Horse Pull Back Collar? Trust The Answer

By Will Clinging

Letting a horse pull back when tethered is not a fun experience. There is a risk to the horse, the equipment and anyone nearby if this happens.

Is pulling a behavior problem or a training problem? Horses withdraw for several reasons. First, they’re scared, and second, they know they can. Essentially, it’s both a behavioral and training problem. But even if the horse is pulling because of a learned behavior, the root cause of the problem was probably fear.

We’ve all heard that a horse’s strongest instinct is to run. Basically that’s true, but you can categorize the flight instinct by flight stages. The intensity of the flight instinct depends on the stress level of the individual horse. Horses as individuals have different natural stress thresholds. When a horse reaches its stress threshold, it essentially panics — a total loss of rational thinking that causes instinctive behavior to take over its physical response — and feels an overwhelming need to escape. The horse’s hooves are its means of escape.

If a horse is under stress at a level below its threshold, we will see the horse move, but it will not panic. Panic-free movements can be performed under stress while the horse is still rational and in control. A mild reaction to stress might be indicated by the horse shifting its weight, taking a few steps, pawing the ground, or moving a few feet before stopping again – I call this a green alert. These signs suggest that the horse may be stressed but is able to cope.

An intermediate reaction to stress could be the horse moving frantically, becoming very pushy when it is not normally so, becoming increasingly distracted and showing visible signs of being very stressed. His head is high, eyes wide, and he might snort or whinny. I call this a yellow alert; This means that he is barely rational and very close to being overpowered. In an extremely stressful situation, the horse completely switches off mentally. He is determined to escape at all costs and at this point is not worried about harming himself or others. This is completely irrational behavior, devoted solely to basic survival at all costs. Obviously this is a red alert.

Watch your horse for signs that he may be stressed. Give him a chance to release his tension and think more rationally through exercise to avoid a red alert. Photo: Christina Handley Photography

When the horse knows it can move according to its instincts, it can often do so consciously. If the horse feels trapped or is unable to move enough to give its mind time to overcome its instincts, the panic that results in an extreme escape response can be triggered, and in this situation, that response could retreat. We must always be aware of how much stress our horse can feel in any given situation. It’s not rocket science; he will tell us if we listen to him. Remember: Green, Yellow or Red Alert. Understanding the amount and type of stress you are subjecting your horse to should give you a reasonable idea of ​​whether or not the horse will handle it successfully. It’s all very predictable if you pay attention to the signs.

Teaching your horse to deal with increasing stress during the training process and giving him viable options for coping with the stress imposed increases the horse’s threshold. For example, when I start a horse, I usually do my first lesson with the horse moving freely in a training stable. By allowing freedom of movement I always give the horse the opportunity to move as a coping mechanism for the amount of stress I am putting on him. When I add equipment like a halter or bridle, I effectively restrict the horse’s ability to move and thus increase its stress level. If I limit the amount of movement to the point where the horse feels trapped, I’ve created a situation that has become a red alert.

When I tie a horse up, I have effectively taken away its most important coping mechanism, which is movement. If I allow movement, if I cause stress, I always give the horse an option. The more stress I am portraying or portraying, the more movement I must accept from the horse in order for it to cope with the situation. The only time I intentionally stop its movement is after the horse has panicked; I’ll try to stop him so he can regain his composure and come up with a more acceptable answer. I will also note what caused the panic and try to keep the stressors below the level that caused the extreme reaction.

In any situation where the horse is showing signs of being mildly stressed (green alert) I will proceed after seeing how well he is handling it. If the signs escalate (amber alert), I cannot proceed until the intensity of his actions goes back to green alert. If I overlook how stressed the horse has become and I continue, then I have been the cause of the horse’s alertness.

For example, if I’ve tethered a horse and it’s slightly restless, I will proceed cautiously and be aware of what I may be causing. Then when I try to saddle this tethered horse and his movements intensify, I have to stop or untie him so he can increase his movement to offset the stress he is feeling. If I ignore the signs and don’t untie him, keep saddled him and he explodes, whose fault is that? I need to make sure the horse can handle the stress I put on him without being tied before I can expect him to handle it when tied.

The solution to pulling is to use exercise to prepare your horse to handle stress. Give him the time to deal with what is stressing him out, and then he will calmly stand on his own. If he stands still without restraint, he’s ready to finish the bondage. He shouldn’t be tied down when introducing something new related to stress – that’s when he needs to be able to move his feet the most. Being tethered is not a given for a horse. All his instincts tell him that being trapped is life threatening. Don’t trap your horse by tying it up until you know what it can handle in terms of stress. If he can’t take much when left unbound, taming him won’t make it any better. If he’s already pulling, you’ll need to relearn a few things before you can change the behavior.

Main Photo: Anthea McLauchlan – A horse’s natural instinct is to avoid being pinched and to run when it feels scared. If you don’t teach the horse to deal with stress and increase its stress threshold, it can learn to withdraw when tied.

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Practice safe trailer towing with advice on tying in the trailer, how to secure your horse safely outside of the trailer and what to do in an emergency.

As with most things in life, doing what you can to prevent a trailer accident is far better than trying to fix the problem after the fact, especially if you or your horse is seriously injured. In my Large Animal Emergency Rescue Course, I place an emphasis on avoiding trailer accidents.

Far too many of these injuries result from how horses are secured in their trailers. Should you tie your horse at all? There are arguments on both sides. I’ll give you the ins and outs of tying trailers along with six tying safety tips. Then I will explain how to tie your horse safely outside the trailer and what to do in an emergency.

combine advantages and disadvantages

Advantages:

Tethering your horse in the trailer is to prevent it from injuring, rolling over and/or biting/disturbing an adjacent horse. A stray horse can seriously injure another that is unable to fight back, causing a wreck if the injured horse tries to escape the attack.

Tethering your horse will also prevent him from lying down, crawling under a partition and/or burying his head under a barrier and then panicking when he raises his head. Tying also controls the head of an unruly or aggressive horse or stallion.

Disadvantages:

Your horse may get a foot (or trailer snag) caught in the tether, then panic and injure itself. Note, however, that you can tie him tight enough to keep him from snagging your foot (and annoying his traveling buddy) and still give him enough slack to balance himself.

You could also forget to untie your horse before opening the trailer door, causing panic and injury. It is extremely important that you untie your horse before opening the door. You should also teach him a cue about unloading so he knows when you expect him to start exiting the trailer.

6 trailer safety tips

If you’re transporting your horse even a short distance, follow these tying safety tips.

• Prepare feed carefully. If your horse is tethered, provide him with hay in a bag that he cannot put his feet in or wrap around his head. When he’s not tethered, lay the hay on the ground so he can maintain a more natural head and neck position. By lowering his head, he can drain debris from his respiratory system, which helps prevent respiratory diseases.

• Avoid bungee cords. If you decide to tie your horse in the trailer, do not use a tether. This type of cord used in this way is dangerous to both horses and humans. I know of a horse that got out of a four-in-hand trailer while still hanging from the rope – then broke! I know numerous horses and people who have lost eyes and had their faces cut open with these products.

• Use a breakable tie rope. To avoid tragedy when tying down the trailer, use a tie rope that breaks under pressure, such as a tie rope. B. one made of leather or a hay cord. Or invest in a high-tech option, like Davis Turtle Snap Cross Ties or Safety-Release Trailer Tie products from JEMAL Escape Mechanisms. Attach the breakaway attachment cord directly to the attachment or ring of the trailer for it to work properly.

• Leave some slack. A myth about tying trailers is that the tie rope helps your horse balance and even keeps him from falling off if he loses his balance. That’s wrong. To see how your horse balances in the trailer, get a trailer camera and watch it balance as it turns, stops, and accelerates. Your horse needs some slack in the rope so he can use his head and neck for balance. Standing up in a trailer while driving requires constant small adjustments in his muscles, even on the freeway at a constant speed. Short ties in particular would make it almost impossible for him to balance using his own weight and normal methods, or to stand up after a fall.

• Pay attention to the ends of the rope. If you want to tie your horse in the trailer, make sure that the loose end of the tie rope cannot come out of the trailer. Outside the trailer, the end of the rope could become tangled around the axle or some other object. This scenario will likely result in a tragic death.

• Train your horse. Teach your horse to load and unload safely with the help of a renowned trainer. Train your horse specifically to yield to pressure and only leave the trailer when given a specific signal. Practice loading not only for routine trips, but so he learns this important evacuation skill. It then charges regardless of bad weather and other adverse conditions.

Note: Loading your horse into the trailer is one of the most difficult and dangerous activities you will ever attempt. Owners get crushed, kicked, kicked and run over by horses while the horses themselves get badly cut, get their heads and legs pinched and then become frightened, which contributes to their reluctance to get in the trailer at all in the future. When loading and unloading, always stay out of your horse’s way and patiently teach him how to load with the help of a professional.

Outside the trailer

Horses are notorious for putting their legs and hooves in dangerous places – and the side of a trailer has many potential traps for these fragile structures. Tragic injuries include a hoof caught between tires, through windows or in air vents, or a halter caught on a protruding obstacle such as a hasp, door hinge or bucket hook.

Other common scenarios are panicked retreats which can result in the horse falling and being hung up by the halter and tied to the trailer or even underneath. This is how you secure your horse safely outside the trailer.

• Tie up. Tie your horse higher than his withers to limit the leverage he can exert on a tie.

• Use a cable tie. Use a tag tying product that will give it more room while keeping it farther from the tag than a straight tie would do. I recommend the overhead spring tie.

• Use a safety binding. Alternatives include a mechanism that releases your horse after a certain amount of pressure is applied. I recommend the JEMAL Safety Release Trailer Tie or Safety Release Cross Tie. Safety products that will prevent your horse from getting loose include Blocker Tether Rings, the Spring Tie, the HiTie Trailer Tie System, and the Tie-Safe Cross Tie.

• Attach the panic lock. A panic buckle is a good idea, but attach it to the other end, away from your horse and not on his halter. If he panics, don’t get close enough to hurt him. • have a weak link. Have something in the binding system that breaks when your horse is really struggling. This can be a leather latigo, a Velcro fastener, a piece of hay cord or even a cheap metal clip. • Avoid boredom. Give your horse plenty of hay to minimize injury-causing behavior problems like fiddling, scratching, playing with buckets, etc. • Give room to several horses. If tying more than one horse, give them plenty of room so they don’t kick each other or get tangled or tangled in each other’s ties.

• Consider alternatives. If you’re staying in one place for a while, consider feeding your horse up instead of tying it to the trailer. Or use a temporary pin.

emergency measures

In Emergency Large Animal Rescue Training, I emphasize to rescuers that no one should be allowed into a horse trailer for any reason, especially a trailer that has been thrown on its side or on the roof with frightened and injured animals inside. This includes owners, bystanders and veterinarians who may want to go into this tight space to rescue the horses.

It is better to wait until trained emergency responders such as firefighters arrive at the scene. They conduct an external rescue using tools to free the animals.

Your job is to stay calm to call for help and assess the situation. By using these basic response techniques you can be extremely useful in an emergency and actually learn how to save your own horse.

At the side of the road, responders are more concerned about your safety than their horse’s – and with good reason. This is a very dangerous situation when traffic is passing.

Most horses survive trailer wrecks surprisingly well if they stay in the trailer and don’t get thrown out. They tend to injure themselves standing up, so a breakaway tie-down strap is recommended.

Rebecca Gimenez, PhD (Animal Physiology), is a Principal Instructor for Large Animal Technical Rescue. She is a major in the United States Army Reserve, a decorated veteran of the Iraq War, and a former logistics officer for the American Veterinary Medical Association’s Veterinary Medical Assistance Teams. She is an invited lecturer on animal rescue issues around the world and a veteran equine journalist.

As horse owners, we find that we need to move horses from one place to another, be it a few miles or a few hundred miles. When I first started dragging my horses long distances, I was looking for helpful tips on how to do it safely. Through research and experience I have found that the better we plan and are prepared for a long distance with our horses, the more successful the outcome.

A month before the start of the trip, I carefully plan my route. I don’t like driving in a lot of traffic, so if I’m driving through busy areas, I try to plan for off-peak hours, such as late afternoons. B. at the weekend or in the morning. If I’m going to be out for more than a day, I look for stables or fairgrounds where the horses can take a nice break from the road and give themselves the rest they need. Call the stables ahead of time to make sure they have space and inquire about the type of areas they have. I prefer a nice exercise area for the horses, but some prefer indoor stables. To find places to stay, I search Google for stables or fairgrounds in the areas I want to stop at. I look at the routes and try not to go longer than 8 hours between overnight stays. I don’t have a caravan with LQ so I’m trying to find hotels near the stables. Most stables and fairgrounds have adequate space to park trailers. There’s a lot to be said for stops that aren’t too far out of your way and are easy to find, especially if you arrive after dark. Most places are very good at giving good directions and information on accommodating your horses.

If you are traveling across state lines you must have a Coggins test (which is valid for 1 year) and a health certificate. You should plan at least 2 weeks in advance to be sure of the results by travel time. For veterinary emergencies, my vet also sends in Prevail, Bute, and Antibiotic Eye Ointment. Also, keep your trailer stocked with veterinary wrap, scissors, knife, tape, fly spray, linage, and anything else you can routinely use on your horses.

The week before the trip, I make sure my vehicle and trailer are in top condition. Check the tires, check all fluids, make sure the bearings are packed and that the ground under the trailer mats is in good condition. Also make sure there are no blown fuses when hitching the trailer to your truck and that all lights are working.

Long-distance transport can be stressful for horses, but it doesn’t have to be if you plan ahead and pay attention to details. First, make sure the horse can be comfortably loaded into the trailer you will be bringing it into. Loading into a closed trailer is very different than loading into a livestock trailer. I find that the sloping trailers with bumpers are much gentler on the horse on long journeys. Also, make sure you get used to it beforehand when using the push bars for the first time. If your horse has never been ridden in the trailer, make sure you take him out on the road a few times before the ride to give him a feel for the movement.

To prevent colic and to promote water intake on the go, I give my horses psyllium for the 7 days before departure. The day before and during the trip, I add a powdered electrolyte to the grain to encourage water absorption.

When preparing for the day, I make sure I have enough hay and forage for the journey. The Cashel Hay Bale Bags are good for storing the hay and keeping it dry in the back of the truck. Or you can also store hay in the front box of the trailer if there is space. I use hay sacks to feed the horses along the way and make sure I have physical access to more hay to fill their feed troughs while I’m out. I also clip a bucket of water in front of them and use the Horse Spa Hole N Hole to keep the water from spilling while the horses can drink. I always place wood shavings on the trailer floor to absorb urine and prevent slipping while also providing a soft cushion for her legs. Most trailers have a 25-gallon water tank, so make sure it’s full to use on the road.

I also tie my horses in the trailer when towing. You can use either your lead or a harness with a safety release. I use the latter for my young horse that likes to loosen up. When tying, make sure the tie is secure, that there is enough length of rope for them to eat their hay and drink water, but not fall too far below the level of the feed trough. No one wants a horse’s legs to get tangled and panic causing real harm to the horse.

After loading the horses and before hitting the road, I do a thorough tour to make sure all doors and windows are secure, trailer running and brake lights are working, and all seat belts are in place.

On the way, I make sure the horses let the air circulate, but I don’t allow them to stick their heads out of the window. Most trailers have bars and/or grilles over the windows that allow the horse to see outside and allow plenty of air circulation. These also fall down when you need access to the horse’s head and to place more hay and water for the horses during the journey. Be aware of outside temperatures in case you need to adjust the circulation pattern.

On the way I make sure to stop at least every 3 hours to refuel and give the horses about ½ hour rest. Make sure you allow for this time when planning your trip, especially if you’re on a tight schedule (and the looser your itinerary the better, because the unexpected always happens!). I don’t unload my horses on the way. Horses are fine in a trailer for up to 9 hours as long as they have food and water, and unloading mid-journey will only significantly increase your finish time. Better get where you want to go and let them – and you – rest long.

And if you decide to hire a haulier to transport your horses, do your research and ask lots of questions! Make sure they have overnight stops when unloading, that they provide water and feed on the journey, and that they clean the trailers well between trips.

If travel becomes necessary, please consider some of these tips to ensure you and your horse have a stress-free journey!

Pulling back while being tied is one of the most common habits some horses can develop. Initially, a horse pulls away because he doesn’t feel secure with restricted feet and doesn’t know how to “give in” to the halter to find the solution. When he breaks what he is bound by and finds he can gain freedom and the comfort of security, withdrawing can become a habit. Tethering to ball string (which I had never seen before coming to New Zealand) is a substitute for good training that can actually make a horse more dangerous to itself and those around it.

To retrain a horse that has developed this habit requires teaching him to move his feet in response to pressure and to be able to stay soft and responsive on the lead rope.

Many aspects of groundwork, including circling, releasing the hindquarters, backing up, and lateral shoulder movements such as side passes and counter-bows, can be used to build this understanding in the horse’s mind. As a general rule, whenever contact is made with the horse’s head through the lead rope, you should wait for it to “give” or release the pressure. If he reacts like this, it’s crucial that you release the pressure you’re putting on the rope. If your hands are “heavy” or slow to release, your horse will also become “heavy” and may learn to toss his head for relief.

Before attempting the more complicated maneuvers mentioned above, try to simply stand your horse and bend laterally (to the side) in both directions. Position yourself at the shoulder to keep the horse from moving towards you. Lift the lead rope with your hand near the withers, similar to your hand when horseback riding. Slowly take out the slack in the rope and offer him the lightest feel he will respond to. Reward any progress by releasing the pressure, even if it’s just a slight bend at first. Your goal is to move his head toward his shoulder and perpendicular to the ground. He may attempt to find release by crouching or tossing his head up, backing away, or simply tipping his nose in without moving his head around. If he tries to do this, just stay with him and don’t let go of the pressure on the rope until you feel his head give way, even slightly.

Recognize and reward each attempt, then build on it. Have him stretch his neck fully. Rub his neck and let him sit for a moment before asking again. Once one side works better, try the other side.

This lateral flex, which does not require force, teaches a horse to look for slack in the lead rope and is the foundation of good groundwork drills, as well as work under saddle. When the horse is comfortable and consistently responding to your cues for movement and softness, prepare him to be securely tethered as well.

We have a video in our online video library about working with a pulling back rehab case… Try it today with a FREE 7 day trial by clicking here!