Some horses I work with tend to grab their lead rope in their teeth-at that point can you still correct with the Dually Halter??
Also a great followup question- best way to get a rope out of a horse's mouth? :)
Also a great followup question- best way to get a rope out of a horse's mouth? :)
#1
Some horses I work with tend to grab their lead rope in their teeth-at that point can you still correct with the Dually Halter??
Also a great followup question- best way to get a rope out of a horse's mouth? :)
#2
I have the same problem with my horse. I gently pull the rope out of her mouth. I don't think you can school with the rope in the horse's mouth. From my perspective the halter doesn't twist correctly. You will only be pulling on the horse's mouth and possibly hurting or damaging it. I try not to school when the rope is in my horse's mouth. A smile in the rope helps keep the rope out of my horse's mouth better. Does your horse grab just the rope or the metal piece too? My horse grabs the metal snap on the side of the halter. I was hoping Monty had some advice on this problem too. My horse loves to chew on everything and I want to know how to discourage that too. If you find anything that works please let me know.
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FROM MONTY:
Thank you, for your question. It is quite a complicated one but I will attempt to make it as easily understood as possible. In no way do I ever suggest a method to solve this problem that includes pain. Pain around the mouth is a formula for problems down the road.
What I want to convey to you is that one should organize thoughts which cause your horse to not to want to put the rope in the mouth and this includes the snap. It is a simple process to cause the horse not to want the rope or the snap in her or her mouth.
IT HAS TO TASTE BAD. It may not have anything poisonous or against the wishes of a veterinarian for potential health problems. The ingredients of this material should be read and cleared by your veterinarian. Now to outline the process with recommendations.
I have found that the use of household aromatics along with sprays for human consumption that are less than palatable are acceptable. Both of these substances must be safe. Spray chili is another way to go. It could be a rub on or from a spray can.
Your horse will be the number one judge of whether this rope or the snap is worth chewing on. In all the years that I have done this I have never had a negative for my horse, health wise. I will now explain what I do step-by-step in this process.
I spray the equipment in question away from the horse giving it 3-5 minutes to soak in and dry. When I put this equipment on my horse I step back 6-8 feet and smile. One will be amused by the reaction if you follow my instructions.
There should be a smile in the line and the snap should be reachable by the lips and tongue of your horse. You will see a surprise on your horse’s face and I assure you that if you do this for a week or so this bad habit willl cease.
To answer the question about what to do when the rope or snap is already in the horse’s mouth, DO NOT CAUSE PAIN. I put my finger in the corner of the horse’s mouth. Usually the mouth opens and the rope or snap falls out.
If you are afraid to put your finger in the horse’s mouth, use the tail of a wooden spoon. I remember many horses that I did this with and I have to say that it was without failure. The last one was extremely bad and lived in Germany.