’re coming across an increasing number of horses and ponies that flatly refuse to tie. An annoying habit, halter pulling is a costly one… not to mention, it’s dangerous.

 

The best way to avoid making a halter puller is to start him young, bringing the weanling into the tie stall for mealtimes, making sure he can’t break free, should ever he pull back. Yes, we have to pay attention, making sure he’s safe, always packing a knife just in case – but this youngster will grow into a respectful horse before he’s large and powerful enough to harm himself and others.

 

Sadly, few modern horses experience this type of upbringing.

 

So we find them now weighing a thousand pounds or more – and they will not tie! These are hard horses to straighten out as they can stand well enough but should they be startled, their default setting is to fly back on the rope. We do our best to retrain these by tying them with something that will not break and hoping with time, they’ll come around. It’s scary – for us, as well as the horses.

 

Some never do become safe to tie, either because they are so ingrained in this behaviour, or they are so valuable that even with regular chiropractic visits, we’re uncomfortable putting them at risk. Instead, they must learn to ground tie, hobble quietly… or always be held.

 

The fault of halter pulling might lie in a short circuit which causes horses to panic – but most often, we find the problem is man-made. We blame the use of ‘breakaway ties’ of twine or zip fasteners. Yes, it’s a hard call in a barn setting with cross tied horses and children about but once a horse learns that he’ll be freed if he jerks his head, he’s well on his way to becoming a full-blown puller.

 

We’ve dealt with enough spoiled horses that even standing at the trailer, we tie them hard and fast. With replacement tie rings costing well under ten bucks each, it’s the price we pay to ensure well-mannered horses.

 

Grandad called it “barn sour” – a horse’s reluctance to leave secure surroundings and the inevitable race to get back again.

Unwittingly, we can build this vice into a horse that has never before been a problem. By working or schooling and immediately being turned out again, a horse doesn’t get the decompression time to process what she’s learned. She simply runs off with The Wild Bunch and bingo! We’ve lost all our good work.

 

If we’re mindful, we can get the training to stick by making the horse comfy, then leaving her to contemplate, or ‘soak’ if you want a catchy term. This practice, for fifteen minutes to an hour or so, will ramp up her learning and create a calmer, more compliant horse. She will simply stand alone until she stops reacting and starts to settle.

 

Incidentally, this tying and soaking is also a good way to uncover hidden herdboundness in our horses. If they can’t stand alone, it’s a good thing to recognize and fix before we get in the saddle.

 

In cooler weather, Annie’s warm back would be covered with a rug and she’d be tied in the sunshine, out of the wind. In summer’s heat, we’d find her a nice bit of shade. It’s not meant to be punishment, just a time and place in which to think and relax.

 

Allowing our pony to graze whenever he feels like it is akin to raising an ill-mannered child…

He may be decent and smart but his need for instant gratification makes him into a bit of a bully.

When a pony is with me, either haltered or with his bridle on, he does not eat grass unless invited to do so. Even then, it’s only occasionally. In my mind, the ability to stand quietly without eating is an underrated skill.

 

If we’re spending long hours in the saddle, either on the trails or on ranch work, then it is good horsemanship to stop and reset our saddles. We can pull our bridles and let our horses have a snack. As natural grazers, horses aren’t meant to go hours and hours without food. The old rule of stopping for a reset whenever we feel the need to shift our hats on long, hot days is still a good one.

 

By the way, when we train, even the spoiled or formerly abused ones, hand-fed treats are not on our agenda. We seldom give food rewards – other than to our loyal band of retirees. As our trusted associates, working ponies are not insulted with bribes. They are expected to do their best – and when they do so, are praised with heartfelt thanks and a rest. Our goal is creating partners that are happy to please us.

 

To me, the best part in knowing horses is that their friendship is earned and not bought!

 

That said, food rewards do have their place in training exceptionally tense horses and ponies, as moving their jaws invites relaxation. As always, the real wisdom is in knowing the whys and the wheres and the whens of it all.

 

How is your pony to handle around the legs and feet?

If he’s antsy about you touching them, there’s usually a reason. Make sure you have a verbal or tactile cue to pick up the pony’s feet. This might be a squeeze of the hand on the back tendon, or else the word “foot!” Otherwise, how will he know when you want to brush his legs or clip them without him moving?

A pony that doesn’t like his lower legs touched can be helped by gently rubbing the cannon bones with a grooming mitt; this often neglected part of the pony gets flaky and itchy and he’ll quickly learn to appreciate the relief.

 

Likewise, be mindful how you release the foot when you are finished handling it. Too often, people – and this includes our friends the farriers – drop the foot when they are done with it. This can lead to tension on the part of the pony. Far better to quietly set the foot down when you are done, Your pony will thank you and you will have a more trusting and chilled partner. In our experience, farriers will graciously SET the feet down if politely asked… and a flat out refusal to do so would have us looking for another farrier.

 

In fairness, make sure that you do regularly handle the legs and feet of all your horses. Too often, the person we pay to trim feet ends up having to waste time and risk their own safety in the name of training our horses.

 

If we own them and ask someone else to handle them, it is our job to ensure that this is easy and safe to do.

 

A horse that’s hard to put a bridle on is a lot like a horse that’s hard to load…

He’s either afraid of discomfort, needs help with learning to submit, or needs help with his person! Oftentimes, it’s a bit of all three.

First off, we have to rule out physical problems whenever we have a horsemanship problem.

 

Yes, the teeth. Get them done, done well and often. At the same time, have the dentist or vet look for past scarring on the tongue or lips, including bruising on the bars. Horses who have suffered injury to their mouths take a long time to forget. The big question, of course, is who damaged this horse? If it was the face in your mirror, you know what you need to work on. Also, as much as we love them, our children can cause bridle-shyness in our horses within mere days.

 

Submission is a little more touchy-feely and currently, is a dirty word in some circles. All I want is my horse to put his head down when I rest my hand on his poll. I do a lot of playing around with my horse, even loose in the pen or field, just stroking the poll, putting slight pressure on and immediately releasing, praising, loving on him when he gives to me. This is the foundation that all my horsemanship is built on….

 

I’ll teach my horse to lower his head and accept kind handling of his ears. I work with his mouth, massaging it and playing with his gums, until it becomes enjoyable for him. I’ll ‘bit’ a young or worried horse with the end of the lead rope, just while we’re standing around.

 

Then, it’s time to critique myself.

 

Do I hold the crown piece so that I may steady his head, either in my right hand between his ears or gathered over the bridge of his nose? DO I EVER HEAR THE SOUND OF METAL AGAINST HIS TEETH, EITHER GOING IN OR COMING OUT? If so, this is a huge factor contributing to the horse’s dread. Do I work in an unhurried and relaxed manner? Do I fold the ears FORWARD gently through the crown piece? Do I just drop the bit when unbridling, rather than holding it up and waiting for him to spit it out?

 

Have I tried a variety of bits, in the event that my horse is not comfortable in this one? Have I discovered if my horse likes my thumb in his mouth to ask him to open it, as some horses absolutely do not! Do I guide the bit between the opening of the teeth when the mouth is opened, not forcing it against his teeth or gums?

 

I’ll do a lot of work on all the above, unbridling the horse once he has taken the bit and praising by stroking. Some people put something sweet on the bit to encourage this – similar work can be done with the horse that is hard to administer paste dewormer to – but I’d really, really make sure the teeth are done and your bridling technique is watched by a third party, a legit teacher. Also, are your hands educated – quiet, gentle, never snatching or harsh – while you ride?

 

C’mon, loosen up! Of the spoiled horses and ponies we bring in, many are cinchy to the point of being dangerous.

The symptoms range from pinned ears, cow kicking and tail swishing, all the way to pulling back, lying down and rearing over backwards.Most people are shocked when they learn this vice is man-made. You see, far too many of us tighten our saddles in one step.

When our horse or pony is first saddled, the cinch should feel no snugger than the waistband on a comfy, slouchy pair of pants. Only pull it tighter straightaway on a horse that’s going to buck, as we don’t want the saddle ending up underneath him.

 

With a horse that’s waiting tied, or going to be trailered, the tightness shown here is more than enough. It takes the habit of gradual tightening and moving the feet around to ‘cure’ a cinchy horse… and to keep him thus.

 

The cinch is always loosened a bit when we step off. With this fair treatment, a habitually cinchy one can be helped in days. Know that he’ll revert very quickly with thoughtless handling.

 

Lastly, and this is important, IF WE OIL OR SOAP OUR LATIGO, IT WILL NEED JERKING TO TIGHTEN. A dry latigo slides smoothly and when it’s past its prime, we’ll throw it out! Mares, especially, resent rough handling when saddling. Interestingly, saddling English with elastic-ended girths will often help Western horses and ponies that are struggling.

 

If we don’t see an improvement straightaway, we look at chiro or test for ulcers. In the latter case, daily doses of pure aloe vera juice can be magical.

 

Finally, if nothing alleviates the cinchiness, it’s time to check the pecking order and our rank. We can snug up our saddle with the pony on a lunge line. Every time we’re given dirty looks, we send him out to work. Cures are always possible but prevention might be the better plan.

 

Bottomline, if you recognize any of the above behaviours in your horse and are stymied as to how to fix them, a trainer will likely have to be the one to correct the problem, particularly if this horse is being handled by a child. Sometimes, just being aware of our part in the problem is enough to bring about change. 

 

If you’ve enjoyed this blog, please consider subscribing with the red button on the home page. Happy trails and safe riding, Lee.