Rushing Back to the Barn?

[saddlebred_babe]

Hey, a horse that I have been riding lately likes to rush back to the barn once it comes into view. I ride him around his field on this path and then once he comes out on one side and he will see the barn and he either starts trotting or cantering. I tell him not to and i've thought of circling him when he is in a rush to go back. I was only able to ride him around his field twice b/c on the second time around he absolutely would not turn around and start walking again. Do you have any suggestions for me on how I could break this habit???

Thanks
Kirstie

[SupaTania]

Many horses have this problem of running back to the barn. Similarly as a child, coming home after a roadtrip, how you got out of the car and ran to the door. What we do at the barn, is if the horse begins to rush, we circle him, then ask him to walk on. If he walks we give him a nice pat and let him know we're happy with his behaviour. If he continues to rush, we continue circling, and sometimes even halt them. Show them you are in control - of both speed and direction.

Also anothing thing you can try to do is rather then go back to the barn, pass by it and keep going. Approach it from another angle. That way he doesn't associate the view of the barn with going home and finishing work.

Yes the barn can mean we're done for the day, But it can also be just another landmark on our continued hack. If he doesn't know which is which, he'll be less in a hurry to rush home, not knowing whether he's going to be able to stop, or just forced to continue on with the hack.

Good Luck!

[Lindsayanne]

He's testing you. When you are the BOSS you can ride past anything and your horse does not get to decide speed or direction, when HE's the boss he makes the decsions. When he refuses to walk away from the barn you CANNOT give in and let him have his way. Doesn't matter if it takes 45 minutes of arguing and you hanging on by mane if you get a few steps in the opposite direction you win, if you give in let him go the way he wants (or get off), he wins and will be even worse the next time.

What I would do is next time when you ride him out and the barn comes into view and you feel him wanting to transition up and rush to it, turn him, get him to take 5 or 6 steps in the direction away from the barn, then GET OFF, loosen the girth, and walk him back. (If you're in a fenced in pasture where he gets turned out, you can just untack him right there and carry your stuff back)

Basically right now he's thinking pasture-facing away from barn means work, and the barn means rest and getting that pesky rider off and scratches. Your jobs as rider is to change that pattern, thus changing the way he thinks. So ending his work away from the barn will help change that- as will making him work when he's in and around the barn. If you get off out in the pasture and lead him back, then take him right up to the barn and start working him, making him step backwards when you ask, yeilding to your body, etc.

I rode barn sour horses when I was a kid and it sucked. :o I'm really careful with the horse I have now. He wants to be gate-sour and will test me every few weeks just by stopping at the arena exit gate and refusing to move.- If he refuses to respond to aids, I just grab mane and give him a "cowgirl kick" with my spurs and he remembers real quick. :p I also try to dismount in a different part of the arena, facing a different way every ride.

[saddlebred_babe]

hey thanks for the replies LindsayAnne and Supatania! Next time I go to ride him I will try both of your suggestions!! Again thanks!


Thanks
Kirstie