HOW CAN I STOP MY HORSE EATING THE GRASS ?

Question

Whenever i ride my 14.2hh Dales cob he always eats the grass as he's going along which i don't like him doing as i've been told this can cause colic.

When i try to stop him he just gets angry and gallops off and i can't stop.

He also constantly drags me to the grass when leading him.

Please can you help :(

x x x

Answer 1

No, carrying a treat will not work. Once he is done with the treat he will just go right back to the grass. From the sound of it it sounds like he is the boss of your relationship with the horse. There are plenty of reasons why he does this.

Do you ever let him he grass while your riding him? Like sometimes you let him and sometimes you dont? Well dont let him. He will learn he can get away with it.

Be the boss of him. Dont snatch at the bit though. Put him in circles.

Its gonna be a tough ride though. Cobs are hard headed.

When leading, there are special haulters you can buy that will make the horse more responsive to where you want him to go. Its called the dually halter! Its amazing. Here read about it. (http://www.horseinfo.com/cart/halter.htm... Its a great price for the results. It will teach your horse to respect you and your area. And here is a video of it working. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uGsOV_eOY... It trains horses to learn to lead and load. Please think seriously about getting one. You wont regret it. =] Tell me if ya do.

Good luck

Answer 2

u hav to be firm with horse so when he starts eating grass when ur on him u said he will get mad and gallop off and he wont stop, to stop him pull back on both reins and if he still doesnt stop pull on one to make him go in a circle to slow him down.

when he is eating grass pull his head up and say no and push him to show him that u r serious and u r the boss.

Answer 3

Put some grass reins on  

Answer 4

Well first you need to remember that he's a horse, and running to the grass is his instinct.  You need to teach him good manners. He probably doesn't know that he is being bad by dragging you around.  When he starts to act bad, tell him no right away and then distract him by making him do something positive (not by feeding him treats).  So when you are riding, if he stops to eat give him a kick forward (you can't pull his head up, he's too strong.)  Tap him with the stick and spin him in a tight circle to say no.  Then ask him to do something nicely.  For example, you could trot a large circle and then give him a pat.

But remember, he's a horse and he can eat grass when you say so.  So, after you ride and he is cooled down, bring him out to hand graze him.  If he is cool, he shouldn't colic, and it is nice of you to let him east grass sometimes.

Answer 5

You can rig up a "check rein" which attaches to your bridle and makes your horse not able to stop, drop his head and graze.  See your neighborhood tack store for one.

Answer 6

Get a lead rope with a chain on it. It causes alot more pressure on the nose that a regular lead rope to a halter. They have devices to stop horses from eating grass when riding, so you might want to look into that.

Answer 7

dude. your horse has no respect for you.

start some kind of parelli training groundwork on him to get him to start respecting you..

then you should have better luck in the saddle.

i would get a broken tom thumb for him [bit] as they arent harsh but work well... then whenver he starts acting like he is gonna grab a bite pull his head up, make him back four-ten steps, do three TIGHT circles to the right then three to the left and make him back again...

eventually he will put two and two together and when you first pull his head up he will be a perfect gentlemen..

good luck!

Answer 8

IT MUST BE A DONKEY THERES NO CURING IT

Answer 9

What I do is cross the reins over and hold them over their withers/shoulder area so when he pulls all he's doing is pulling against himself and not you, it usually works and after a while they seem to get the idea. It should also help if he's taking off too - short of getting a stronger bit so you CAN stop him.

For the leading problem I'd try him in a pressure halter or lead him in a bridle if need be. It's all just general manners and he needs to be taught that his behaviour is not acceptable.

Answer 10

sounds like he is riding you.

he is spoiled and needs a trainer to break him of this bad habit.

you dont need to get bucked off . you might beable to sell him and buy another horse. if he has alot of grass in a pastuer when your not riding. it might help

Answer 11

Ground training is needed.  I use a Parelli type yachting rope halter and lead, not clips, and nothing to break.  When he puts his head down to graze as you lead him, feed the lead under your foot.  When he notices the pressure holding him down, let him bring his head up, but keep the lead fed under your foot.  I use at least an 8 foot long lead to train this.

As soon as his head comes up as far as he wants to take it, pull the end of the lead to slide it under your foot again so his head is pressured to come down again.  Keep the pressure on until he gives you his head, then release and let him raise his head.  then immediately pull the lead end again, and try to get his head down a little farther this time.  Hold the pressure for as long as it takes to get him to give, then release.  This takes patience, and you keep it up until his nose is to the ground and he is not fighting you to get it free.  Work on this in the arena as well.

I only recommend doing this in the rig I described...you have a great deal of control with this rig, without pain to the horse...just discomfort if he resists.  Once trained to this, any time you lead him and he decides to graze, do the whole process again.  He will not want his head held down at your will, so he will avoid it by not trying to graze when you lead him.  Start with this, and if you still have a problem while riding, post it again for more training tips.

Check the Parelli web site for the rig, or there are others who carry it as well, but the cost is comparable wherever you get it.

ADD...I see I'm getting the thumbs down.  This training actually teaches the horse to stop grazing when being handled...it isn't a jerk on the lead that says "I'm watching you".  It says "when I'm handling you, if you graze, you will be uncomfortable for a long time and in my power for that long time".  It says that I have all the time in the world to stand around while his head is down and staying there.  It teaches him to never put his head down to graze while I have him haltered.  It also works, and cures the problem as opposed to quick fixing it for the moment.

Stud chains and severe bits don't train horses.  Try this method, with this gear.  You will use this gear for years to come to train many wonderful things, without ever inflicting pain on your horse.

Answer 12

when your riding try usind a head check and try leading him with a rearing bit so he doesnt take off on you and the rest is all up to you showing him whos boss hope this helps. ps a head check stops them from putting there head down and if you put this on you dont need it tight just tight enough from stopping him from reaching the grass leah

Answer 13

when leading him try using a grazing mask so he carn't eat the grass

Answer 14

Horses are grazing animals, he won't colic. He needs a little attention.

http://www.saferhorseracing.com/gpage17....

Answer 15

Well I would say that maybe he is a little to much for you...but you cannot just give up, can you now??  The grass wont give him colic, but it is a nasty habit.  When you are leading him, you can try a chain under his chin, or even over his nose...or a crop to hit him with...i think the chain would work better....when you are riding, you can get grass reins, a hackamore, or use a crop and give a firm NO and then a quick slap with the crop...this way you will train him to not eat when you say no! Also (you prolly dont) but never let him eat when you have the halter or bridle on him if he is bad for dragging you to grass or eating on the trail.  If he gallops off, turn him in a sharp circle...(make sure you're ready for it) he cant run too fast in a tiny circle, now can he??  You need to get this horses respect....so demand it, dont just ask...DEMAND, and you will get results :)

Answer 16

Your horse has bad manners.  He needs correction.  It is only natural for horses to eat grass, but he should be waiting on you for permission to graze.

Sounds like this poor beast is locked up in a stall 24/7 and not allowed anytime to graze.  No wonder he is such a bully.  Perhaps you could allow him some grazing time.  Let him eat for 20 minutes a day to take the edge off his arrogance.  

As for him eating grass as you ride, this is totally unacceptable behavior, but then again the poor thing is "grass starved".

If he is getting angry at you while you ride and runs off with you, you need to probably get a little more severe bit, a kimberwick pelham.  

Since he drags you while leading, you need to put a stud chain over his nose, give it a good stiff jerk to get his head up and he shouldn't be able to drag you off.

If you don't know what bit you need or how to use a stud chain properly, you need to find someone in your area that knows how to handle horses to show you how to properly.

Answer 17

Get after him, your the boss, don't let him push you around and next time bring what you need to stop him from eating the grass! You got to let him know it's not okay. Get after him with your lead rope when he does that so he knows! But when your on him do the same and really get after him, back him up and do what you need to do. It will just take time!!

Good luck!

P.S. You should distract him with maybe a treat or something!

Answer 18

Whenevr your horse goes down to eat the grass, pull up on his reins and firmly say 'no'.

My horse used to do the same thing, and after i started doing this with him, he gradually stopped trying to eat grass while im on him, and now he doesent even eat grass while i ride him anymore.

Answer 19

He won't colic if he just gets a little grass. Try grazing reins:

http://www.justforponies.com/index.asp?P...

They are a short cut to keeping a horse from getting their heads down. Working through it and teaching them not to eat while riding is the best thing but if its becoming a safety issue then the can supply a quick fix. You just have to be careful when using them becaue they can limit the use of the horses head and neck. DO NOT use them jumping.  

Answer 20

Try using a grazing check...it's a piece of string you tie from the bridle to the saddle and it keeps the horse from being able to put his head down and eat grass.

Answer 21

maybe put a muzzle on wen he is in the pasture...but wen riding sit firmly and hold yur elbows to yur side and dont let him pull

Answer 22

Omg my horse is like addicted to grass. Whenever I'm leading him he always tries to pull me over to the grass. He's a pig :P

You just gotta be strong and pull his head up whenever he tries eating grass. He should never eat grass with a bit in. Just give a squeeze with your legs and yank his head up. If he bolts, reach down one of your reins and pull it to your hip pocket. Keep balanced in both your heels and keep him turning circles until he stops. Don't lean to the inside of the circle or he could slip. He'll eventually learn there's a time to eat and a time not to. Good luck (:

Answer 23

Get a western saddle and use it when you ride him. Then tie the reins in a knot, and throw it over the saddle horn. Every time he goes for grass he will be imedetly stopped and punished by the pressure on his mouth from the reins as they stop on the saddle horn. As soon as he stops reaching for the grass he will be rewarded with no prssure on his mouth.

After a while he'll get the idea.

Its an instant reward/punishment system!