Often in the course of their training horses pick up bad habits. One of the most frustrating is pulling back when tied or hanging on the lead rope like a rock, which leads to running off from their owners when frightened, zinging the rope through startled hands, and burning off several layers of hide in the process.
Humans come up with all sorts of gadgets to solve problems and in the case of horses that pull it's usually the stud chain. I never use one - period. There is no excuse for putting a chain across a horse’s nose or under his jaw in order to affect discipline. It is nothing but a device for causing pain and does not help the horse. You will never see a true horseman use one.
The strangest excuse I ever heard for using a stud chain came from a “Resistance-Free” trainer from whom I took one lesson. She insisted that she be allowed to put the chain on. At the time I didn’t know better and I thought she did (just an aside-trust your gut. If it doesn’t feel right, it probably isn’t). Here’s what she said: I’m not going to use it. I just want the horse to know it’s there.
Looking back I realize the absolute ridiculousness of that statement. First, it’s merely threatening the horse – do as I say or I will hurt you. Second, if a horse has never felt the bite of a yanked chain he won’t even know it’s a threat. By the way, the trainer used the chain aggressively within five minutes of putting it on, so I stopped her, took off the chain, and left the lesson.
There are better ways to solve bad habits than foisting abuse upon an animal. The first is to stop and think and assume an attitude of helping and supporting rather than forcing and punishing. To be more specific, let’s address the issue of horses that pull.
- Horses are flight animals.
- Their first response to fear is to run.
- If they cannot run they will fight.
These are instinctual responses. A horse that is tied will fight the rope if he is frightened, because he cannot run. Our responsibility is to teach our horses to override those instincts and think before they act. We must teach them how to respond differently.
- So, we teach our horses to bend their necks to a soft feel on the rope. They should be able to do this without moving their feet. When they can bend softly, and quietly, and without anxiety, then we ask them to move their hindquarters, stepping gently away from us while their nose is bent softly towards us. The hind foot closest to you should step in front of the outside hind foot. At first, accept one step and then QUIT. Everything must be done in a relaxed manner without scaring the horse. If he becomes too frightened, stop and start over. Horses cannot learn when frightened because their instincts have taken over.
- When the horse is comfortable moving his hindquarters while softly bent, then you can introduce some scarier objects into the equation. Start small! Use the end of the lead rope and pet his hindquarters when he’s moving. He should bend and stay soft and move away gently. When he does – QUIT. Pet on him. Let him know he did well. Then try something a little more frightening, maybe a horse blanket, or a flag. Build up to objects like plastic bags and tarps.
Remember: The object is not to frighten the horse. It’s to help him learn what to do with his feet when he becomes frightened. Don’t cause him to panic! Only stretch the envelope to the point where you can help him come back to you.
Here is the response we are teaching the horse: When you become afraid, get soft on the rope and disengage your hindquarters. In other words RELAX.
