Why do Horses Pull Back,
A Horse Training Article by Pat Parelli
At nearly every demonstration I have given, the question inevitably arises, “Why do horses pull back?” Almost everyone involved with horses has had to deal with this at one time or another.
Not only is it frightening, it often ends up with damage… to the horse, the equipment, the handler or the thing to which the horse is tied.
Understanding Horse Psychology
First of all, let’s look at the natural horse and try to see things from his perspective. Horses are prey animals, which means they are hunted as food by predators who sneak up on them, trap and kill them.
Consequently, horses are always on the lookout for dangerous situations and signs of trouble. By instinct they will avoid narrow places or areas that don’t have an easy escape route because something deep inside programs them to behave that way.
From our point of view, horses are skeptics, cowards, claustrophobic and panic-aholics. This is why we run into so many horse problems. To survive in the wild, a horse depends on just how quickly he can escape from danger. It doesn’t matter how quiet, well behaved, loving or friendly the horse appears to be. Inside every gentle horse is a wild horse with deeply rooted survival instincts.
When a horse feels trapped, he doesn’t think – he reacts. For example, if a horse gets startled, pulls back and finds he’s restricted by a halter and lead, he instantly feels like he has to fight to save his life. At that moment he doesn’t realize that he is not being attacked or otherwise in danger. He just knows he needs to run for his life and he has to get away from whatever is stopping him.
When teaching a horse to tie safely, it’s not just a matter of teaching him he can’t win (the bigger tree, stronger halter and rope method). We have to teach him how to yield to pressure and to think his way through situations, instead of getting worked up into a blind panic. We need him to become calmer, smarter and braver so he can deal sensibly with all the different situations that living in a human world can present.
The Earlier, the Better
What most people don’t know is that horses need programs. Their instincts are essentially a program that works in the wild. For horses to become our partners and to be safe in the human world, we need to reprogram their instincts.
There are thousands of horses that just don’t make it in the domestic environment because they are not adequately prepared for it. This shows up in many ways… from not wanting to befriend the human (a biological predator), to not being able to handle sudden moves or noises, deal well with constrictions (fences, trailers or being tied up) or tolerate the cinch and the bit.
It’s important to understand that horses dominate their world by pushing. They push each other (physically and mentally), they push on people, they push on fences, they push on leg and rein aids and they push on the bit. It is natural for them to push against pressure and they’ll do it violently when scared.
Pulling back is actually pushing against the pressure they feel on the back of their heads when haltered. This is called “Opposition Reflex”. It’s a survival strategy as much as anything else. Unless we can teach our horses that they don’t need to oppose us, they will become frustrated, hurt and potentially dangerous. We have to reprogram our horses to yield to pressure and the earlier we can do this, the better.
Even though you may be looking for an answer with your mature horse, I’d like you to look at the following concept in case you are ever in the position to influence a young horse.
The ideal time to teach horses to give and yield is when they are born.
Dr. R.M. Miller D.V.M., the noted equine veterinarian and behaviorist from California, developed a system called ‘Imprint Training.’ Soon after a foal is born, Dr. Miller imprints the foal with rhythmic rubbing, tapping, noises (clippers, plastic bags, etc.) and patiently holds his legs until the foal stops struggling or reacting. He has proven that this has lasting effects right through adulthood because it literally reprograms the horse to not have such strong Opposition Reflexes.
I have been imprinting my foals with great results.
I also have developed some techniques of my own that continue to prepare these foals for riding and performance. I teach them to move forward, backward, right, left, up and down from pressure to the point where I can lead them at a run and elicit lead changes.
These foals grow up without the usual resistance to human demands and will stay compliant provided they continue to be handled with natural savvy. However, if you don’t pay attention, they will start to take over again. It takes very little for horses to rediscover that people are easy to push around!
Would You Leave a Claustrophobic Person in an Elevator?
When teaching a horse to tie safely, I don’t start the lesson by tying him up! The overall objective is to help him become calmer, smarter and braver.
I start by giving him a number of tasks designed to teach him a few basics.
a) I am a friend, not a threat despite looking and smelling like a predator.
b) I am “number one” in his natural pecking order.
c) I will help him get through any confusion or fear by being passively persistent in the proper position.
The last thing I want to do is put a horse in a “sink or swim” situation. Think of it this way… If you were dealing with a claustrophobic person, would you stuff him into an elevator and leave him there to work it out?
A horse is seriously claustrophobic. When he feels trapped, he gets scared, and then he panics. What we have to teach him is to become braver, less claustrophobic and less panicky. Going back to the elevator example, wouldn’t you have to prove to the claustrophobic person that he is safe?
Allow him to look in and run away again and again until he is convinced that it’s really okay. Then you could shut the door for longer and longer periods and he’d stay comfortable. This is exactly how you would handle a claustrophobic horse, which means ALL horses.
Here’s how I would naturally help the horse to override his fears and become more mentally and emotionally fit.
Prove That You are a Friend
First, I prepare the horse by playing The Friendly Game, the first of The Seven Games.
I make sure that I can approach him as a friend, rub him all over and be kind and persistent until he relaxes and accepts me. I then expand this game to where I can hold him on a loose lead rope and casually throw the end of my 12-foot lead or 6-foot Savvy String over his back, around his legs and over his head without worrying him. This may take some passive persistence if the horse panics first. Just remember to keep up your actions with rhythm, especially while the horse panics, and don’t stop until he stops.
The reason for holding the horse instead of tying him is to allow him to drift around if he feels the need. When scared, a horse has to move his feet. If you prevent that movement, you’ll contribute to his claustrophobia.
So, let him drift around. Drift with him, keeping his nose pointed toward you. Keep up the stimulation that’s bothering him until he realizes that he’s really okay.
Horses love comfort. If you stop the stimulation at the right time, the horse will learn that by standing still, he gains comfort. If you stop at the wrong time, you’ll teach him to be scared.
Horses are Great People Trainers
Horses are great people trainers. By rearing up or panicking, they teach people to stop doing what they are doing! You have to keep up your actions through the undesirable behavior so you desensitize the horse.
Reward his desirable and sensible moves by providing him with instant comfort. If this is something that you have trouble doing, then look at developing your horsemanship skills.
This is essentially what my program is about… helping humans to become more mentally, emotionally and physically fit around horses so that they do the right thing at the right time for the right reasons.
Teach Your Horse to Respect Porcupines!
Next, I play the Porcupine Game. This teaches the horse to yield to pressure. The better I can get him to do this before moving to the next stage, the quicker the horse will learn not to pull back.
The principle is that if the horse leaned against something pointed, he would find it uncomfortable and move away from it. Take your fingers and press the sides of his nose where the halter sits. Press steadily and with increasing pressure until he starts to move back. When he moves, instantly release the pressure and rub his nose. Repeat this until he understands that the only way he can get relief is by moving back away from the pressure.
You’ll probably find that he’ll toss his head and push back at you at first (Opposition Reflex). Hang in there quietly and persistently until the horse works out that it’s his responsibility to get the release by moving away from the pressure.
Once you can move him by the nose, push his hindquarters from you in a tight circle with his head bent to you. He should cross his hind legs and keep his front legs almost in one place as he yields around in a circle.
Now see if you can teach him to lower his head from pressure with your fingers. This will prepare him to start thinking about how to respond to the pressure he feels from the halter. If your horse pulls back badly, you’ll probably find this will take some time, so invest the time now with your horse.
Remember to always start with the lightest pressure and build its intensity smoothly and surely until the horse reacts positively, then release! The timing of the release is critical! The faster, the better.
Reward the slightest try by retreating with your hands and rubbing the withers. Your horse will start to think he’s training you to put your hands on his withers.
Simulation is the Key
At this point we are now ready to desensitize the horse’s tendency to panic. Help him become calmer, smarter and braver while teaching him to yield to pressure from the halter behind his head without injuring himself.
I choose my equipment carefully because the wrong tools for the job can be ineffective or dangerous. The ropes I use are smooth, the right rope for the job and a good thickness to work with.
For this job I select a 22-foot Snap Line and attach it to the Horseman’s Halter. The halter is designed to teach the horse rather than just being something to lead or tie him with. The halter is soft and not too thick or too thin. Thick leather or webbing encourages a horse to lean and push which is definitely undesirable. Please don’t take your style of equipment lightly.
Now I find a sturdy rail. Bring the horse close and take a turn around the rail with the lead rope. I set myself up, out of the horse’s way. To stimulate the pull back situation, I need something to bring out a reaction in the horse, causing him to try to pull back. One of the best things I have found is what I call a flag. I make a flag by attaching a plastic bag, with the end cut open, to the end of my Carrot Stick. When I shake the flag gently, it sounds like a predator sneaking through the undergrowth.
This noise alarms the horse and amplifies his instincts to flee. As soon as he jumps away, I allow the rope to slide out slowly while still shaking the flag. This provides a little resistance for the horse, but allows him to drift backward. If you lock on and try to prevent the drift, the horse will flip over in his panic and learn nothing. He may even hurt or kill himself.
You must understand his Opposition Reflex and the need the horse has to move his feet before you do anything. Otherwise, you will not have the savvy or the patience to help the horse overcome his fears.
Using the flag as a stimulant accelerates the learning process for the horse because it heightens his reaction, but ends up, in his view, not being dangerous. He learns that he can live through scary situations and, with repetition, he finally starts to think, “This really is no big deal!”
Now, you need to be aware of your own instinctive reactions! When people get startled, they too have Opposition Reflexes. They tense up and their hands tighten on the rope. You need to work at having control of your emotional reactions by staying mentally in control and allowing your hands to open and the rope to slide through.
It’s Like Reeling in a Fish
So, when I gently shake the flag, the horse jumps and runs backward until the point where he feels he is safe. I stop the flag when he stops – not before or he won’t become desensitized. Then I reel him back in with a nonchalant look on my face. And I do it again, and again… until the horse learns to not panic and to give to pressure. It’s like reeling in a fish.
You’ll find the horse improves each time. He’ll run back less distance and without as much force or panic. He’ll come back in easier and easier, until finally you can reel him in very close, shake the flag and he won’t put any pressure on the rope at all.
Watch the way his mind starts to work. Every time he learns something, or his brain shifts from right brain (instinctive) to left brain (rational, thinking), he will lick his lips. Give him a few moments to do this. I also make sure that I can rub the horse all over with the flag. Once again proving to him that there is nothing to be afraid of.
Remember that this has to become a program. Do it for a minimum of four days in a row, then a couple of times a week until you can see that the horse has been reprogrammed and his first instinct becomes, “Don’t just do something… stand there.”
Success Tips
I have only tried this on about 6,000 horses and have a 100 percent success rate! It’s important to realize that there are a number of factors involved, seven to be exact – attitude, knowledge, tools, techniques, time, imagination and support. These are the seven keys to success. It’s not just what you do, it’s how you do it and for what purpose.
What I have outlined is an imaginative horse training technique to help horses overcome their Opposition Reflex and the tendency to pull back. It needs to be applied with a positive, progressive and natural attitude backed by the knowledge of what a prey animal needs, implemented with the right tools and given the time it takes to be effective and change the horse’s programming.
Sometimes people think they can just apply my tools or techniques and magically get the same results! It takes all seven keys to be successful with horses. People who are truly studying natural horsemanship are constantly working on themselves in each of these seven areas.
One last word: Going from normal to natural too quickly can be hazardous to your health! Ask yourself if you are ready to deal with this. If you have been studying with me, and especially if you have gotten to Level 2 in program, then you probably are.
But, if this is your first exposure, you’ll need to do some preparatory work on yourself and your horse to make sure you have the level of knowledge and skill it takes to produce good results.
Try to not look for quick fixes with horses. They usually don’t solve problems at their origin, though they may work temporarily at the expense of the horse.
Any time you are teaching your horse, ask yourself whether what you are doing is helping him become calmer, smarter, braver and more athletic. This is a good barometer as to whether you are doing this for him rather than to him. I also encourage you to not resort to mechanics and force. Keep it natural. If you know enough about horses, you don’t need artificial aids for leverage.
Think of it from the horse’s point of view, and learn as much as you can about the natural horse. It’ll help you become more than a rider. It will help you become a horseman, and even more – your horse will become a horseman, too.
