Herd Bound/ Nervous

Question
QUESTION: I've ownd my 9yr old gelding 2 1/2 years. I orginally boarded him outside 24/7 in a large number group. He was second from the bottom of the totem pole.  I brought him home last spring, he shared a paddock with two mares who he fought with untill one day (after about 3wks) he became boss.  I was riding him frequently and on his own away from his new girlfriend.  He did spoke in he fields or hacking if something moved in the tall grass or bush.  Never bucks or rears just plants his feet.  We moved 5month later to our new farm.  He shares a paddock with another gelding (his subordinate) and right next to his orginal paddock girlfrien and two other mares new to the property over the last 3 months.  Now I cannot even bring him to groom him alone, he calls out and sweats and is very upset.  I had him in with his girlfriend the other day and in the cross ties he wasn't too bad untill I closed the barn door to put his bridle. I took 5 steps away and he watched me start to close the door and reared up twice and on the third attempt flipped on this back and broke the cross ties and his halter. (he wasn't alone in the barn).  If he is away from the rest of the herd for even less than 5 minutes he is sweaty and veins are popping.  This winter he was on a fat and fiber feed and brought in every night....I am weening him off his feed but I am really upset and not sure what to do to change his manners.  He has always been a perfect gentleman and you can scrub cuts and do what ever you want to him (grooming, vet stitched him once, teeth floated, ferrier) I just don't know what to do about his change in behaviour now.  He has also not been ridden all winter (6month)

Can he be changed or fixed?  
P.S.  He is a quarter horse his grand sire was TB and I am his 4th owner.


ANSWER: Hi Brenda!

Herd bound issues are some of the most difficult to work through.  Not to worry, this too has a fix.  You just have to become more important to your horse.  You have to be a leader he can trust and someone that has the answers he is looking for.  

First, please no more cross ties.  I'm not sure who came up with the idea of tieing a horse like this, it is just a bad, dangerous idea.  You are not the only person to flip a horse in crossties.  It happens all the time.  It seems that just about every boarding barn across the country has them and they stink.  If you look at the physics of the situation, you can't help but to flip the horse over.  Their hind feet get scrambling under the body, the head is up in the air and over the poor horse goes.  No more, please.  Use a highline to tie if you need to leave your horse for long periods of time or you are wanting bar time or if you have more than one horse to ride and have more than one saddled.  I have pictures of my highline on my website.  The highline should be just that, high!  It is NOT a picket line.  Horses  can step over a picket line and they too can cause some pretty bad wrecks.  So, teach your horse to stand quiet.  Keep your horse with you and keep your lead rope over your arm when grooming.  Your horse can learn how to stand like a gentleman for this.  If he is stalled, take him out and let him blow off steam however he wants FIRST, then bring him in to groom and saddle.  This is also why I hate seeing horses stalled.  It is just so hard on them.  No ground tieing either.  Ground tieing only works until it doesn't work.  A horse is a horse and not a dog.  I never tie my horses when they are being saddled.  Not only can the cinches come tight if their body is tight and trouble them, my horse needs to be part of the process of saddling.  They need to help in the process.  It is all part of the training and learning.  It teaches them a good work ethic, how to cooperate, and really how to read me and what I'm asking for.  Don't get lazy with this most important part of your horses education.  Get all of the gear you will need first, then get your horse if you have small rooms to go into.  Get organized and then get your horse so there is no need to use crossties.  Then teach your how to help you in the grooming and saddling process.  My horses tip their head in the direction I am traveling in around their bodies.  I keep them bent toward me as I am saddling and moving around in the event that if something comes up I can quickly get to the feet and take care of the trouble.  They step into and around me in order to make saddling more comfortable for both of us.  Some days I keep my feet still and ask the horse to move forward, back, present left and right side so I can saddle.  It is a great way to get your horse very handy at carefully placing his feet.  Give this a try.  It is much better and safer than crossties!

Now, about the herd bound issues...Make the right thing easy and the wrong thing difficult!  Find the EDGE of trouble and work from there.  If your horse has trouble leaving the herd, work him IN the herd!  While he is close to his buddies, put him to work.  Get really busy with your ground work!  Get to the feet with some really deep bending and yielding the hind quarters.  After a bit of serious work ask your horse to lead of toward the barn or where ever you needed to go.  Praise, rub and comfort your horse as he is walking relaxed away from the herd.  The second you feel him become worried or tense, allow him to go back to his buddies.  Just fix it up and go with him.  Once he is back to where he feels comfortable, put him to work again.  The point here is that if he wants to be with the herd he has to work, hard.  You are not angry or upset.  Just give him a BIG job to do.  When you ask him to walk away from the gang get soft and comfortable.  Rub him, praise him, maybe even offer him a treat.  Really make it worth his while to step away from the herd.  Keep up this pattern until your horse can confidently walk away from his buddies and you can enjoy your ride.  Making his herd mates be the cause of some really hard work will make his think twice about hanging around them!  Depending on your feel, and timing this could take anywhere from several hours to several weeks to get really good.  Don't expect to flip a switch and have the whole thing change.  Big changes come in very small steps.  Get a few small changes every day.  Horses are smart!  Your gelding will figure this out!   You can use this same exercise mounted.  If your horse is really troubled you may want to saddle close to the herd as well and then get to work!  Just  keep fixing and allow your horse to find the right answers.

If I have used terms or concepts that you do not quite understand, let me know and I will clarify!  Give me a shout and let me know how things are working out for you!  Have fun with this.  It is all part of the journey!

Smiles!
Denise

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Just wondering what your website is, I would like to take a look at the highline for tying my horse (I feel bad about the crossties but he was only an arms length away from me, I was closing the barn door)  I know better than to leave a horse unattended in them.

Answer
Hi Brenda!

It is NOT your fault!  Cross ties are just dangerous!  I don't know why they are still around.  If you need to use something, just use one of the ties and not both.  It the cross tie is hung from above your horses head is acts just like a highline.  your horse is able to move his feet and walk in a circle. The horse continues to yield his hind quarters and NOT flip over!  A simple cure for a very dangerous problem

You can see  my highline at www.laurelmountainfarms.com and then go to the "Our Horses" page.  My highline is just a simple heavy duty poly rope with tree savers and knot eliminators.  You can find these "camping" highlines for sale on the web.  I think I bought mine from Country Supply.  They are super simple to take camping or when I visit a friends ranch.  You horse can't get an angle on a highline and pull back.  They can do a LOT of yielding hindquarters!  

Check it out or just use one of the cross ties in your barn and not both!

Keep me posted!

Smiles!  Denise