What do you do when a horse spooks in the cross ties?
- asked:
Skip the “omg, you don’t know what to do?!” I’ve only been riding a few months. If you could please provide step by step instructions, that would be great.
For instance:
1. Once the horse runs, should I run after it?
2. Once I catch the horse what do I do?
(It’s better that I ask, then not know what to do)
Also, when a horse spooks, do you immediately remove the cross ties from each side so the horse can run?
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Skip the “omg, you don’t know what to do?!” I’ve only been riding a few months. If you could please provide step by step instructions, that would be great.
For instance:
1. Once the horse runs, should I run after it?
2. Once I catch the horse what do I do?
(It’s better that I ask, then not know what to do)
Also, when a horse spooks, do you immediately remove the cross ties from each side so the horse can run?Powered by Yahoo Answers
Comments
11 Responses to “What do you do when a horse spooks in the cross ties?”
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If your horse’s halter is on snug enough, he shouldn’t be able to escape cross ties.
If he does, catch him, lead him back, tie him more securely. Then get a bucket of oats and feed him yummy treats while he’s cross tied. Do it daily for awhile, tie him for at least 1 hour, and feed him a couple of times when he’s tied. Repete till he likes it.
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Hi
Never ever run after your horse, that will only scare him more. Walk after him talking very calming and grabe the reins and give him a pat.
If you dont feel good about mounting him againg walk him on his left side still talking to him.
Good luck
I love horses!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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1. Give it a chance to calm down. Don’t run after it, just calmly walk up to it.
2. Once you catch it, just go back to what you were doing. You can’t scold the horse because, when you catch it, it’ll be coming back to you, and if you scold it when it comes back to you, its going to think your scolding it BECAUSE its coming back to you.
Hope this helps
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OK
well i work at a barn ( to pay off my lessons ) and i have had horses escape form me before… like outta the paddock and from a stall once… if the area is not closed in ( like if the property is not fully fenced in and their horse can get off the property go after it IMMEDIATELY if you can grasp a halter if not then you just gotta catch him and get someone to brink you one or lead him by his blanket
also
do not make excessive noise as it will scare him more, approach him slowly and talk to him (good boy/girl, it’s ok im here ,shh ,good, good horse pretty horse pretty mare ECT) in a low calm voice and avoid direct eye contact as it may think you are a predator!!
try to block him from running and walk slow as to not pose a threat then once you catch him try and walk him back to the barn if he is freaking bout the barn take him to the paddock to calm down .. walk slowly and do NOT yell or scream or hit or scold him
HORSES are flight animals and try to run from things they are afraid of… yelling and hitting him will just make him more scared..
i hope these help, that is what i do when i have escapes
GOOD LUCK =]
ALSO pay attention as he could charge you and keep an eye out for a miens of escape if you do get charged try to avoid cornering him and make him think it is his idea ( carrots can help if he is in a safe place )
scolding will make him fear you more and if he is spooking and is not untied form the cross ties just back up out of his way and talk calmly to him, try to close the barn doors and get OUT of his way
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sounds like you have a few different things going on here.I am hoping you are in a stall or ring when he gets loose from you.When he runs and you give chase you become a predator to the horse,this will make him want to flee because it is a survival reflex,so no chasing.I would get a descent lunge line and just start letting him go a few feet from me call him back every time he turns his head towards you or takes a step give him a small piece of carrot or apple that you have stored away in a ***** pack,just haul him in to you DO NOT go to him.Do this for sevral days then just turn your back and walk away and with your back to him he will come to you say his name step back when he takes that step give his reward.This takes time do it a few times a day and be very up and very happy (not giddy) over each time you see this start to work.
As for the cross tie first thing I would do is check his eyes make sure some thing is not wrong on one side or the the other,once you know its not a sight problem,try to figure out which side is makeing him panic = he may have been hit in the head from any thing from a bird to a blast of wind hiting him with some thing.So we need to re train his brain to accept this is a safe thing.Tie him with a single line but do not leave him just stand then and feed him some of his grain.After a few seconds if all is well-unhook that side and hook the other do the same thing stand there and feed him some grain from his bucket.Just watch and see if thee is any differance,if there is then you must keep working this way until the horse gets relaxed.If he is cool with this then after doing just the one side=hook the other and feed the grain.All this takes time more good horses get ruined because people are in such a hurry.Take it show and watch you will learn a lot by just watching his ears move watch his eye you can see if fear is comeing and its up to you to show him what ever happened is over -no big deal all thet matters is what you do with him today so you can look forward to tommrow.Make sure you have nice smooth movements don’t show fear.Oh also your halter should not be comeing off so its ether on wrong or you have a bad throat latch-make sure it is on right and enjoy the hourney there is nothing that quite compares to shareing your soul with a horse.
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This is actually a really good question. Don’t feel bad at all about asking.
1.) No. Walk calmly after it, talking soothingly. Some horses can break the crossties (mine did once,) so they do sometimes get away. If the horse is kicking or you’re concerned it will hurt you, don’t approach, and get your teacher to help you.
2.) If you are sure what spooked your horse, and whatever it was is gone, you can return the horse to the crossties if they aren’t broken. If the horse now seems calm, another option is to go to the stall, and secure the horse with a halter and leadrope. Make sure the rope is tied with ONLY a quick-release knot in case it spooks again. If you don’t know how to tie a quick-release, ask your instructor to show you (it’s easier to just see it, and explaining how to do it makes it sound more complicated than it is.) Then, whether in the stall or on the crossties, check the horse thoroughly for injuries, or something like a bug bite that might have caused the spook. Note: If the horse still seems agitated or is kicking out, don’t go in the stall yourself, and don’t tie it. Just leave it stall till it calms down, unless you can see an injury from a distance, in which case get vet advice.
Whether to remove the crossties is not a simple question. If you can, yes, because your horse can get hurt or die from being tangled in the crossties. But to be honest, a spook is usually going to happen too fast for you to get in there and unhook the ties, so you may not even have the option. Also, if the horse is kicking or flailing around, you won’t be able to get close enough. Unhooking the ties is a good idea if you can, but you probably won’t have the chance before it’s all over anyway.
A couple of things to remember:
Never, ever leave your horse alone on the crossties. Make sure you have all the supplies you need before you start, and if you have to leave, even for only a few minutes, return the horse to its stall.
Do not attach crossties to a bridle. Crossties should only be attached to a halter.
Having fun riding!
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Don’t run after the horse… it only spooks them more and causes them to run more. Instead stay calm, head to the grain room, then try to lure him back with grain, and let him eat some when he comes. Take him back to the barn and continue doing what you were doing before. If you think he may spook again, then have someone hold him instead of tying him.
When a horse spooks for me, I just let them spook until they’re done and then I continue doing what I was doing before. We have quick release crossties, so there is no need to untie them - imo it’s not smart to walk in front of a spooked horse to untie them. It sounds like you guys have release ties too, so don’t attempt to untie them if the horse is spooking.
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Does your horse just not like the cross ties or are you talking about if something else scares your horse while it’s in cross ties?
If your horse doesn’t like the cross ties, they’re probably just feeling a bit claustrophobic. They might be too tight. When I put my horse in cross ties, they have slack in them, but not enough so that he could walk around or anything. Just enough so he can put his head down or up or look around or whatever. He stands there fine.
Don’t run after your horse if it runs away. You’ll chase it off. Walk to it and then pet it when you catch it. And if you have a feed bucked w feed or treats, shake the bucket and they’ll probably want it and might be easier to catch.
Don’t undo the cross ties if the horse spooks. I’d just get away. You’re more fragile than your horse and much more important. It’d be terrible if your horse hurt itself spooking, but if you go undo the cross ties, where is the horse going? Forward. And you’d be in the way. Wait until the horse calms down then go pet it and talk to it.
Good luck!
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If your horse spooks in cross ties, the horse has not been conditioned to be in cross ties and this is very dangerous - don’t do it. If your horse breaks free and bolts, you have to retrieve your horse. If the horse was properly trained, you would not have to chase it down, it should face you and return to you or allow you to approach.
A horse is a claustrophobic animal by nature. Being in cross ties is not a natural or normal situation for horses to be in. Some will tolerate it, but I will never be convinced they are comfortable and totally accepting of such. I would never put my horses in cross ties because it is unnatural and just wrong. That said, my horses are taught to ground tie and/or stand tied by the lead rope. That is the best option for the safety of the horse. If you take a panic driven, fear based, claustrophobic animal and tie its face on both sides, you are asking for a wreck. No offense, but someone who has limited horse handling skills would be in a really unsafe position trying to release a panic stricken 1,000 pound animal who is losing it in cross ties. If that animal is tied on a concrete floor, you have an additional element of disaster present. It is best not to put your horse in such a skeptical and possibly dangerous situation to begin with. It is never acceptable to allow your horse to be in a situation where it “can run” away. No, no, no. You need to educate yourself about horses and horse handling. Get some help so you can be safe.
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Oh god im parenode in the cross ties know my TB freaked out over nothing i had a nylon halter on with no saftey strap and there was no binder twin on the cross ties he ended up bashing his head of the roof and getting a concusion he had a big gash in his head and scrpaes all over his legs. The best thing you can do if your horse spooks in the cross ties is make sure you have a brake away halter on and theres binder twin on the cross ties. Your horse will be able to break out of it and dont run after him just walk after him if he runs out of the barn cause u dont want him to end up going on the rode or something. Once you catch him just give him a good pat and tell him its ok and calm him down he might be alittle nervous again when u bring him in the ties so just get someone to hold him with a lead rope while you tack him up. I had to go through that for weeks because my horse was so frightneded. So just make sure hes relaxed and maybe give him a carrot. Really good question because i didnt even think of a break away halter or binder twine until what happened.
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I never use cross ties….my horses are trained to ground tie. But I realize you may not have that option right now. What you can do is to have a lead rope that is kept attached to the halter and it can be laid over the horse’s back, or if the horse is trained to it, can be left hanging on the floor, while the horse is in cross ties. Do not leave it on the floor without training the horse to it first, though.
By having a lead handy, if the horse breaks the cross ties you still have some control. When you work on the horse’s left side, loosely drape the lead along his left side and laid over the back. When you go the his right side, bring the lead across in front of his chest to his right side and loosely laid over his back. When you are tightening the girth, have it laid over the saddle where you can easily grab it if he spooks at the girth being tightened. A yachting rope lead is best for this, and about 8 feet long is good. It is easy to grab it if the horse spooks. Crossties should have breakaway clasps. I’ve seen horses injure their necks by falling when they spook on crossties and they don’t release.