Fixing the barn sour horse

[elleng0728]

My gelding is displaying some tendency to be barn sour when going out for a stroll in the fields. Now this is something that I really want to fix because I want to be able to do dressage and also enjoy him out on the trail.

We've been around the fields before and he did ok but this past Saturday we went out for a stroll and we did the turn around game (he would turn around the other way and I would turn him back around ) when we were heading to the first set of fields. Tried another field further down the driveway (he did fine going down the driveways second field was the same thing, went into a third field and got midway through it and then he started the same thing again.

My horse mentor friend thinks that he may have had to go to the bathroom and is a shy peeer but everyone else I tell this to thinks he's barn sour.

So if you've had a barn sour horse that you've managed to "fix" advice and tips would be appreciated.

Thanks
Ellen

[MissHunter]

I have had a few horses try and get barn sour as well as a few friends horses. The best fix we found was to let them walk home as fast as they wanted but make getting home suck! Straight to the arena for or round pen for lots of hard work and then walk right back out on trail for a short time. Then head back home (at the speen they choose) and repeat until the horse decides that going home isn't so fun. Soon you should notice the horse walking slower and slower home. Some learn real fast and others need several trips. Do this everytime they get in a hurry.

Another thing is don't put them up or give treats when you get home. Tie the horse up and let them stand there for a while so they can see that getting home didn't get them a flake of hay or any goodies.

I have never seen this fail if you act quick and really make going home no fun.

Good luck:)

[elleng0728]

I have had a few horses try and get barn sour as well as a few friends horses. The best fix we found was to let them walk home as fast as they wanted but make getting home suck! Straight to the arena for or round pen for lots of hard work and then walk right back out on trail for a short time. Then head back home (at the speen they choose) and repeat until the horse decides that going home isn't so fun. Soon you should notice the horse walking slower and slower home. Some learn real fast and others need several trips. Do this everytime they get in a hurry.

Another thing is don't put them up or give treats when you get home. Tie the horse up and let them stand there for a while so they can see that getting home didn't get them a flake of hay or any goodies.

I have never seen this fail if you act quick and really make going home no fun.

Good luck:)

Thanks MissHunter, I may try that this weekend. He's a wonderful horse in the ring but I want to be able to enjoy him on the trails also. My first horse (mare) would go through anything on the trails.

[MissHunter]

Trail riding is my first love and I know how annoying a barn sour horse can be. Sounds like your mare is great on trails and once you get this nipped in the butt she will be just as good going home.

Let me know how it goes.

[orono]

Are you going out alone or with a buddy? Sometimes horses that are new to the trail are just lonely, and need a friend for a while to boost confidence. You can also plan your route in a windy way, so that sometimes you're going towards the barn, and sometimes away from it. It's important to mix things up too, if you take the same path they start to know what to expect and when they'll be heading for home, if you change it all of a sudden they're like 'Hey, we head home after turning past the big tree'.

imho, I don't think they should ever be allowed to determine the 'going home' pace, I've ridden runaways back to the barn, and it's frightening. Also if a horse is getting antsy going home, it's fine to get off and walk any part of the way, it keeps them guessing about when the ride will be over. I know someone who always walks the last mile home, just out of habit.

[lbjason]

This has worked for me:

Go straight out in the pasture and get off, let the horse eat. Then slowly walk back to the barn. Or, better yet, take tack off out in the field. Gets the horse to thinking that the end of the ride is out in the field not the barn. You may only go out in the field for a short bit and then increase the distance slowly.

Once you get back to the barn get back on and work your horse there. Then go back out in the field to get off. Never get off at the barn or facing the barn.

Your horse will start to relate work with the barn and ending the ride away from the barn. This works in the arena also - always get off away from the arena entrance.

On trail rides, I always walk home and get off a good half mile from the barn and walk back - seems to keep horse calm. As they learn not to get excited, I may get off closer to the barn, but never ride completly up to it.

[luxuria]

Lots of good advice.

Also:
1) when the horse gets home, don't ever feed or grain right away. Basically, you don't want to do anything that will make the horse hurry to get home.
2) consider making near the barn, a place of hard work, and further away, a place for a pleasant stroll

Consider whether it's barn vs buddy sour.

[lbjason]

I have a mare that is very very very herd bound or buddy sour.
She would get too far from the barn and then start going nutty.
I used the clicker method. Led her away from the barn out in the field. She would get a little nutty but then relax and graze. I would immediately reward her using the clicker method. After two days, I could ride her away from the barn without her getting crazy.

Basically, with the clicker method you have to wait for relaxation or the desired behavior.

[elleng0728]

Hi everyone,

I figured I would give you a bit of an update on Midas and our adventures on the trails. I have met a nice older gentleman who is amazing with all types of horses and he had agreed to work with Midas and I on our trail issues. He's ridden him 2 times now once around the property and once down on the canal trail. Both times he did quite well. Spooking at a couple of things but nothing horrible. The first time we were out in a group - and I rode a different horse and the second time I had him take Midas out by himself (I started to go out with them but the horse I was on was acting up and I ended up going back to the barn). I also then rode Midas myself with Donnie on his horse around the property and we did well but I don't have the confidence myself to ride him down to the canal yet. But I'm grateful that Donnie has come along to help us both. Very low key and calm gentleman and Midas LOVES him.