Help! I'm confused.

[pdemelo]

I have a 10 year old Appy. gelding, who is great under saddle. My problems start when I go to tie him to do any work. You can put the halter on him no problem, lead him to the post but 2 feet before I get to the post he will just freeze. I will spin spin him around a few times and try again with the same results. Finally, I will try lunging him around until we get closer, praising each time we get closer. After a few times, he will let me tie him up, only to be followed by severe pulling when I go to do anything on him. He will calm down a little if I talk to him softly.
This behavior continues until I finish working him.

My real problem is that only got into horses 2 months ago, when I purchased him. I have not been able to find the previous owner to ask him if this was a trait of this horse. I'm not a youngster, but he makes me feel like I'm doing something wrong. I have done a lot of read on the subject, but each time I try something different, we end up at the same place (me mad and him with a halter burn on his face.

Please can someone help me with some sound advise? I really love this horse but it is getting dangerous for me and the horse.

[appychick]

It sounds to me that you need a tie ring. You also need a really long lead rope. the tie ring will really help you, it lets the horse pull back, but they dont get away. you might need a 15-20ft. lead rope. it makes them feel safer. You can google "tie rings", and look them up, so you can get a better understanding. Your horse probaly stops because he knows when he gets tied and he feels scared.He probaly dosnt like the feeling of being restrained. Some horses are like this. Hope i could help.

[LucyLou]

My advice would to just do lots and lots lf groundwork. Spend lots of time around the place where he is usually tied, without tieing him up until he gets more comfortable and will stand when tied. Also try maybe not tying him but letting him stand in a place where he is not usually not tied and try tying him up in different spots.

[pdemelo]

How about hobble training instead of tying. Is it hard to train a horse with hobbles. How do you hobble train a horse?

[Chenay]

Greetings!

Regarding the question about hobble training.

Hobble training should ONLY be taught by a professional as it can be EXTREMELY dangerous for everyone involved.

Regarding the question about tying.

My recommendation is to consult a professional trainer who can help you in teaching your horse to tie without pulling back. This can be a dangerous situation for both owner and horse as horses are claustrophobic animals and when they set back and cant move their feet, the situation can escalate quickly and they can severely injure themselves or you.

Do you live in an area that is "horse country" where trainers are readily available?

If there is anything else you would like to know, I would be more than happy to help!

Good luck and be careful!