Difficulty bringing horses in

[Cat Tap]

I have a small herd of 6 horses turned out together in my large winter sacrifice field. they go out quietly each morning with just a shank around their neck. They are out 12 hours.

When it is time to come in they have established an order. Horses 1, 2, and 3 stand at the gate and I have no difficulty leading them in one at a time. However by the time I get #3, horses 4, 5 and 6 start running and bucking lide idiots.

Horse #4 is a three year old who has only been with me a few months and new to herd life. Also at his previous barn his paddock joined the barn and he was never asked to turn and wait at the gate. I have had to put a halter on him and tried to teach him to turn and wait while I close the gate. This has been difficult as horse 5 and 6 are still running like idiots or trying to push through the gate also.

Last night the three year old almost broke my hand and got away from me. Fortunately he ran into the barn without getting hurt. Horses 5 and 6 got a good smack in the chest with the crop (meant to be a slap in the face to stop the hysterics) and they settled down.

Now I dread brining them in everynight and I do not want this youngster to develop such habits. When working with them individually they are all well mannered and sensible.

I am afraid to let the last three run until they settle because they may kill themselves first. My other thought was to sneak out 1/2 hour early and bring horses 4 and 5 in first. Horse 6 is an old lawn ornament with a bad knee who should know better.

Any helpful suggestions would be appreciated.

I know that once they are out in the nice grass field this will no longer be a problem but I have a few weeks to go.

[VCT]

Uhm... you need halters... and probably a chain shank.... at the least halters.... for everyone. If you are leading them with a shank around the neck loosely... sooner or later they are all going to start misbehaving because you have no control over them.

What about if you throw a flake or a few separated piles of a flake each out there before you start bringing them in. Would that calm them enough to make bringing-in time less crazy?

If not honestly, I'd just leave the last three out there until they quiet down. Otherwise you are rewarding the behavior by instant gratification of what they want - to go in.

Good luck, stay safe.

[Cat Tap]

They already have more hay out there than they will clean up. The shank around the neck has worked for many years except for windy days when I do use halters. The problem started with the new boy and I have used a halter with him.

[VCT]

Well I would use a chain for 3yrold then. He almost BROKE your hand.

If you can possibly get two other people to help you for a few days that would be great. They could each hold horse5 and horse6 while you lead 3 yr old (with chain on his nose) in and out and in and out of the gate. Do it until he relaxes and gets bored or at least acts mannerly. This will be a good exercise for #5 and #6 as well. They need to stand there until it's their turn.

I would also do a lot of remedial ground work with 3 yr old and horse 5 and horse 6. You say they behave well alone/separately.. .but there is a hole somewhere in their ground training if they are not respecting you/putting you in danger in that situation. At least do some review. Teach them a vocal command of "Away!" or whatever word you want which means they back out of your space so you can use that command at the gate.

You need to re-establish your dominance in the herd.... for whatever reason. If they are crowding, trying to push past you at the gate... horse 5 and horse 6 don't respect you.

Or you can leave them out until they decide that bringing-in time is not so exciting.

[chicamuxen1]

I know this isn't what you were hoping for but;

I went to a stable for a three day clinic. I noticed they had an interesting fence setup. The pasture gates both opened into a small wood fenced pen. when they went from the barn yard out to bring horses in they first went thru a gate into this small pen and shut the gate behind them. To one side hung all the halters for the turned out horses. They would grab a halter then let one horse from a pasture into the small pen, close the pasture gate, halter the horse and go out the other gate to the barn. A second person then let another horse thru and haltered that one and so forth. Using gates with those slam shut latches would be faster.

I thought this an excellent and safe system for a large barn that has to lead a lot of horses into stalls every day. It keeps the handlers safe.

chicamuxen

[eclipse]

Why are you so dead set against putting halters on them & taking them off once they are safely inside? You need to have control over ALL the horses ALL of the time, and quite frankly having a roper looped around their neck is a recipe for disaster. I think you've been extremely lucky that this (or worse) hasn't happened sooner. Take control and teach them that YOU are the leader & they are NOT to crowd you, fight with each other, run you over, etc.

[BuddyRoo]

The shank around the neck has worked for many years <snip>

But it's not working now.

Halter and lead the horse out quietly. If the horse is jigging around and being an idiot, back him up, make him work a little. It's unacceptable behavior and dangerous to boot.

There's really no solution OTHER than making them mind and I don't see how that's going to work if you don't have sufficient control of the situation.

With regards to the horses running around like idiots...in the mud season, I get it. You don't want someone slipping and falling and getting hurt.

But seriously...I know lots of places where there are that many or more horses being brought in or taken out daily...there's no reason that you shouldn't EXPECT to be able to catch, halter, and lead a horse quietly to and from the barn ANY TIME YOU WISH.

[Rivendell Horses]

If my horses start being jerks about dinner (running around..being stupid) i ignore them. they don't get fed until they calm down. i clean the paddocks, fill up water, whatever.

My one mare is an ottb who gets VERY pissy about not getting her dinner FIRST (and she's not the alpha...that's just her) she she will run around being stupid. She gets ignored. She doesn't do it very often anymore.

They have all done this in one way or another (i have 9 here) and each gets ignored until they knock it off. Mine now stand quietly (well they talk a lot..so i guess it's not really all that quiet). and wait for me to get to them to either bring them in, or feed them in their 'spot'

Mine also have halters on them when they are turned out, being that if i need to get them, it's just easier on me. Also, my mother and father work the farm, and neither of them are overly exceptional with haltering the horses. So they have them on unless they are in their stalls.

[jazzrider]

Do you drop feed before you bring them in? When we first moved our horses home they were coming from a boarding barn where the gate was just opened and 18 horses ran into their stalls in a mad dash :rolleyes:. They were really badly behaved at first at the gate. I found that NOT dropping their feed first, and making them cool their heels for a bit in their stalls before feeding greatly decreased their enthusiasm at the gate coming in. Just a thought...

[theblondejumper]

As others have suggested I would halter everyone. Deal with each horse at a time. With those last three excitable ones, I would simply deal with each one and dovote some time each day to handling them outside of the paddock. When you do go to bring them in, efficiently get horse #4, 5, 6 whatever out of the paddock and then ask him to settle down before walking in. Only when he is listening to you would I bring him in. This technique has worked for me pretty well. I find it is most helpful it's just one on one time with you and the horse--you don't have to worry about other horses trying to nip, kick, bite or endanger you in the process.

When in doubt make sure there is someone you can call on to help you bring horses in and work with them.

[Penthilisea]

Call on some friends to help you. Each person gets one horse, in a halter WITH a chain on. One week will do wonders.

[Cat Tap]

Thank you for all the suggestions. I should have mentioned that this does not happen all the time and the other night was the first time the three year old got away from me. He bolted just as I opened the gate because of the horse behind him.

I am alone and getting help is not possible. I did go out last night and put halters on them well before it was time to bring them in. When I did bring them in I was well prepared with chain shank and patience, prepared to wait them out. However they all stood quietly waiting their turn without getting worked up.

I will say again that when I work with each horse individually away from the others they are well behaved and follow commands.

I will follow the same routine tonight, halters on early, chain shank and patience and hopefully they all co-operate.

[Bravestrom]

we rarely even use a lead shank - our horses go in and out of the barn for the most part without anything on them.


We open the door to the corral - open the stall and the horse walks out - we do each one at a time. At night time they have their pecking order and come in one at a time - open the stall - in they go and then we do the next one.

We are even able to do this with the mare and foal as well as a 2 yr old colt.

I am sure some will call us crazy. But they learn after a while - it takes time - every new horse is done by halter and they watch the others. Eventually we start letting them try with just a lead shank around the neck and before you know it they have the routine.

My gelding actually taught the colt the routine.

[Cat Tap]

Prodomus your routine can only work if your place is set up for it.

As far as letting the horses walk out of the stall on their own they soon think that an open door means you can walk out. Mine are not allowed to leave their stalls unless being led. Most will stand with an open door until I give the command.

My problem is not leading horses but how to cope with them on days they have hysterics waiting their turn while still in the field.

[rabicon]

Halters and lead ropes!!! I have 6 out and they will start this crap if you don't give them a good reminder from time to time who the boss of this herd is and its not them. ;) Bring them in one at a time on the lead. If one tries to push out the gate when your closing it tell them to back off or back up and if they don't respond nail them with the crop. Sounds harsh but they will figure it out rather quickly after a few times. If one tries to pull your arm off and bolt when you bring it out then have it on the lead rope and yank it back and make it work before it gets its food. Go immediatly into lunging for about 5 min. and then throw him back out in the field. :yes: and take the other horses in first. If the horse just tries to walk on top of you then use your lead with a few jerks and tell them to back up if they don't respond then take the end of the lead and smack them with it in the chest or neck until they back up. It only takes a few times of this and they will learn who alpha is again and how they must behave to get their feed. I have made horses skip a meal if they could never walk in properly at that feeding and I usually never have a problem for a long long time. Of course they are horses and they will test you from time to time but sometimes tough love is what they need. Now all my horses know what back off and back up mean and when they all bombard the gate all I have to do is swish my hand and tell them to back off and off they back. Good luck

[rabicon]

Prodomus your routine can only work if your place is set up for it.

As far as letting the horses walk out of the stall on their own they soon think that an open door means you can walk out. Mine are not allowed to leave their stalls unless being led. Most will stand with an open door until I give the command.

My problem is not leading horses but how to cope with them on days they have hysterics waiting their turn while still in the field.

I agree with not letting them walk from their stalls on their on either. Mine wait at an open stall door until I wave my hand and say come on or grab their halters. They will not walk out on their on and if that rare day comes when they think about it all I have to say is aghh (sound effect :lol:) and they back right up

[rabicon]

we rarely even use a lead shank - our horses go in and out of the barn for the most part without anything on them.


We open the door to the corral - open the stall and the horse walks out - we do each one at a time. At night time they have their pecking order and come in one at a time - open the stall - in they go and then we do the next one.

We are even able to do this with the mare and foal as well as a 2 yr old colt.

I am sure some will call us crazy. But they learn after a while - it takes time - every new horse is done by halter and they watch the others. Eventually we start letting them try with just a lead shank around the neck and before you know it they have the routine.

My gelding actually taught the colt the routine.


We will do this also alot but you still have to remind them how to act on a lead and halter at times or they will get to running over you and not respect that you are actually the one feeding them. They will start to think that their food bowl is magical and produces the food out of thin air. ;) Then they get pushy and need a reminder of where the food comes from and who it is that they depend on to feed them,

[SmokenMirrors]

Prodomus, we do the same thing you do. I am very fortunate that my horses are in the pasture that my barn is in, so when I walk out of the house and yell "Come On" a certain way then each horses name, they know it is time to come in. By the time they mosey around the small pasture, each stall is opened and each horse knows who's stall is who's and go in. Once they are in I close their doors and then feed each one.

To the OP...just be careful with your new horse. They do get antsy and they do get pushy and they will shove you out of the way. Sounds like you are doing the right thing for your horses and maybe going in a bit earlier like your doing may solve your problem. Good luck!!