Horse That Rips Away

Q:

Hi Raye, I have a horse that loves to rip away from me when turning her out on pasture. She has dragged me, stepped on me and ingeneral hurts my hand. She's easy to handle this just seems to be her flaw. Any suggestions?

A:

Thanks for the question. Your problem is quite common and is easy to fix with some time and consistency.

Gain control of the hindquarters.

Like most problems with horses we have a lack of control. One of the most important spots on a horse to control is the hindquarters. To put it simply, you need to be able to disengage the hindquarters in order to take the horse's power away.

First, find a safe place to work. Then with a halter and lead rope (in more extreme cases you can use a bridle), teach the horse to move their hip away from you when cued. You do this by asking the horse to go forward a few steps and then pick up the lead rope towards the horse's withers bending their neck. You are looking for the horse's front end to stop and pivot while the hindquarters steps around to the outside. Start on one side. After you start to see it on the first side, go to the other side and then switch from side to side.

Once they understand this cue take them to where you would release them (pasture, stall, etc.) and work on it. When you feel comfortable, "fake" taking off the halter. If you sense your horse is ready to bolt, put him to work. (Tip: Sometimes I put on two halters and take one off while still having control with the other.)

Be consistent and allow them to make a mistake. If they don't make a mistake then you have nothing to correct.

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